Chairman of Kon Tum Provincial People's Committee resigns 2 years early: 'I'm old, let the young take over'

I am old, let the young cadres take my place. They are young, have aspirations, will and qualifications. Sometimes I have to admit that I am not as good as them - Chairman of Kon Tum Provincial People's Committee Dao Xuan Quy explained the reason why he wrote a letter of resignation 2 years early.

Mr. Dao Xuan Quy (middle) during an inspection trip to Kon Tum hydropower project

The rice cooked by my wife is the best.

We have known him since his early days in the profession, but the story was so sensitive that we did not know how to start. We called him directly to book a meeting, he agreed in the afternoon.

Throughout the conversation, he was the one who took the initiative because the "fire" in this man had never "run out" even though he always said he was "old".

Mr. Quy shared: “I have sent my resignation application to the Provincial Party Executive Committee and the Provincial Party Standing Committee. They have sent my request to the Secretariat and are still waiting for their opinion.

Kon Tum is still poor, last year the province's budget revenue reached around 2,000 billion VND but had to spend up to 5,000 billion. Fortunately, thanks to the Central Government's support, the infrastructure has been invested in and built more spaciously.

I am old, so I let the young cadres take my place. They are young, ambitious, determined and qualified. Sometimes I have to admit that I am not as good as them. Besides, if I retire, whoever takes my place early will have more favorable conditions to approach the job.

Then Mr. Quy confided: “There were times when I didn’t eat at home for half a month. One of my children went to school, another to work, and my wife ate alone at home. I was always on business trips and had guests, so I had little time at home. I just wanted to stay home and grow vegetables and raise chickens. The state pension paid me, and I lived frugally, that was enough. The food my wife cooked was the best!”. I am happy that the cadres were united.

It is better to eat rice and vegetables and unite.

"What makes you most concerned and satisfied during your work, especially in the position of head of a provincial government?" - we asked.

“I still have many worries because Kon Tum is still poor, people's lives are still difficult, especially in remote areas... During the war, they sheltered and hid cadres to have peace like today. Their contribution is great.

I do not only do my duty, but it is also an effective way to show gratitude to the people who "shared every shirt and every bowl of rice" with the cadres during the war. What I am most pleased and happy about is that Kon Tum always shows solidarity and cares for and nurtures young cadres so that they have enough awareness and courage to succeed the previous generation" - Mr. Quy replied.

In fact, over the years, the work of training cadres in Kon Tum province has been very good. Currently, many cadres hold important positions but are only around 40 years old.

“It is best when brothers are united, straightforward, and unanimous. It is better to eat rice and vegetables together than to eat delicious food and always argue with each other. If there is work to be done, just roll up your sleeves and get it done,” Mr. Quy said.

Many people who work with Mr. Quy talk about his enthusiasm, efficiency at work and very sociable lifestyle.

Mr. Huynh Kien, Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of Gia Lai Newspaper, said: “When I was still working at Tien Phong Newspaper, I had the opportunity to go on a business trip with Mr. Quy in Dak Glei District. That night, the villagers organized a party so everyone in the group drank a little too much.

The remnants of the drinking party were scattered around the communal house. At dawn, I heard the rustling sound of a broom sweeping in front of the communal house. Surprisingly, the person sweeping was Mr. Quy. I told him to leave it there for everyone to clean up, but he said: "We woke up early and quickly cleaned up. The people are so enthusiastic, let's roll up our sleeves and join them."

Concern for the poor

Mr. Quy worried: “According to the new criteria, the poverty rate in Kon Tum is still up to 26%. The most worrying thing is that the price of rubber has dropped too much. The whole Kon Tum province has up to 29,000 hectares of smallholder rubber plantations (the largest smallholder rubber plantation area in the Central Highlands). If the price goes up, many farmers will have a stable life and strive to get rich.

In the recent drought, our province had more than 3,000 hectares of crops severely affected by drought. We are directing local authorities and functional agencies to propagate and mobilize people to convert 1,500 hectares affected by drought to grow cassava instead of rice next season to both generate income and reduce the impact of drought. Local and central government investments have also been made in roads.

Now from Saigon, Hanoi in just a few hours you can reach Mang Den tourist resort, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Or the road from Kon Tum to Quang Ngai is also being invested.

If the roads are convenient, tourists will come to us. Especially in Kon Tum, the local culture is still strong. That is a valuable asset to improve people's lives through tourism activities."

Mr. Quy also frankly admitted that in his position there are still shortcomings, and he cannot help Kon Tum move quickly to reduce the rate of poor people.

He said that investment attraction in Kon Tum is still low, the industrial park is too small in scale and investment sectors. He hopes that in the near future, more investors will come to learn about Kon Tum's potential and invest here.

“Human life and work positions are the same. It’s like a sine wave graph. I think I’m already at the peak of this graph, so I should step back and let others take over.

My eldest son has been working under contract at the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Kon Tum branch, for over 2 years now. The youngest is in his final year of university. When I asked for early retirement, the whole family agreed immediately,” Mr. Quy confided.

It is good to leave early to make way for younger people.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung - Secretary of Kon Tum Provincial Party Committee said: "Mr. Quy always demonstrates the exemplary character of a cadre. In any position, he always performs his duties well. Regarding his wish to retire 2 years early, we are waiting for the opinion of the Secretariat to have a direction to implement it."

Mr. Ha Ban - Deputy Head of the Central Organization Committee, former Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Kon Tum province, when mentioning Mr. Dao Xuan Quy, honestly said: "Tu Quy and I were in the same agency when Gia Lai - Kon Tum province was separated and we had a lot of time working together.

Tu Quy is a good person, agile and enthusiastic in his work. As for Quy's wish to retire early to make way for younger people, I think it's a good thing. As for the outcome, we'll have to wait for the opinion of the Secretariat."

According to Vietnamnet