BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The fifth plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Thursday endorsed prior decisions to revoke the membership of 10 former officials, including Ling Jihua.
A former vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, Ling was found to have seriously violated the political discipline and rules of the CPC, taken advantage of his posts to seek profits for others and accepted huge bribes.
Others on the expulsion list are Zhou Benshun, Yang Dongliang, Zhu Mingguo, Wang Min, Chen Chuanping, Qiu He, Yang Weize, Pan Yiyang and Yu Yuanhui. Their violations include abuse of power, bribery, embezzling public funds, leaking state secrets, among others, according to previous statements from the top anti-graft body.
Previous decisions to strip them of their membership were made by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. According to the CPC constitution, a decision to expel a member or alternate member of the Central Committee must be approved by a two thirds majority vote at a plenary meeting of the Party committee to which he or she belongs.
All the former senior officials were felled after graft-busters announced investigation into them amid China's most sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which targetted both powerful tigers and lowly flies.
