'Mirror' for each Party organization, cadre, and Party member to 'self-reflect and self-correct'

The 4th Central Conference (13th tenure) issuedRegulation No. 37-QD/TWdated October 25, 2021, replacing Regulation No. 47-QD/TW dated November 1, 2011 of the Central Executive Committee (11th tenure) on "Things that Party members are not allowed to do", aiming to strengthen Party discipline, improve the leadership capacity and fighting strength of grassroots Party organizations. However, hostile forces, political opportunists, and reactionaries have spread distorted arguments about this regulation.

The 4th Conference of the Party Central Committee (13th tenure). Photo: Document

After 10 years of implementing Regulation No. 47-QD/TW of the Central Executive Committee (11th tenure) on "Things that Party members are not allowed to do", there has been a clear change in the work of Party building and rectification; cadres and Party members are increasingly aware of their tasks and responsibilities for Party building and self-training and cultivating their moral qualities and lifestyle. However, the practical application of Regulation 47-QD/TW still has difficulties and shortcomings, and it is necessary to update, supplement, amend and remove obstacles in implementing the Party Charter, in order to further promote the pioneering and exemplary role of cadres and Party members. Therefore, our Party issued Regulation No. 37-QD/TW to replace Regulation No. 47-QD/TW to continue effectively implementing the work of Party building and rectification.

However, on many social networking sites and foreign radio stations and newspapers such as: Tiếng Dân, Việt Tân, RFA, VOA, BBC... hostile forces, political opportunists with spiteful attitudes, malicious plots, self-inferred, assumed the role of "judge", citing the opinions of subjects who have thoughts opposing the Party and the State of Vietnam. They distorted that, "Regulation No. 37 is unnecessary, encroaching on the executive branch; because the provisions in Regulation No. 37 are already prohibited by law, only party members who are above the law, outside the law, need this regulation". They also said that the Party's issuance of Regulation No. 37-QD/TW further "proves the corruption of the regime"; the current source of corruption is due to "the fault of the political system", systemic errors, not due to implementation measures. They spread fabricated information, exaggerated the issues of “corruption”, “negativity”, speculated about “disunity” within the Party, claiming that the Party cannot control its members, that the degradation of political qualities, ethics, and lifestyle is widespread. Or spread the argument that “the Party seriously violates citizens’ rights according to the Constitution”; currently the Party is “misguided”, issuing Regulation No. 37-QD/TW “just to show off, unable to control Party members”; at the same time, they put forward false arguments about some articles in the Regulation to defame and slander the Party.

In fact, these are deliberate distortions with extremely wrong and malicious plots, aiming to lower the position, role and important significance of Regulation No. 37-QD/TW; to deny the great achievements of Party building and rectification work; to steer public opinion in a negative direction, to undermine trust, lower prestige and deny the leadership role of the Party.

We affirm that our Party's issuance of Regulation No. 37-QD/TW is very necessary, a regular, continuous and inherited task. The addition of a number of new regulations is to meet practical, objective and scientific requirements. Regulations on what party members are not allowed to do, aiming to further promote the exemplary spirit of cadres and party members, are completely consistent with the provisions of Article 4 of the 2013 Constitution. This is completely contrary to the distorted and distorted arguments of hostile forces.

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh once advised:“A Party that conceals its shortcomings is a rotten Party. A Party that has the courage to admit its shortcomings, clearly point out those shortcomings, clearly examine the circumstances that gave rise to those shortcomings, and then seek every way to correct those shortcomings. Only then is it a progressive, bold, steadfast, and genuine Party.”⁽¹⁾.He required each Party organization to maintain strict discipline, strictly maintain organizational order and rules, making our Party increasingly worthy of its role, position and mission of leading the revolutionary cause.

Over the past years, our Party has focused on leading the implementation of Party building and rectification, determined to tighten discipline and order within the Party, strictly implement the Party's organizational principles; prevent, stop and strictly handle degraded, corrupt and negative cadres and Party members according to the motto "no forbidden zones, no exceptions”. The work of Party building and rectification has been carried out resolutely, persistently and strictly. In particular, our Party has directed the prosecution and trial of corruption cases in a strict, reasonable and sympathetic manner, which has been agreed upon, supported and highly appreciated by cadres, Party members and the People, contributing to strengthening the People's trust in the Party.

Regulation No. 37-QD/TW has added new contents, which are: Article 3 stipulates that Party members are not allowed to:“Refuting, denying, and distorting Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought; failing to fulfill the responsibility of setting an example; individualism, opportunism, and self-interest; “term thinking,” solidarity in the same direction, formal democracy, not defending what is right, not fighting what is wrong; authoritarianism, dictatorship, bureaucracy, and being distant from the masses.”This is a very necessary supplement in the new situation, when hostile forces increasingly distort, slander and deny Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought and the Party's guidelines.

Article 9 stipulates that party members are not allowed to“…naturalizing, transferring money and assets abroad, opening accounts and buying and selling assets abroad in violation of regulations.”If it is normal to admit that a citizen has dual citizenship, however, for party members, once they acquire foreign citizenship, how will they explain how to transfer money abroad, while the Party Charter clearly states: "Party members of the Communist Party of Vietnam are revolutionary soldiers in the vanguard of the working class, the working people and the Vietnamese nation, striving all their lives for the Party's goals and ideals, putting the interests of the Fatherland, the working class and the working people above personal interests".

Or Article 13, party members are not allowed to:“Interfering with or influencing the activities of inspection, supervision, auditing, investigation, prosecution, trial, execution of sentences, amnesty, and settlement of complaints and denunciations to cover up or assist in violations of Party regulations and State laws. Influencing, coercing, or bribing organizations or individuals to reduce the responsibility or punishment of others.”Adding this content is appropriate and necessary to meet the requirements of the highest political determination in the current work of preventing and combating corruption and negativity.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized: "Building and rectifying the Party to make our Party stronger and stronger, cadres and Party members more exemplary, Party organizations with higher fighting power, better internal solidarity, closer ties with the People to promote the implementation of political tasks to achieve higher results."

It can be affirmed that Regulation No. 37-QD/TW was issued as a "mirror" for each Party organization, cadre, and Party member to "self-reflect, self-correct" and constantly cultivate and practice revolutionary ethics; at the same time, it demonstrates the Party's determination in the work of Party building and rectification, preventing and combating corruption and negativity to create more trust among the people. This is a practical and concrete action for each of us to learn from and follow Uncle Ho, in order to build our Party to be truly clean and strong.

(1) Ho Chi Minh, Complete Works, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, volume 3, page 260.

Master Nguyen Thanh Hoang