Only when the Party is strong, the country will be prosperous.

On the occasion of welcoming the Spring of Mau Tuat - 2018, General Secretary NGUYEN PHU TRONG gave an interview to the press at the beginning of the year. With all his enthusiasm and responsibility, the General Secretary wanted to send to the entire Party and people a new political determination to build a genuine revolutionary party, leading the country to develop quickly and sustainably, worthy of the trust and expectations of the people. We would like to respectfully introduce it to our readers.

Reporter (PV):In 2017, the second year of implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, the country has achieved many important achievements in many fields. Especially in the work of Party building, it was a year of many encouraging results. Could you please share with us your deepest impressions of this key task in the past year?

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:It is true that in 2017 we have achieved many positive achievements in all areas of social life. Particularly in the work of Party building, following the 4th Central Conference in 2016, the 5th and 6th Central Conferences discussed and issued resolutions on many important issues related to the arrangement of the apparatus, streamlining the payroll, taking care of cadre work, rectifying discipline, order, etc. This is not a task for one term but a task that must be done long-term and closely linked together, aiming to make our Party increasingly clean, strong, united, gathering and promoting all resources of strength among the people. The work of Party building and rectification was resolutely directed by the Central Committee in conjunction with the fight against corruption, creating a clear change, receiving the consensus and strong support of public opinion from cadres, party members and people, considering this one of the most profound impressions of 2017.

Since its founding, our Party has had several self-rectifications, which are the demands of real life, but perhaps never have we achieved such positive results as this time. The Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat have issued many important documents as a legal basis to resolve a number of areas, especially in personnel work, while at the same time directing the resolute resolution of each specific case, with transparent conclusions as they are implemented.

Each session of the Central Inspection Committee and the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption specifically mentions each violation case for handling and proposes a solution. Many complicated economic cases and cases that occurred in previous years are still being investigated, prosecuted, indicted, and brought to trial with severe sentences; many officials, including high-ranking officials, have received severe disciplinary measures but are still "convinced".

In handling officials who violate the law, there are no longer “forbidden zones” or “avoidable zones”. Even fleeing abroad cannot escape punishment. Party rectification and strict handling of many officials and party members who commit violations does not “slow down” the leadership or “slow down” the development as some people fear. On the contrary, it contributes to cleaning up and creating real strength for the apparatus and team, consolidating and strengthening the people’s trust, creating new motivation and new spirit for the entire people to successfully carry out all tasks.

In fact, in 2017, for the first time in many years, our country's socio-economic situation achieved and exceeded all targets, GDP reached 6.81%; the macro-economy continued to be stable, major balances of the economy were ensured, the investment and business environment was improved. The material and spiritual life of the people continued to be improved; the prestige and position of Vietnam in the international arena were increasingly affirmed at new heights.

PV:Dear General Secretary, besides the basic achievements, what do you see as concerns and how to overcome and resolve the issues?

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:In Party building and rectification, we have tried to do some things, but there is still much to do. Because this is a great cause, extremely important but also extremely difficult.

Real life itself is always moving and developing, always giving rise to new problems and new requirements to be solved. The current concern is that there are still many cadres and party members who do not fully and deeply understand this issue, often only thinking and calculating for local and selfish personal interests.

Many people have not yet consciously recognized their own shortcomings and responsibilities; some issues, especially in localities, have not been clarified through self-criticism about the nature and seriousness of the situation, etc. Degradation, corruption, and negativity are present, and in some parts, they are still complicated; the fight against corruption has achieved positive results but is not yet uniform; detecting corruption is still difficult, with low results.

In some localities, ministries and branches have not yet created changes, there is still a situation of "hot above, cold below", deference and avoidance; violations in personnel work are still numerous, especially in the appointment, management and handling of violating cadres, etc. Ultimately, the disease of individualism is still very serious. We have talked a lot about learning from Uncle Ho's morality, but this has not really penetrated.

Our path forward is full of opportunities, but also full of challenges; if the Party does not rectify itself, allowing cadres, party members, and civil servants to degrade and “self-evolve”, it will lose trust, and losing the people’s trust means losing everything. The entire Party and the entire political system need to be deeply aware of this danger.

The Central Government has been acting resolutely, and localities must also act resolutely. There is no shortage of Party direction and legal documents, but what is most needed now is self-awareness and high unity of will and action. Party committees, party organizations, ministries, branches, localities, heads of party committees and authorities must take action synchronously with higher determination and resoluteness.

