The story of an honest and upright inspector.

An exemplary official

When I returned to the Yen Thanh District Party Committee, Mr. Hoan had already been working there for several years (1983). At that time, he worked in the Organization Department, then transferred to become a Standing Member of the Inspection Committee from 1986 to 1992. He was elected to the Standing Committee and served as its Chairman.Inspection CommitteeTwo terms.

Before joining the Yen Thanh District Party Committee, Mr. Hoan had a glorious youth. He was originally from Dien Nguyen commune (Dien Chau district), and his family moved to Nghia Dong commune (Tan Ky district) as part of a new economic zone. After graduating from the Agricultural Vocational School, he worked as a technical officer for a cooperative, actively participated in the Youth Union, and at one point served as a member of the District Youth Union Standing Committee before being assigned to lead a convoy of carts transporting goods to the front lines. In 1977, he joined the Tan Ky District Party Committee Executive Board and was appointed Head of the Agriculture Department before being deployed to border districts in Dak Lak province in 1979.

Portrait of Mr. Le Van Hoan.

After two years in Dak Lak province, he returned to the Tan Ky District Party Committee's Organization Department and then requested to return to his wife's hometown in Yen Thanh to serve in Party and mass organization work until his retirement. In the late 1980s, the Yen Thanh District Party Committee office consisted of several simple, single-story buildings situated amidst rice fields, with the offices of the various departments located close together. At that time, the concept of "group coordination" among cadres from the Propaganda, Inspection, and Organization Departments when assigned to work together didn't exist.

At that time, we—myself, Deputy Head of the Propaganda Department in charge of history; Mr. Le Van Hoan, Deputy Chairman of the District Party Committee's Inspection Committee; and Mr. Nguyen Trung, Deputy Head of the District Party Committee's Organization Department—were assigned to Tan Ky to verify the file of Mr. Nguyen Khac Nhiep regarding his request for recognition as a veteran revolutionary. The three of us cycled through Quang Thanh (Yen Thanh) and Giang Son (Do Luong) to Tan Ky. The closer we got to the district office in Lat town, the steeper and longer the slopes became, and we were exhausted. We were warmly and respectfully welcomed by the Tan Ky District Party Committee. Verifying Mr. Nhiep's file was very difficult because he was born in Yen Thanh but had been active in the revolution in Tan Ky from 1935 to 1939. Finding the files and evidence was like searching for a needle in a haystack. We had to go to the grassroots level, meet with veteran party members, hold verification meetings... the work lasted a whole week. Surprisingly, wherever we went, the people in Tan Ky provided favorable conditions for our work, and I noticed that even though he had moved to Yen Thanh many years ago, the feelings of the officials and people of Tan Ky towards Mr. Hoan remained very close and sincere. Many people still wondered to him, "Why did you transfer to another place when you were holding such a good position in Tan Ky?" Everyone valued his feelings and character, which helped us successfully complete the assigned tasks.

The dossier on Mr. Nhiếp was fully collected, and the Standing Committee of the Tân Kỳ District Party Committee and the Standing Committee of the Yên Thành District Party Committee met to verify the information and unanimously agreed to propose to the higher authorities that Mr. Nguyễn Khắc Nhiếp be recognized as a veteran cadre. After that trip, I jokingly said to them, "The fact that we have three deputy heads working more than one head is thanks to former Tân Kỳ District Department Head Lê Văn Hoàn."

Phan Dang Luu Square - Yen Thanh town. Photo: Sach Nguyen

A courageous and upright official.

My trip to Tan Ky with Mr. Hoan left a very good first impression on me. I think it was because, while in Tan Ky, Mr. Hoan treated his comrades and fellow members with kindness, so even after moving elsewhere, he still maintained a good reputation. Later, both he and I served on the Standing Committee for many years, participating in discussions and deliberations on many district matters. I saw his straightforward, frank, and sometimes slightly eccentric personality clearly revealed. Normally, Mr. Hoan was quiet and rarely spoke, but whenever he did express an opinion, it attracted the attention of the entire meeting because he...skilled in their fieldBecause he was proficient in inspection work, had a firm grasp of facts and people, his opinions often carried weight and had the persuasive power to convince the entire meeting. I remember one time there was a meeting of the District Party Committee Standing Committee discussing personnel matters.

On that occasion, the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee and the District Party Committee's Organization Department advised the Standing Committee to propose the promotion of a leading official from Commune N. to head of a department at the district level. Normally, before the members of the Standing Committee (including the Secretary, the Standing Deputy Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, and the District Chairman) and the Head of the Organization Department reach a consensus, most members of the Standing Committee would agree when the proposal is presented to them. However, in that particular case of Comrade N., some members of the Standing Committee requested a review. Nevertheless, the District Party Secretary continued to explain and persuade all members of the Standing Committee to agree with the Organization Department's proposal.

At that moment, I saw Mr. Hoan ask to speak. He said:“I agree with the opinion of some Standing Committee members that the Standing Committee and the Organization Department should not nominate Comrade N. this time, because in the past, he still has some shortcomings in the commune that have not been rectified. Through the recent party membership verification, I see that there is much unfavorable public opinion. It may be difficult for him to be elected to the commune Party Committee at the upcoming commune Party Congress because he no longer has sufficient prestige. If the Standing Committee decides to withdraw him to the district level now, it will not set a good example for the grassroots, and it will be counterproductive. For a long time, we have usually nominated outstanding and excellent cadres from advanced localities to supplement the departments and offices at the district level; doing so now is unacceptable. I know that when the Standing Committee votes on Comrade N., the number of votes may exceed 50%, because I know this comrade has been lobbying each Standing Committee member, including my house, but I have clearly explained my opinion to him. According to the principle of democratic centralism, the minority must obey.” "The majority, but in this case, I earnestly request that the Standing Committee halt the voting on Comrade N's case at today's meeting. If my proposal is not accepted, I reserve my opinion and immediately after this meeting, I will write a letter to the Provincial Party Standing Committee requesting my resignation from the District Party Standing Committee, and I will present my full reasons with clear supporting evidence."

As soon as Comrade Le Van Hoan finished speaking, some agreed, some were astonished, but I wholeheartedly agreed with him and greatly admired his courage, his integrity, and the "stubbornness" of a man from Nghe An, daring to risk his political career to defend his beliefs, the truth, and what is right.

After Mr. Hoan's speech, the District Party Secretary concluded that the meeting would temporarily suspend consideration of transferring Comrade N. to the district level. The incident was not mentioned again afterward, but Mr. Hoan's reaction foreshadowed weaknesses in personnel management by the head of the Party committee.

Officials from the Yen Thanh District Party Committee's Inspection Committee review inspection and supervision programs. (Photo: Minh Chi)

Let me share a few memories to recall a time, a person who was once closely associated with me in the workplace. After 2000, Mr. Hoan was assigned to be the Chairman of the District Farmers' Association. Joining the Farmers' Association, he received a small allowance thanks to the farmers' retirement benefits, which improved his and his son's lives. But he remained the same: simple, honest, soft-spoken, but straightforward and strict. During meetings, when there was a small treat, he would invite us over for a drink, reminiscing about the memorable days of sharing hardships and joys together at the District Party Committee office. Although not everything was perfect, whenever I returned to the District Party Committee office, I remembered the beautiful impressions of comrades who maintained their integrity amidst the many hardships of life…