"Choose wisely who you entrust your valuable assets to," fulfilling a solemn oath before history and the people.

General Secretary To Lam's profound, comprehensive, and responsible guidance in selecting and nominating the most deserving individuals to participate in the Politburo and the Secretariat is not only an immediate requirement for a new term, but also a strong reminder of the Party's historical mission in the new stage of national development.

"Choosing the right person for the job" - a simple reminder from our ancestors, yet containing a profound philosophy about caution, impartiality, and foresight in selecting those who bear the burden of national responsibility, has never been as relevant, urgent, and crucial as it is now.

Making historical choices at a historical moment.

Vietnam is facing unprecedented opportunities, but also numerous intense and complex challenges, both domestically and internationally. The rapidly changing and unpredictable global context; increasing strategic competition among major powers; and the demands for a growth model transformation, innovation, sustainable development, national defense and security, and the preservation of national independence and sovereignty pose significant challenges to national leadership and governance capacity.

Domestically, the work of Party building and rectification, and the fight against corruption, negative phenomena, and waste continues to be intensified and deepened. The people's expectations of the Party are increasingly high, demanding not only political determination but also strong, effective, and substantive organizational and implementation capabilities.

In this context, the selection of strategic-level cadres, especially those participating in the Politburo and the Secretariat, is not simply a procedural personnel matter, but a historical choice that will determine the realization of the country's development aspirations by 2045 - the 100th anniversary of the nation's founding.

Political integrity and moral integrity are the top standards.

The General Secretary's directive emphasized the requirement that those selected must "possess strong political acumen, moral integrity, and exemplary conduct." These are not general or superficial criteria, but rather the core measure of a high-ranking leader in the current period.

Political integrity is demonstrated in unwavering commitment to the goal of national independence linked with socialism, in the ability to withstand all pressures and temptations; in the courage to think, act, and take responsibility for the common good. It is the integrity of someone who places the interests of the nation, the people, and the country above all else, unaffected by group interests, personal interests, or short-term calculations.

Moral integrity and exemplary conduct are not only requirements for personal qualities, but also prerequisites for building trust within the Party and in society. Experience shows that any moral or lifestyle degradation among high-ranking officials severely damages the Party's prestige, erodes public trust, and hinders national development.

"Choosing the right person for the job" first and foremost means selecting clean and honest individuals, in order to uphold the "gold" of the people's trust – the most valuable asset of the ruling Party.

A particularly important requirement emphasized by the General Secretary is that the team of strategic-level cadres must have "sharp strategic vision and organizational capacity to unlock bottlenecks, unleash resources, and gather strength."

Practical experience shows that many correct policies and decisions have not been effective, or have even been stalled and prolonged, leading to wasted resources, stemming from a lack of people with sufficient vision and organizational capacity to implement them. In the new context, the country needs not only leaders with strategic thinking, but also people capable of transforming strategic thinking into concrete actions and tangible results.

Strategic vision is not about grand slogans, but about the ability to see far ahead, correctly identify trends, choose the right priorities, and make decisions at the right time. The ability to unlock bottlenecks requires a deep understanding of institutions, management practices, and the "bottlenecks" hindering development, thereby providing feasible and effective solutions.

This is the yardstick that distinguishes officials who "hold onto their positions" from those who "create change"; between traditional managers and leaders who innovate, develop, and serve.

The oath of honor before history and the people is the measure of the character of the ruling party.

A very new and practical highlight in the General Secretary's directive is the requirement that high-ranking officials must "have the capacity to organize and implement": designing clear and specific goals, establishing individual responsibility, and measuring results with data; and ensuring that decisions are "seen through to the end" with high public service discipline.

This represents a significant shift from a "correct policy" mindset to a "correct results" mindset. In the current climate, it is unacceptable for policies to be issued without clear accountability, for implementation plans to lack measurable indicators, and for results to be evaluated without concrete data.

"Choosing the right person for the job" therefore means selecting individuals who are capable, willing to take personal responsibility, and able to organize an efficient, disciplined, and smooth-running system. This is also the most practical way to overcome formalism, the pursuit of achievements for their own sake, and the avoidance of responsibility – diseases that have been and are reducing the effectiveness and efficiency of state management.

The goal of Vietnam becoming a strong, prosperous, and happy nation by 2045 is not just a development vision, but, as the General Secretary affirmed, it is "the aspiration of the entire nation, a solemn oath before history and the people."

That oath of honor cannot be fulfilled through easy choices, favoritism, or compromise. It demands impartiality, objectivity, strictness, and the highest level of responsibility in personnel work. Every vote, every decision to nominate or select officials, especially key officials, is linked to historical responsibility, to the trust and expectations of hundreds of millions of people.

The people don't demand flowery promises; they expect concrete people, concrete actions, and concrete results. Choosing the right people, assigning the right tasks, tightly controlling power, and upholding accountability – these are the most practical ways to turn oaths of honor into vibrant reality.

History has proven that every step of a nation's development is linked to sound decisions regarding its people. Conversely, mistakes in personnel management always leave serious, long-lasting, and difficult-to-remedy consequences.

In the current period, "choosing the right people for the job" is not only a technical requirement of organizational work, but also a measure of the character, wisdom, and responsibility of the ruling Party before the nation and before history. It is also a challenge to the determination to build a clean, strong Party capable of leading the country into a new era of development.

Only when we select truly worthy individuals – those with integrity, vision, talent, responsibility, and the ability to organize and execute – will the oath of honor before history and the people have a solid foundation to become a reality.

And that is precisely how the Party maintains the people's trust, entrusting the future of the country to the most deserving "golden hands," for a strong, prosperous, and happy Vietnam by 2045 and beyond.

*Former Head of the Legal Department, Government Inspectorate