A strong Party is essential for a prosperous nation.

On the occasion of welcoming the Lunar New Year of Mau Tuat – 2018, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong granted an early-year interview to the press. With all his heart and responsibility, the General Secretary wished to convey to the entire Party and the entire people a new political determination to build a genuine revolutionary party, leading the country to rapid and sustainable development, worthy of the trust and expectations of the people. We respectfully present this interview to our readers.

Reporter:In 2017, the second year of implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Party, the country achieved many important accomplishments in various fields. Particularly in Party building, it was a year of many encouraging results. Could the General Secretary please share his deepest impressions regarding this key task over the past year?

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:It is true that in 2017 we achieved many positive accomplishments in various aspects of social life. Specifically in Party building, following the 4th Central Committee Meeting in 2016, the 5th and 6th Central Committee Meetings discussed and issued resolutions on many important issues related to restructuring the apparatus, streamlining personnel, caring for cadres, and rectifying discipline and order… This is not a task for one term, but a long-term, closely interconnected effort aimed at making our Party increasingly clean, strong, united, and capable of gathering and developing all the resources and strength of the people. The Central Committee's decisive leadership in Party building and rectification, coupled with the fight against corruption, created a clear transformation, receiving widespread support and consensus from cadres, Party members, and the people. This is considered one of the most profound impressions of 2017.

Since its founding, our Party has undergone several self-rectification campaigns, driven by the demands of real-life situations, but perhaps never before has it achieved such positive results as this time. The Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat have issued numerous important documents providing a legal basis for addressing issues in several areas, especially in personnel management, while also decisively directing the resolution of each specific case, ensuring transparent conclusions at every stage.

Each meeting of the Central Inspection Committee and the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption specifically details each violation case for handling and proposes solutions. Many complex economic cases and incidents from previous years are still being investigated, prosecuted, and brought to trial with strict sentences; many officials, including high-ranking officials, receive severe disciplinary measures that they accept wholeheartedly.

In handling cases of officials violating regulations, there are no longer "forbidden zones" or "avoidance zones." Even fleeing abroad will not save you from punishment. The rectification of the Party and the strict handling of many officials and Party members who have committed wrongdoings have not "slowed down" leadership or "delayed" development as some fear; on the contrary, it contributes to purifying and strengthening the apparatus and personnel, consolidating and enhancing the people's trust, and creating new momentum and enthusiasm for the entire nation to successfully accomplish all tasks.

In fact, in 2017, for the first time in many years, Vietnam's socio-economic development achieved and surpassed all targets, with GDP reaching 6.81%; macroeconomic stability continued, major economic balances were ensured, and the investment and business environment improved. The material and spiritual lives of the people continued to improve; and Vietnam's prestige and position in the international arena were increasingly affirmed at a new level.

PV:Mr. General Secretary, besides the fundamental achievements, what concerns and anxieties do you still have, and how can we overcome and resolve these issues?

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:In the process of Party building and rectification, we have managed to accomplish some things, but there is still much work to be done. This is a great and extremely important undertaking, but also one that is particularly difficult.

Life itself is constantly in motion and developing, always giving rise to new problems and demands that need to be addressed. The current concern is that many cadres and Party members still do not fully and deeply understand this issue, often remaining preoccupied with thoughts and calculations driven by narrow, selfish personal interests.

Many people have not yet consciously acknowledged their shortcomings and responsibilities; some issues, especially in localities, have not been fully clarified through self-criticism, revealing the true nature and severity of the situation... The state of degradation, corruption, and negative practices is present, and in some areas, it remains complex; while the fight against corruption has achieved positive results, it is not yet comprehensive; detecting corruption remains difficult and yields low results.

In some localities, ministries and departments have not yet brought about change; the situation of "enthusiasm at the top, apathy at the bottom" persists, with favoritism and avoidance; violations in personnel work are still numerous, especially in the appointment, management, and handling of violating officials... Ultimately, the disease of individualism remains very serious. We have talked a lot about learning from President Ho Chi Minh's ethics, but this has not yet truly taken root.

Our path forward presents many opportunities, but also many challenges; if the Party does not reform itself, allowing cadres, Party members, and civil servants to degenerate and undergo "self-transformation," it will lose trust, and losing the people's trust means losing everything. The entire Party and the entire political system need to deeply understand this danger.

