Let cadres be among masses
It is good for the government leaders to take part in public activities and share the joy with the people, says an article in Yangtze Evening News. The following is an excerpt:
Many officials from the Guangzhou municipal government, led by mayor Zhang Guangning, were part of the 3,000-people team that swam in the Zhujiang River on July19. The activity was aimed at enhancing people's awareness of environmental protection and improving the water quality of the Zhujiang River.
It is indeed good for the local government officials to come close to the people. However, heavy security, which kept the gathering crowds far away, struck an unharmonious note to this harmonious scene.
To share with the masses the joy of launching an environmental protection campaign, officials should let the public to join in, instead of keeping them away.
Most likely, the tight security might have been imposed out of the security department's own "professional habit", which should be abandoned as soon as possible to forge a close and harmonious relationship between the government officials and the public.
(China Daily 07/22/2008 page8)