First of all, it is necessary to focus on overcoming weaknesses in personnel work and violations by officials that have caused public concern. Promote the role of the people in preventing and repelling degradation, "self-evolution", "self-transformation"; inspect and supervise the declaration of assets of officials, party members, civil servants, etc.

In the implementation process, anti-corruption agencies, assisting Party committees from the central to grassroots levels, must be a sharp "sword", with the courage to fight against wrongdoings, group interests, and personal gain; have the expertise and mettle to protect what is right, point out what is wrong, and prevent wrongdoing.

Central working groups actively inspect the work of preventing and combating corruption; building and rectifying the Party, focusing on areas with complicated problems, sensitive areas, and areas prone to negativity. Where self-inspection fails to detect, or detects but handles violations leniently, the Party Committee in that area, the head of that agency or locality must take responsibility and take appropriate measures, not "learn from experience" in general. In any case of disciplinary violations, we must handle them seriously, from top to bottom.

However, it is also necessary to reiterate that we do not enjoy disciplining our comrades and teammates; nor is it true that dealing with many cadres is successful. The goal of Party building and rectification, and fighting against negativity, is to find out the mistakes through each incident, point out the weaknesses and limitations of the organization and cadres, and from there draw lessons for other people and other places to prevent recurrence and avoid making the same mistakes.

In cases where mistakes are made by cadres, review all stages of cadre work to make adjustments; in cases where mistakes are made by mechanisms and policies, research and supplement them to suit reality, and push back degradation, corruption, negativity, "self-evolution", and "self-transformation". The motto is to promote collective strength associated with the responsibility of the leader and have a mechanism to control power, "locking power in a cage of mechanisms".

The goal of Party building and rectification is to consolidate solidarity, unity and enhance the Party's strength to lead the country forward in the process of innovation, integration and development.

PV:The General Secretary has repeatedly emphasized: “Cadres are the root of all work”, “the cause of all causes”, “the key of all keys”. Comrade, what is the key point in the current issue of organizational structure and cadres?

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:Innovation in organizational and personnel work is an important content of Party building work, one of the essential conditions for building a clean and strong Party.

It can be said that never before has the Party's organizational and personnel work, with a focus on innovation and improving the quality and capacity of the apparatus and staff, been emphasized and implemented as vigorously as it is now. This is a big, difficult, sensitive task, related to the organization and people, so there must be fundamental solutions that are both strategic and breakthrough, along with the determination to overcome barriers in implementation to create a turning point in development, bringing new momentum to the entire political system.

The arrangement and assignment of leaders, managers as well as professional and technical staff must select people with enough heart and capacity to take on the job, ending the situation of "setting the job for the people" instead of "selecting the person for the job". It must be based on the results of reviewing the implementation of the Resolution of the 4th Central Committee of the 11th and 12th terms on Party building and rectification and based on the results of actual and specific work to evaluate cadres, strictly implementing the regime of dismissal, removal, resignation, termination or timely replacement of incompetent civil servants, those who do not meet the requirements and standards, and those who do not complete the assigned tasks.

In this process, it is necessary to have democratic, objective and impartial discussions within the Party Committee, and to be open and transparent within the agency. Power must not be abused to support unqualified friends and relatives; people must be eliminated and "cronies" must not be allowed. At the same time, it is necessary to build, perfect and implement a healthy, open and transparent competitive mechanism in appointing and promoting cadres and recruiting civil servants and public employees, attracting truly virtuous and talented people who are devoted to the Party and the people, contributing to building a strong political system.

PV:On the eve of the New Year, what does the General Secretary have to say to the people and soldiers across the country?

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:The year of the Fire Rooster has passed, leaving us with joy and good impressions so that we can confidently enter the spring of the year of the Dog. In the new year, I wish the entire Party, the entire people, the entire army and our compatriots abroad to unite in one heart, promote the results and successes of the year of the Fire Rooster, turn new opportunities and beliefs into boundless will and strength to build our country to become increasingly rich, civilized, and on par with the world powers as Uncle Ho always wished.

PV:We would like to express our sincere thanks to the General Secretary. On the occasion of the New Year, Party journalists would like to wish you good health and to join the entire Party and people in the cause of national renewal and international integration.