How can we control power so that it doesn't become corrupted?

Therefore, one of the solutions proposed by the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption to prevent corruption is to strengthen the supervision and control of power. So how can power be strictly controlled, so that it is not corrupted?

The Party's Central Resolution No. 4, 12th Congress, clearly states that one of the manifestations of moral and lifestyle degradation is: "Embezzlement, corruption, abuse of position and power to collude with businesses and other entities for personal gain. Abusing assigned positions and powers to condone, cover up, and abet corruption and negative practices."

The reality is that abuse of power and authority is real and not uncommon. Most recently, the Central Inspection Committee issued a Notice of its 28th session, concluding on the violations and shortcomings of several individuals, including Lieutenant General Bui Van Thanh and General Tran Viet Tan, for violating state secret protection regulations.

Public opinion strongly supports the disciplinary action against party members who commit wrongdoings, abuse their positions and authority to abet corruption and negative practices. This further affirms that "there are no forbidden zones." Anyone who commits wrongdoing, including high-ranking leaders and generals in the police and military, will be subject to disciplinary action.

Mr. Vu Mao, former member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and former Head of the National Assembly Office, believes that building and rectifying the Party today requires mechanisms to control power and improve institutions to combat corruption among cadres and Party members. Without establishing mechanisms to control power, moral decay within the Party, including cadres, Party members, and their cronies, or "defects" within the Party, cannot be eliminated.

“Power must be controlled as stipulated in the Resolution of the 6th Central Committee Conference. How should this control be implemented? According to Article 4 of the Constitution, the Party leads the state and society. The Party is the highest power, so controlling the Party's power must also be addressed. I propose that we study and amend the Party's charter to control power. Secondly, controlling power requires clear authority, duties, and responsibilities. There must be a law on the Party's leadership. The Party is subject to the people's supervision, and this must be reflected in the legal system,” Mr. Vu Mao stated.

A summary of the anti-corruption efforts from the beginning of the 12th Party Congress term to the present clearly indicates that one of the reasons for the lack of effectiveness in combating corruption is the slow completion of the power control mechanism. The inspection and supervision of the exercise of power by those in positions of authority has not received adequate attention. Inspections and audits of personnel work remain limited. The enforcement of laws in general, and the implementation of Party and State regulations on anti-corruption in particular, has not been strict, and discipline has been lax in some areas.

So what is the most effective mechanism for controlling power? Based on local realities, Mr. Ho Van Nam, Head of the Internal Affairs Committee of Dong Nai province, believes that it is necessary to promote the role of the people and the press in monitoring power, because strengthening the supervision of the People's Council, the National Assembly, and the Fatherland Front alone is not enough.

"The current mechanism for controlling power is clearly defined, but its implementation faces many difficulties. A specialized agency is needed. Capitalist countries have a separation of powers, but our country's unique characteristic is that power is unified. Simply strengthening the supervision of the People's Council, the National Assembly, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front is not strict enough or effective," Mr. Ho Van Nam stated, highlighting the reality.

Power, when used correctly, has immense power to transform the old society and build a new one. However, power granted without proper control leads to abuse of power and tyranny. The issue of power corruption and the current anti-corruption institutional models are inadequate to meet the current situation. The root cause of corruption is the system of "request and grant," or the excessive intervention of the State in the market economy, elevating the role of corporations and conglomerates too much, thereby contributing to negative practices and corruption. Addressing the fundamental root causes of corruption will solve the problem. This requires attention to the fundamental solution of closely monitoring power.

According to Le Dinh Son, Secretary of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee, in order to supervise power, it must be done through institutions, or in other words, those institutions must be concretized through law.

“Firstly, we must have institutions, we must build institutions. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said many times, 'power must be confined within a cage of mechanisms,' which is absolutely correct. But in my opinion, once institutions are in place, the people operating those institutions are even more important. Because corruption stems from the operators. This has been clearly demonstrated in practice. Secondly, the personnel selection process needs to be democratic, open, and especially transparent. Thirdly, we must evaluate officials correctly and realistically. Fourthly, we must monitor implementation and check each stage of implementation, and improve accountability and responsibility of leaders. We must strictly enforce the principles of 'cannot' and 'dare not.' This is a very important measure, preventing each official from taking advantage, and at the same time, we must strictly enforce the principle of 'not daring' to violate discipline and regulations,” Mr. Le Dinh Son stated.

Often, when power is granted, it can easily lead to abuse of power, authoritarianism, and dictatorship. Therefore, mechanisms to control the abuse of power are necessary. These control mechanisms are stipulated by the Constitution and laws. The people expect every official and Party member to constantly cultivate revolutionary ethics and wholeheartedly serve the people. On the other hand, Party organizations at all levels also need to focus on educating officials and Party members, and regularly monitor them to "cure the disease of abuse of power," ensuring that power is always used for its intended purpose and is not exploited or abused.