Party's silence over 18th congress dates is deafening

They say no news is good news. But that may not be the case on the mainland now, as people eagerly await an announcement of the date of the crucial Communist Party congress against a backdrop of political uncertainty.

In line with precedent, current and retired leaders should have finalised every important detail of the 18th party congress at their summit, which ended in mid-August.

A Politburo meeting should then have been held around the middle of this month to announce the date of the last party plenum of the 17th party Central Committee, at which paperwork for the congress would have been finalised. The party congress should convene a few days after the last annual plenary session.

But so far the world is in the dark as the government has been silent on the timing of events, despite leaders having wrapped up their weeks-long gathering at Beidaihe, a seaside resort near Beijing.

Some analysts have speculated that the delays have been due to disagreement among leaders.

Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, a professor of political science at the City University of Hong Kong, said the conclusion of matters relating to Bo Xilai, the former Chongqing party boss and Politburo member, who until his fall from grace this year was a hot candidate for promotion, was a prerequisite for the party congress dates to be ruled on.