Officials, victims strain to fix grassroots problems

• Source: The Global Times
• [00:04 May 12 2009]
• Comments

Officials also victims

Most officials today must remain at their posts and maintain order for the massive commemoration ceremonies.

“We are earthquake victims too,” said an official surnamed Liu. “Why always let us work overtime? Don’t we deserve a day off on May 12 to commemorate our families?
“There has never been a meeting among officials in Beichuan to motivates us,” Liu said.

“It’s all just work and overwork.”

Everyone experiences suffering and handles it their own way, an un-named official told the China News Agency yesterday. “Everyone tries to forget pain in their own way. Some cadres can’t help losing their temper and will resort to drinking. After they get drunk, they can vent.

“Everyone shares an understanding about this. Sometimes, these kinds of things happen in the office and we’ll comfort each other.”

Vice director of an investigation team, Liu lost three of his family to the earthquake.

“Under pressure, senior officials roar at junior officials, who in turn lose their temper towards ordinary people, and create tense relations between officials and the people,” he said.

People with connections to government officials found it easier to solve problems, said Liu, but those without connections appear to have no way out.

“We officials should raise our consciousness on maintaining our legal rights, so should ordinary people,” Liu said.
 
Most people in the prefab zone nonetheless welcomed the collective official visit.

“It is absolutely a good thing for officials to come to people’s homes and understand their sufferings,” said Mu.

Many remain grateful for help from donors and government.

“Everything is given by the government and those generous donors,” said Ou Jizhen, a resident in the prefabricated zone.

Said Mu, “People need to vent their dissatisfaction and grievances and officials need to know the real problems before they’ve accumulated to become uncontrollable.”