Gan Liansheng looked at him without committing himself and motioned for him to continue.
"For example, during my terms as county Party secretary, Municipal Party Secretary, and Provincial Party Committee Secretary, pretty much everything I set out to do got done. If I didn't want something done, no one else could get it done either. Were there people under me who opposed me? Of course, but very few, unless they no longer wanted to keep their jobs. So when decisions were made, my opinion basically represented the opinion of the Party Committee at the same level," Jian Wanyan continued frankly.
The top official held almost absolute power. That was the norm in officialdom today. The top official could speak for the Party Committee, and sometimes the top official effectively was the Party Committee.
Jian Wanyan knew the other man wanted the truth, and he had no desire to lie.
"So what do you think the top official lacks?" Gan Liansheng asked evenly.
"Oversight-and strong, effective oversight at that!" Jian Wanyan answered without hesitation.
"Strong, effective oversight." Gan Liansheng sighed softly. He, too, had worked his way up through successive posts as Party secretary. Of course he knew that the Discipline Inspection Commission and Procuratorate at the same level neither dared to oversee the top official nor had the power to do so.
Without effective oversight, collective discussion would become a one-man show, potentially putting the top official on the fast track to making serious mistakes.
Qingning City Municipal Party Secretary Fu Xueqian was highly capable, but that very capability made him all the more dangerous.
As everyone knew, being mayor of Qingning City was a high-risk occupation. There had been three mayors in three years, and the position was little more than an empty title.
"I've spoken with Comrade Zhao