The People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), published a reader's commentary Monday in response to a county's new standard of assessing officials - soliciting opinions from family members and neighbors.

Carried out in Pengshan county, Sichuan Province, the new standard said that opinions from family members, neighbors and community workers should be assessed when officials are considered for promotion.

According to the standard, family morality takes 14 percent of the grading, including filial piety, neighborhood harmony, and household duties.

There is nothing wrong with the county's attempt to assess officials on their "personal morals." However, there was a need to find an appropriate and effective way to make the evaluation more practical, the commentary said, adding that the government should find ways to prevent family members from covering up officials' faults.