Combating corruption alongside boosting economic development: Party chief

Across three terms spanning nearly 14 years from 2011, in his capacity as top leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), General Secretary Trong had led the country to plenty of great achievements.

This was also a period during which the nation faced numerous challenges and difficulties, especially due to the deterioration of morality, ideology, and lifestyle among a large number of party members, thereby directly affecting the survival of both the Party and the regime.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Quat stated that amid this context, the Party chief had taken specific leadership steps and made relevant contributions, first of all uniting the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Party Central Committee, and uniting all people, whilst working to promote the 1991 Platform on national construction in the transition period to socialism.

In particular, one key goal was to concretize the cause of the country’s socialist-oriented comprehensive renewal towards international integration, while also seeking to perfect and develop the innovation path.

General Secretary Trong left major imprints in his political and revolutionary career, he went on to say.

In pursuit of the renewal process, the Party leader carried out the central task of boosting socio-economic development; concretizing mechanisms and policies into laws and drastic actions, especially "removing" a series of bottlenecks in economic development.

The General Secretary had directed executive agencies to carry out drastic measures and to co-ordinate efforts with the entire political system under the decisive leadership of the CPV along with the joint efforts made by the NA, the Government, and the consensus of the entire people.

"In the face of the threat to the survival of the Party and the regime, General Secretary Trong had made great contributions to the cause of rectifying the Party, building the State toward a transparent and strong political system.

It is worth noting that, during the last three years of the 13th term, serving as stint as head of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Anti-Negativity, the Party chief gave many drastic directions on the anti-corruption efforts.

As a result, there was coordinated leadership from the National Assembly, the Government, and relevant ministries and sectors, thereby creating collective and strict leadership from inspection, examination, to investigation, prosecution, and trial," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Quat emphasised.

"Through the 12th term, there had been another step in improving mechanisms, institutions and policies in building the Party and the political system, and especially in anti-corruption and anti-negativity.  Until the 13th term this was shown more clearly and more and more specifically, particularly through the statements of the Party General Secretary such as "no restricted areas", "no exceptions" for anti-corruption which must be realized in a drastic and humane way,” he added.

General Secretary Trong had given close and specific instructions which can be seen through the recent amendments made to the Land Law in a bid to prevent taking advantage of loopholes in policy mechanisms for the purpose of corruption, but there are still proper mechanisms to realize socio-economic development.

Asked why the Party chief could call for joint anti-corruption efforts in such a drastic manner, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Quat explained that the reason is because the General Secretary Trong was trusted by the entire Party and people due to his humble lifestyle.

He served as a bright example in the current period. Therefore, the General Secretary had effectively carried out the fight against corruption and negativity. This will therefore set a precedent for the next generation of leaders to continue to perform the role of the Party and the Politburo in Party building and rectification.

Under the leadership of the Party General Secretary, anti-corruption and anti- negativity efforts have been stepped up, achieving very impressive results, with many large negative cases being brought to trial and earning higher public trust in the Party, the State, and the regime.

Also through anti-corruption work, each party member self-reflects, self-corrects, and trains himself according to revolutionary ethical standards.

Nguyen Duc Ha, former Director of grassroot party department of the Central Organization Commission, said that the anti-corruption work has contributed to creating strong public trust, in which the role of Party General Secretary Trong is demonstrated clearly and strongly.

According to Nguyen Duc Ha, looking back on 10 years of the establishment of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Anti-Negativity, the Party Central Committee has made a completely objective and accurate assessment that, "Since Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu serving as head of the Committee,  the fight against corruption and negativity of our Party and State has been raised to a new, higher, stronger, and more effective stage, and the reality has made important contributions to solidifying people's confidence.”

"For that reason, I think that the greatest fortune and asset of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong today is the trust of the entire Party and the entire people," Ha stressed.

A big heart stopped beating. At 80 years of age and after working for the Party for 57 years, General Secretary Trong has left behind a shining example of an exemplary communist, wholeheartedly serving the nation and its people.

The work of building a pure and strong Party goes hand in hand with economic development, bringing greater prosperity and more happiness to citizens, with this always being in line with the consistent policy of the Party in which he was the head who highlighted economic development and put Party building as a central and key task.