Politburo issues directive to protect corruption whistleblowers

Standing member of the Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong has just signed and issued Directive No. 27 of the Politburo on strengthening the Party's leadership in protecting those who discover, denounce, and fight against corruption, waste, and negativity.

The Directive clearly states that, in recent times, in order to promote the role of the people in Party building and rectification, giving opinions, criticism, and fighting against corruption, waste, and negativity among cadres and Party members, the Party and State have issued and implemented a number of policies and regulations related to the protection of whistleblowers and achieved initial results.

However, this work still has limitations and shortcomings, such as the situation of whistleblowers' information being leaked; many cases of whistleblowers not being protected, being retaliated against, and being suppressed; acts of retaliation and suppression have not been discovered and strictly handled.

The commendation and reward of whistleblowers and agencies, organizations and individuals who do a good job of protecting whistleblowers have not received much attention. Officials, party members and people are still not assured and afraid to fight against corruption, waste, negativity, and to give comments and criticize officials and party members who violate the law...

One of the reasons for the limitations stated in the directive is mainly that Party committees, Party organizations, and authorities, first of all, leaders in many places have not paid attention to this work.

Meanwhile, the work of inspection, investigation, detection and handling of acts of revenge and repression against whistleblowers and violations of regulations on whistleblowers protection have not been taken seriously, while acts of revenge and repression against whistleblowers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect.

Be held accountable if the whistleblower is retaliated against or persecuted

To overcome these limitations and shortcomings, the Politburo requires Party committees, Party organizations, authorities, cadres and Party members to thoroughly grasp, lead, direct and carry out 8 tasks.

Specifically, Party committees, Party organizations, and authorities, first of all, the leaders, must uphold their responsibility in leading and directing the implementation of the work of protecting whistleblowers within their scope of responsibility; closely monitor and promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, and correct deviations in the implementation process of subordinates.

At the same time, they must be responsible to their superiors and be disciplined if they are lax in leadership and management, do not exercise their full authority, and allow people, cadres, and party members under their responsibility to be retaliated against and persecuted when denouncing and fighting against corruption, waste, and negativity.

It is necessary to clearly define that protecting whistleblowers is the responsibility of the entire political system and society, first of all of Party committees, Party organizations, authorities and functional agencies at all levels.

At the same time, perfect the regulations on protecting whistleblowers in a specific and synchronous manner, with strict sanctions, focusing on preventive measures; clarify the manifestations of acts of revenge and persecution against whistleblowers in all forms to serve as a basis for identifying, preventing, stopping and handling these acts.

Issue regulations and instructions for implementing the 2018 Law on Denunciation; issue regulations on protecting people who reflect, make recommendations, and provide information about acts showing signs of corruption, waste, and negativity by officials and civil servants that are not yet regulated by the 2018 Law on Denunciation.

At the same time, strengthen inspection, supervision and monitoring of the work of protecting whistleblowers, emphasizing the detection, clarification and strict handling of organizations and individuals who retaliate against and persecute whistleblowers and publicize the handling results...

The Politburo also requested to strengthen, improve, and promote responsibility, public ethics, and sense of discipline for cadres and civil servants directly involved in receiving citizens, handling complaints and denunciations, and agencies and units with the function of protecting whistleblowers; and create favorable conditions for these agencies to perform their assigned tasks well.

Strengthening the work of preventing and stopping acts of revenge and persecution against whistleblowers. Stepping up the detection and strict handling according to Party regulations and State laws against organizations and individuals who take revenge on, persecute whistleblowers, cover up the accused; those who take advantage of the right to reflect, denounce, and denounce to defame, slander, and provide false information, affecting the reputation and honor of related organizations and individuals...

At the same time, research and evaluate current regulations on rewarding whistleblowers to amend and supplement them appropriately. The form, content and method of organizing rewards must truly contribute to motivating and encouraging whistleblowers and those fighting against corruption, waste and negativity, but must not leak information, affecting the safety of whistleblowers...

Thu Hang