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Summary Bo is the first Politburo member to be removed from office in five years.
Chinese lawmakers stripped disgraced politician Bo Xilai of his last official position Friday, formally expelling him from the countrys top legislature and setting the stage for criminal proceedings against the once-rising political star.Though largely a formality since Bo was purged from the Communist Party late last month, his expulsion from the congress removes his immunity from prosecution. That sets the stage for a criminal case involving accusations of corruption and other wrongdoing, including interfering in the investigation into the murder of a British businessman. Bos wife and a household aide were convicted for the murder last month.Communist Party leaders are keen to resolve the countrys messiest political scandal in decades as they prepare for next months once-in-a-decade transition of power to the next generation of leaders tasked with shoring up public support in the face of widespread disgust over official graft and influence peddling.As the most powerful official in the southwestern mega-city of Chongqing, Bo had been considered a candidate for a seat on the partys all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, and his toppling exposed sharp infighting in the partys uppermost ranks.The National Peoples Congress Standing Committee said it approved a decision to remove Bo as a deputy, but offered no details.Bos downfall has been spectacular: His wife, Gu Kailai, was convicted of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood, and Bos former right-hand man was accused of taking bribes, abusing power and trying to defect to the United States, among other crimes.Even before that, Bo had angered many in Beijing with his populist style that defied the authoritarian partys demands that those seeking higher office merely follow orders from Beijing and maintain a low-key image. Bos initiatives included a sweeping crackdown on organized crime and a campaign to revive Mao-era songs and culture that reminded many of the excesses of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution.Bos expulsion cements an impression of unity among the leadership in rejecting his neo-Maoist approach in favor of stability under incoming slate of leaders, said China politics expert Feng Chongyi of the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia.Its very positive in that way, but not sufficient to conclude that the party will become any more liberal, Feng said.Chinese authorities have not yet announced specific charges against Bo but in expelling him on Sept. 28, the party accused him of offenses reaching back two decades and range from taking bribes, abusing his power and having improper relationships with several women. He has not been seen in public since mid-March and is believed to be under detention at a Beijing prison.Beijing attorney Li Xiaolin said Thursday that Bos wifes family has hired him and Shen Zhigeng to defend Bo, but the two lawyers are not formally accredited by the authorities to represent him yet. The timing of a trial is unclear, although there would appear not to be enough time to conclude matters before the party congress that begins Nov. 8.Bo is the first Politburo member to be removed from office in five years and the scandal raised talk of a political struggle involving Bo supporters intent on derailing succession plans calling for Vice President Xi Jinping to lead the party for the next decade, as well as concerns over corruption among top-tier politicians.A lengthy New York Times expose published Friday claimed the family of Premier Wen Jiabao has amassed assets worth $2.7 billion through a web of investments, most of it accumulated after he rose to high office in 2002. Chinese censors swiftly blocked the Times Chinese language site that carried a translated version of the story, although Internet users with the technical knowledge could still access it by penetrating Chinas firewall.While Wen is expected to leave his post in the spring, the report is a blow to his reputation as a committed politician concerned with bettering the lives of ordinary Chinese. The government had no official comment on the report as of midmorning Friday.Bos downfall was set off when his former police chief and close confidant Wang Lijun fled to the U.S. Consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu where he revealed to diplomats details of Heywoods death, which previously was called accidental. A month later, Bo was sacked as Chongqings Communist Party secretary and suspended from the 25-member Politburo.
