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China Strips Bo Xilai's Parliament Seat, Immunity

In a file picture taken on March 5, 2012, Chongqing mayor Bo Xilai (bottom C) attends the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

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William Ide

October 26, 2012

BEIJING — Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai was formally expelled from China’s legislature on Friday, clearing the way for possible criminal and corruption charges to be brought against the former rising political star.

By stripping Bo of his legislative seat, the standing committee of parliament made sure the former Chongqing party chief will no longer enjoy immunity from prosecution. Bo faces a wide range of allegations many of which were outlined late last month when state media reported that he had been purged from the Communist Party.

Bo Xilai rapidly rose through the ranks of China's Communist Party before his involvement in China's biggest political scandal in decades.

His father, Bo Yibo, was one of the founders of the People's Republic of China.
Bo Xilai joined the Communist Party in 1980
Was mayor of Dailan, governor of Liaoning province and commerce minister
Named leader of Chongqing city in 2007 and ascended to membership in the Politburo.
Gained prominence for launching crackdown on corruption in Chongqing.
Expelled from Communist Party in September, 2012.

Bo has been accused of corruption stretching back more than a decade and of interfering in the investigation into the murder of a British businessman, a crime his wife and a family aide were recently found guilty of committing.

It’s unclear though, just how soon Bo could be put on trial. Some believe that the party would like to take care of the case before its 18th National Party Congress, which opens November 8, and marks the beginning of a once-in-a-decade leadership transition for China.

Long process

Li Xiaolin, the lawyer Bo’s family has asked to represent him in court says the entire procedure could take more than a year.

Li says he does not know when the trial could take place and that there is too little time before the 18th party congress to carry out all of the legal procedures involved in the case.

“First, I have no idea when the trial could take place and secondly, from the perspective of the legal procedure, there is too little time before the 18th Party Congress,” says Li.

The lawyer says he still does not know whether the government will let him represent Bo in the case.

When Bo was purged from China’s Communist Party late last month, state-run Xinhua news agency released an extensive report detailing allegations of how he abused his power and bore major responsibility in the murder case. The report also accused him of using his position to seek profits for others and of taking bribes either personally or through family members.

Investigation

Li, however, says that an independent investigation needs to be carried out before Bo should be put on trial.

Li says that before the case can go to trial, there needs to be an investigation and indictment. He says that while judicial authorities will carry out an independent inquiry, they will most likely use the details from the Xinhua report in their investigation.

“There needs to be an investigation and an indictment before the case can go to court," he stresses. "Judicial authorities will carry out their investigation independently, but the details as outlined in the Xinhua report will most likely be clues that they will use in their investigation.”

Fall from grace

Timeline of the Bo Xilai Scandal

February 2: Bo's key ally and Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun is demoted.
February 6: Wang visits U.S. consulate in Chengdu, reportedly to seek asylum.
March 2: Xinhua says Wang is under investigation.
March 9: Bo defends himself and his wife, Gu Kailai, at a press conference at the National People's Congress.
March 15: Bo dismissed as Chongqing party chief.
March 26: Britain asks China to investigate November death of Briton Neil Heywood in Chongqing.
April 10: Bo suspended from Communist Party posts. China says his wife is being investigated for Heywood's death.
April 17: New York Times reports U.S. officials held Wang so he could be handed to Beijing authorities instead of local police.
July 26: Gu charged with Heywood's murder.
August 20: Gu given suspended death sentence after confessing to Heywood's murder.
September 18: Two day trial of Wang for defection and abuse of power ends without him contesting the charges.
September 28: Communist Party expels Bo.

Once a rising political star, Bo was widely expected to win a powerful spot in China's party leadership reshuffle that begins early next month. But now, the party appears to be drawing a clear line between itself and Bo.

Earlier this week, the party announced the promotion of five generals to new posts. Analysts note that among those who were passed over for a promotion was General Liu Yuan, a man who is considered to have close ties to Bo.

David Kelly, research director at the Beijing-based group China Policy, says that while too much could be read into the changes, the military is facing concerns about corruption.

“ I think that all these people, all these appointments, I assume will be very, very, clean. They have to select clean people, you know ‘Lian Zheng’ [Chinese for ‘clean-governance’] is the name of the game," Kelly notes. "You'll probably find that these people have spotless records, but how would you know if they didn't? You know.”

In China there is widespread public concern about corruption among the country’s ruling elite.

Corruption

On Friday, the same day that Bo was stripped of his seat, the New York Times released a lengthy investigative story that claimed the family of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had accumulated assets worth $2.7 billion.

The assets, the report says were largely amassed over the past decade since he rose to high office in 2002. Wen is one of China’s most popular politicians who earlier this year called corruption the “greatest threat” to the ruling party.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday there was no reason to be concerned about such reports and said they are aimed at smearing China’s reputation overseas.

Chinese censors Friday blocked access to the New York Times website and deleted references to the prime minister and his family on social media networks.

Photo Gallery: Bo Xilai Scandal

Former police chief Wang Lijun speaks during a court hearing in Chengdu, China, in this still image taken from CCTV video, September 18, 2012.
Security guards stand behind the glass doors of a closed shop next to the Chengdu Intermediate People's Court, where Wang Lijun was tried, Chengdu, China, September 17, 2012.
This video image taken from CCTV shows Gu Kailai, second left, the wife of disgraced politician Bo Xilai, being taken into the Intermediate People's Court in the eastern Chinese city Hefei, August 9, 2012.
Police officers stand guard at the Hefei City Intermediate People's Court for the murder trial of Gu Kailai, Anhui Province, China, August 9, 2012.
This image taken from CCTV shows Gu Kailai (front, C) at her trial at Hefei Intermediate People's Court, August 9, 2012.
Composite photo of Neil Heywood and Gu Kailai
Zhang Xiaojun, Gu Kailai's aide, attends a trial in the court room at Hefei Intermediate People's Court in this still image taken from CCTV video, August 9, 2012.
Then Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai attends a plenary session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 11, 2012.
Bo Xilai, walks past from left, Zhou Yong Kang, China's Communist Party head of Political and Legislative affairs committee, Vice Premier Li Keqiang and propaganda chief Li Changchun at the National People's Congress in Beijing, March 9, 2012.
Gu Kailai attends a memorial ceremony for Bo Xilai's father at a military hospital in Beijing, January 17, 2007.
Bo Xilai, right and his son, Bo Guagua, 2007.