The central government has been acting decisively, and local authorities must also act decisively. There is no shortage of Party guidance and legal documents, but what is most needed now is self-awareness and a high degree of unity in will and action. Party committees, Party organizations, ministries, departments, localities, and the heads of Party committees and governments must all participate synchronously with greater determination and decisiveness.

First and foremost, it is necessary to focus on rectifying weaknesses in personnel management and addressing misconduct by officials that has caused public outrage. The role of the people should be promoted in preventing and combating degradation, "self-evolution," and "self-transformation"; and the declaration of assets by officials, Party members, and civil servants should be inspected and supervised.

In the process of implementation, anti-corruption agencies, assisting Party committees at all levels from the central to the grassroots, must be sharp "swords," courageous in fighting against wrongdoing, group interests, and personal gain; possessing the expertise and fortitude to protect what is right, point out what is wrong, and discourage improper actions.

Central working groups are actively inspecting anti-corruption efforts and Party building and rectification, focusing on areas with complex issues, sensitive sectors, and those prone to negative practices. Where self-inspections fail to detect violations, or where violations are detected but handled leniently, the local Party committee and the head of the agency or locality must be held accountable and appropriately punished, not just with vague "lessons learned." Any disciplinary violations must be dealt with strictly, from top to bottom.

However, it should also be reiterated that we do not take pleasure in disciplining our comrades and colleagues; nor is success achieved simply by disciplining many officials. The goal of Party building and rectification, and the fight against corruption, is to use each case to identify mistakes, point out weaknesses and limitations of organizations and officials, and thereby draw lessons for others and other places to prevent recurrence.

If mistakes are due to officials, review the personnel management processes to make adjustments; if mistakes are due to mechanisms and policies, study and supplement them to suit reality, combating degradation, corruption, negative phenomena, "self-evolution," and "self-transformation." The motto is to leverage collective strength coupled with the responsibility of the leader and to have mechanisms to control power, "confining power within the cage of mechanisms."

The goal of Party building and rectification is to consolidate unity and strengthen the Party's leadership in guiding the country forward in the process of reform, integration, and development.

PV:The General Secretary has repeatedly emphasized: "Cadres are the foundation of all work," the "cause of all causes," and the "key to all keys." Comrade, what is the crucial point in the current issue of organizational structure and personnel?

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:Reforming organizational and personnel work is an important aspect of Party building, and 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 its focus on reforming and improving the quality and capacity of the apparatus and the cadre, been emphasized and implemented as decisively as it is today. This is a major, difficult, and sensitive task, involving both organization and people, therefore requiring fundamental solutions that are both strategic and groundbreaking, along with the determination to overcome obstacles in implementation to create a turning point in development and bring new momentum to the entire political system.

The arrangement and placement of leadership and management personnel, as well as professional and technical staff, must select individuals with sufficient dedication and competence to shoulder the responsibilities, ending the situation where "tasks are assigned based on the person" rather than "tasks are chosen based on the person." The evaluation of cadres must be based on the results of the review of the implementation of Central Resolutions 4 of the 11th and 12th Party Congresses on Party building and rectification, and on the results of practical and specific work. The system of dismissal, removal from office, resignation, termination of employment, or timely replacement of incompetent, unethical, or unqualified civil servants who fail to meet requirements and standards, or who do not complete their assigned tasks, must be strictly implemented.

This process requires democratic discussion, objectivity, and impartiality within the Party committee, as well as openness and transparency within the agency. There must be no abuse of power to promote unqualified relatives or friends; those we dislike must be dismissed, and cronyism is unacceptable. Simultaneously, we must build, refine, and implement a healthy, open, and transparent competitive mechanism for appointing and promoting cadres and recruiting civil servants and public employees, attracting truly virtuous and talented individuals who are wholeheartedly dedicated to the Party and the people, contributing to building a strong political system.

PV:On the eve of the New Year, what message does the General Secretary have for the people and soldiers throughout the country?

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:The Year of the Rooster has passed, leaving us with joys and positive impressions, giving us confidence as we 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 as one, build upon the achievements and successes of the Year of the Rooster, and transform new opportunities and hope into boundless willpower and strength to build our country into an increasingly prosperous and civilized nation, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world's leading powers, as President Ho Chi Minh always wished.

PV:We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the General Secretary. On the occasion of the New Year, the Party's journalists would like to wish you continued good health and that you, along with the entire Party and people, will steadfastly advance in the process of national renewal and international integration.

Bac Van