Malpractices are rampant in the appointment of officials. This is both a reason for, and an outcome of, the prevalence of corruption in public offices. The Communist Party of China knows this, and wants desperately to solve the problem. The CPC's disciplinary and organizational departments and the Ministry of Supervision have just issued a joint decree stating that they will crack down on the offering and taking of bribes in official appointments. They made public the specifics of 12 violations.

That the appointment of officials has become a new trading place for public and private interests is an indication that the traditional approach is failing. The emerging consensus is that a government built on the favors and disfavors of individual leaders cannot deliver good governance.

So long as it is not done merely to lower the average age of public-office holders, which has often be the case, we agree there is an imperative to breathe new life into our less-than-respected public offices. The CPC and government offices never have to worry about lack of candidates, but the question remains who should be appointed, and how.

In the "two-way exchange" program that brings promising young officials to central government offices from the provinces, and dispatches young officials with leadership potential the other way, those born in the 1960s are in the absolute majority. Aging is a natural phenomenon. Sooner or later, younger people will take the place of their elders. This is natural. Life-long tenure for leaders, no matter how capable they are, does no good to society. Nor does poorly thought-out age limits for public offices. That is why we disagree with any favor or discrimination based solely on age.

There is a universal understanding that as long as the CPC's watchdog wants to bite, there is no safe haven for corrupt elements. The stark reality, however, is that it simply cannot take care of all the problems. Nor would it be possible or fair to have every case attended to personally by somebody of a sufficiently high rank.

Numerous similar proposals and heavy-handed campaigns have failed to stem corruption. But this is not because our leaders are not serious about their pledges. However, to achieve the desired result, we need a change in approach.

Since decisions made behind closed doors have bigger risks of failure, and public-office holders are supposed to serve the public, and are supported by taxpayer's money, taxpayers deserve some say in such processes.

Or at the very least, the appointment of public officials should be conducted in broad daylight.