Poor leadership, mistakes and dismissal should be considered normal.

In the morning, opening the newspaper to read, I was struck by the "strange" headlines: "Department directors should be considered directly as senior experts because they are very afraid of failing the exam", "Ha Giang Party Secretary Trieu Tai Vinh: Disciplining elected officials is very difficult", "Should keep the demotion, from department director to being removed to become an employee is very... wasteful".

The above articles reflect the discussion in groups a few days ago by National Assembly deputies on Amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Law on Cadres, Civil Servants and the Law on Public Employees.

The spirit is… to favor officials even if they make mistakes.

Discussing the promotion exam, delegate Y Khut Nie (Dak Lak delegation) expressed "concern" for current and future department directors: "Previously, there was a regulation on promotion, but later it was changed to an exam, and there are department directors who are not even senior specialists. In a certain position, it should be considered as senior specialist to make it easier and clearer. Department directors let people take the exam, they are afraid that if they take the exam, they will fail."

Regarding the issue of disciplining officials who commit violations, Ha Giang Provincial Party Secretary Trieu Tai Vinh said that in current practice, it is very difficult to consider disciplining elected officials and civil servants. "It is necessary to calculate, but currently it is stuck and it is impossible to discipline those officials," Secretary Vinh said about the failure to discipline a Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council where he "rules".

Deputy Head of the Central Inspection Committee Hoang Van Tra (Phu Yen delegation) suggested that disciplinary action should be taken against him/her, because, "A comrade who is a deputy and promoted to a chief but cannot manage, and whose capacity does not meet the requirements, should be demoted to deputy or head of department. But now, if he/she violates above the level of warning and is demoted from the position of director of a department to specialist or employee, it is a waste of professional qualities."

Agreeing with Mr. Tra, delegate Ngo Trung Thanh (Dak Lak delegation) also suggested that the demotion should be retained because "if the head of a department is demoted to deputy head of department, of course, if there is still a vacancy. There is no need to dismiss him, it would destroy the whole process of his efforts", delegate Thanh said. Delegate Y Khut Nie (Dak Lak delegation) also said that the demotion should be retained so that the cadres can strive (!).

No screening, no talented and virtuous staff

Why should we give preferential treatment to the position of department director as suggested by delegate Y Khut Nie when an examination is the best way to ensure fairness and select talented people?

If a director takes the exam for promotion but is afraid of failing, then it is necessary to review the professional capacity and leadership capacity of that director. In such cases, there are only two possibilities: either the organization chose the wrong person, or they climbed to the position thanks to… good “running”.

Privileges and benefits are making it difficult for personnel work to make a breakthrough. Mr. Trieu Tai Vinh's statement clearly shows that. The mindset that leaders cannot be disciplined even if they make mistakes or that once they become leaders, they are taken for granted for life is still firmly rooted in the thinking of many people.

Is it very difficult to discipline elected officials? Illustrative photo

The vision of a Provincial Party Secretary who said that “disciplining elected officials and civil servants is very difficult” disappointed the people. A reader on TNO shared frankly: “People with ethics, dignity, integrity, self-respect, character and integrity should deal with themselves by resigning to help the people, why wait until they are disciplined!”

If you commit a mistake, you must be disciplined and dismissed. Everyone understands this naturally because it is the law of social elimination. Only then can society develop, public administration be healthy and able to meet the increasing needs of society in the present era.

It is impossible and should not stubbornly maintain the mindset that "if all the discipline is gone, who will do the work?" So do not worry about "violations above the warning level and being demoted from the position of director to specialist or employee is a waste of professional qualities."

A country of nearly 100 million people is not short of talented people to fill the gaps, because those who are weak in capacity are often corrupt, harass, and violate ethics and character.

In reality, except for cases of rapid appointment of children of high-ranking officials, most leaders come from the bottom up. It is time to normalize the situation of leaders being dismissed due to incompetence or being dismissed for wrongdoing and returning to their original professional work. Civil servants and public employees come and go. If this screening rule is ignored, it will lead to a public administration that lacks transparency, is weak, and is stagnant.

President Ho Chi Minh said: "All success or failure depends on good or bad cadres."

He also reminded: "If we train a bunch of cowards who are easy to handle, "beat them up, stand them up", and do not dare to take responsibility, that would be a failure for the Party."

To learn from Uncle Ho, one must absorb his teachings. More importantly, one must practice as he taught.