A MUNICIPAL legislature in southern China has become the country’s first lawmaking body to publish the attendance records of deputies in a bid to strengthen public accountability.

    Observers say the move is a sign that China’s legislatures, which usually meet behind closed doors, are more willing to submit to public scrutiny.

    A circular released late Monday by the secretariat of the annual session of the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Congress showed 494 delegates attended the morning plenary session, while seven asked for leave and four were absent without excuse.

    Guangzhou Vice Mayors Xu Ruisheng and Gong Erzhen and three other local government officials were among those who asked for leave due to official duties.

    Olympic fencing champion Dong Zhaozhi, a deputy to the congress, also asked for leave for reasons unknown.

    The four deputies who were absent without excuse were all senior executives at local firms.

    Chen Guijiang, executive deputy manager of Guangzhou JFE Steel Sheet Co., said he had been on a business trip and could not attend.

    He said he had faxed a note asking for leave in advance, but was told it did not comply with the rules.

    Chen Yunxiang, chairman of Guangdong Kemei Industry Corp., said she was caught in a traffic jam on her way to the meeting. She attended the afternoon session.

    Of the total 125 non-voting deputies, 121 attended, while three asked for leave and one was absent without excuse, according to the circular.

    The Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Congress agreed in August last year that attendance at annual sessions should be published and committee members who failed to attend three or more sessions a year without excuse should be asked to resign.

    Lawyer Chen Shu, who is a deputy to the National People’s Congress, said deputies have the right to ask for leave, but have to comply with legal procedures and obtain approval in advance.

    “Since we exercise these rights on behalf of the people, we must also perform our duties accordingly,” said Chen.

    Zhu Lieyu, a deputy to the Guangdong Provincial People’s Congress, said the measures would strengthen discipline for deputies to ensure they fully exercised their duties.

    “More importantly, it showed our courage in accepting public scrutiny,” Zhu said.

    Guo Weiqing, a professor at the Sun Yat-sen University, said it was a step toward transparency.

    “People will be able to keep an eye on the conference and the bond between the deputies and the people will tighten,” Guo said.

WASHINGTON — The remains of more than 200 troops were misidentified or improperly buried at Arlington National Cemetery, according to an Army investigation of operations at the premier final resting place for 330,000 servicemembers.

Arlington is the "most hallowed burial ground of our nation's fallen," Army Secretary John McHugh said. More than 4 million people come each year to the 146-year-old cemetery, where an average of 27 funerals are 麥穗裏的光陰|抹平你的小肚子|做不了主的"住"|筆尖中的人生|寫文隨想.html   寫文隨想|蘿蔔纓的營養價值|憶棗|第二次世界大戰主要事件|象棋絮語|愛一個人禁不起傷害|千奇百怪豆腐DIY |青蟹的營養價值及做法|

conducted each day.

It is home to the graves of President John F. Kennedy and World War II hero Audie Murphy.

AFGHANISTAN: America's longest war

VIDEO: Families honor fallen soldiers

Cemetery superintendent John Metzler was stripped of his authority but will remain on staff until his retirement July 2, McHugh said. Thurman Higgenbotham, Metzler's deputy, was placed on administrative leave.

The investigation found problems with identification and record keeping at 211 graves, McHugh said. In one case, the remains of an airman were buried in an unmarked, occupied grave.

Such revelations are outrageous, said Thomas Tradewell, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "The VFW is deeply saddened by the thought of all the family members who are just now learning that their loved one may, potentially, not be resting in peace," he said.

Reports by the website Salon.com in July 2009 first detailed problems at the cemetery, and then-Army secretary Pete Geren launched the inspector general's investigation in August.

McHugh announced a series of changes Thursday, including naming former senators and Army veterans Max Cleland, D-Ga., and Bob Dole, R-Kan., to lead a new Army National Cemetery Advisory Commission.

More investigations are on the way, as Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said his panel will investigate the cemetery. "This conduct is disgraceful and cannot be tolerated," Skelton said..