REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BEIJING - More than 500 lawmakers in a Chinese city had resigned after being implicated in a bribery scandal, while another 56 provincial legislators have been sacked, state media said on Saturday, as the government steps up its war on graft.

The official Xinhua news agency said the 512 lawmakers in Hengyang city in the poor, landlocked southern province of Hunan resigned after they took bribes from 56 members of the provincial assembly. The total amount of the bribes was more than 110 million yuan (18.1 million USD) and the money was used to swing the results of elections, Xinhua said, citing a Hunan government statement.

"The number of people involved in the Hengyang election case are many, the amount of money large, the substance serious, the effect pernicious; this is a serious challenge to our People's Congresses system," Xinhua said.

"It must be seriously dealt with in accordance with the law."

The National People's Congress is China's parliament. Provinces, cities, counties and other administrative districts all have their own People's Congresses, and they all generally act as a rubber stamp for party decisions rather than providing a forum for debate or making policies.

The competition, though limited, to become lawmakers in some places has opened the door to corruption, as membership of such bodies brings opportunities to influence decisions about things such as business contracts and promotions.

Xinhua said that those found to have broken the law in this bribery scandal would be handed over to judicial authorities for prosecution. President Xi Jinping has launched a sweeping crackdown on corruption since taking power, pursuing high-flying "tigers" as well as lowly "flies", warning the problem is so severe it could threaten the party's survival.

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