CHINA- Tong Mingqian, a Hunan Official, who was accused of failing to handle the cases of bribery which led to electoral fraud scandal in the region, has been sacked by the Chinese authorities.

Mr. Mingqian was said to have failed in his duty to checkmate more than 500 lawmakers, as those involved have resigned after it emerged that they had accepted bribes to elect provincial parliament members.

This was part of President Xi Jinping’s effort to fight corruption in the Communist Party.

Tong Mingqian was party chief of Hengyang City in Hunan when the provincial elections took place. At the time of his dismissal, he was deputy head of Hunan's parliamentary advisory body.

Investigations had revealed that 56 members of the Hunan People's Congress, the provincial parliament that rubber-stamps decisions, bribed lawmakers in Hengyang to elect them to their posts, state media reported earlier.

Municipal officials have the power to appoint representatives to the local People's Congress.