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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 25 OctOber 2017

Xi’s status lifted, setting stage for an even tighter grip

By CHRIS BODEEN tem and not of the sincere
Associated Press support of the people’s
BEIJING (AP) — The rul- hearts,” Zhang Ming said.
ing Communist Party on “If he can achieve that, he
Tuesday formally lifted Xi would become Mao.”
Jinping’s status to China’s Xi has described his con-
most powerful ruler in de- cept as central to setting
cades, setting the stage China on the path to be-
for the authoritarian leader coming a “great modern
to tighten his grip over the socialist country” by mid-
country while pursuing an century. This vision has at
increasingly muscular for- its core a ruling party that
eign policy and military ex- serves as the vanguard for
pansion. everything from defending
The move to insert Xi’s national security to provid-
name and dogma into the ing moral guidance to ordi-
party’s constitution along- nary Chinese.
side the party’s founders He has set the target date
came at the close of a of 2049, the People’s Re-
twice-a-decade congress public’s centenary, for the
that gathered the coun- establishment of a pros-
try’s ruling elite alongside perous, modern society.
rank-and-file party mem- Chinese President Xi Jinping gestures during the closing ceremony for the 19th Party Congress held China has the world’s sec-
at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. China’s ruling Communist
bers. It not only places him Party moved Tuesday to confirm Xi Jinping’s rise to becoming the country’s most powerful leader ond-largest economy and
in the first rank, with past in decades by amending its constitution to add his name and ideology. legions of newly wealthy
leaders Mao Zedong and (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) urban residents, but raising
Deng Xiaoping, but also ef- spoken of China emerg- in the party ideology while “He wants to join that pan- living standards for millions
fectively makes any act of ing into a “new normal” he was still alive. We’re theon of leaders,” he said. of people continues to be
opposing him tantamount of slower, but higher qual- opening something that Despite being elevated to a challenge.
to an attack on the party ity economic growth. The hasn’t been broached be- the status of both a politi- Zhang Ming, the retired pro-
itself. placement of Xi’s thought fore.” cal and theoretical author- fessor, said the goals Xi laid
“The Chinese people and among the party’s leading For centuries, Chinese em- ity in the party, Xi still lacks out were lofty but mostly
nation have a great and guidelines also comes five perors were accorded the broad popular support mere rhetoric. “These goals
bright future ahead,” Xi years into his term — earlier ritual names that signaled of the Chinese public that have nothing to do with
told party delegates as than his predecessors. either they were succes- Mao had enjoyed, said the people but are just jar-
the meeting came to a “In every sense, the Xi Jin- sors in a dynastic line or Zhang Ming, a political an- gon that people shouldn’t
close after delegates ap- ping era has begun in ear- the founders of an entirely alyst in Beijing who recently take seriously,” Zhang said.
proved the addition of Xi’s nest,” said Zhang Lifan, an new dynasty. What Xi ac- retired from a prestigious “It is not important for him
ideology of “socialism with independent political com- complished this week was university. to achieve these goals, just
Chinese characteristics for mentator in Beijing. “Only a modern equivalent of the “This (elevation) is a result as long as his power reach-
a new era” to the party Mao’s name was enshrined latter, Zhang said. of the party’s political sys- es its peak.”q
charter.
“Living in such a great era,
we are all the more confi- Kenya:
dent and proud, and also
feel the heavy weight of Top court to hear petition to postpone election
responsibility upon us,” he
said. By CHRIS TORCHIA free and fair vote cannot lege that Kenya’s electoral the first one in court, wants
The concept Xi has touted TOM ODULA be guaranteed. The top commission is in disarray supporters to boycott the
is seen as marking a break Associated Press court, whose surprise de- and prone to political inter- vote while seeking elector-
from the stage of eco- NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — cision to annul the Aug. 8 ference. A large number of al reforms, the petition says.
nomic reform ushered in Kenya’s Supreme Court election over irregularities voters would be disenfran- The court hearing will occur
by Deng Xiaoping in the plans to hear last-minute set the stage for this week’s chised because opposition even though Kenya’s inte-
late 1970s and continued arguments that Thursday’s new vote, said it will con- leader Raila Odinga, who rior ministry has declared
under his successors Jiang presidential election should vene Wednesday morning withdrew from the new Wednesday and Thursday
Zemin and Hu Jintao; Xi has be postponed because a to hear petitioners who al- election after challenging to be public holidays.q