Public servants open to disclosure

A recent study found that more than 77 percent of public servants in Shanghai said they would agree to disclose their personal assets before taking over a supervisory position in the government, the Youth Daily reported Wednesday.

The survey was one of a series of surveys and studies that the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences carried out to investigate local officials' knowledge and understanding of the State Constitution. The results were compiled in a report called Shanghai Development of the Rule of Law 2013.

The current version of the State Constitution, which took effect 30 years ago, is the highest law in the country. It stipulates the country's political system, the general powers of different institutions, the legal system and the basic rights and obligations of citizens.

For question on personal asset disclosure, researchers polled 805 public servants at different levels of government in Shanghai, according to the report.

The issue was one of the most problematic for other segments of the public surveyed by researchers, including Shanghai residents, lawyers and legal officers.

In a survey of 675 legal officers working at government agencies, courts and prosecutors' officers in the city, more than 13 percent of respondents were pessimistic about officials disclosing their personal assets.

In the survey, legal officers were also unsatisfied with several other aspects related to public servants, such as their cronyism, lack of accountability and consumption of the public funds, according to the report.

The surveyed legal officers had higher opinions about public servants when it came to protecting personal property and assets, supporting legal officers' work, protecting petitioner rights and obeying legal procedures.

In the survey of public servants, researchers also found that 60 percent of respondents believed their power stemmed directly from the people.