One hundred and ninety-two local officials have been punished or fired for taking bribes in vote-buying and other election scandals during ongoing nationwide elections.

The Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said in a circular released on Wednesday that it has investigated 121 cases of election irregularities.

The appointments of 613 people have been rectified, the Party department said in the circular.

Elections of local party committees, heads of local people's congresses, heads of local government and advisory bodies are being held in 2006 and 2007.

The Party department said the CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to the elections and has ordered officials to follow strict discipline to create a transparent, clean and fair election process.

Teams of Inspectors have been sent across the country to supervise local elections. Some provinces have opened telephone hotlines and websites to invite the public to report corruption and malpractice.

The department said the elections are generally going well and the majority of officials and cadres are highly disciplined.

The few officials who did violate rules have had a negative effect to the elections, the department said in the circular.

In September last year, Tian Zhongli, former deputy secretary of CPC Changchun municipal committee, was arrested for taking bribes during a local Party election.

Tian, who was in charge of personnel, took 137,000 U.S. dollars from eight lower-level officials between last June and July. The eight officials were later fired and several were put under judicial investigation.

The Organization Department said the ongoing elections are a test of Party principles and of the discipline of Party members and officials.

It said local party committees and organization departments should tighten supervision of the elections, prevent unlawful behavior and severely punish those who violate rules and disciplines.

By last December, 14 of the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the Chinese mainland had completed local Party leadership elections.

Source: Xinhua