Official: Democracy can't dilute the power of the party

The Chinese Communist Party will become more accountable but change will not signal any release of its grip on power, the vice minister of the party's organization department said on Wednesday. Ouyang Song, whose department vets candidates for appointments and promotions, said: "Democracy within the party is the lifeline of the party. Likewise, unity is also the lifeline of the party." However, he added that upholding the unity of the party involved ensuring that its decisions and resolutions are carried out effectively, Reuters reported. President Hu Jintao has expanded internal competition for party posts (although it is unclear what this means in practice) as part of a drive to remove corruption, which is seen as a threat to the party's hold on power. Speaking in the wings of the Communist Party Congress on Wednesday, Li Yuanchao, party secretary for Jiangsu province, said the Cultural Revolution happened because China lacked democracy.