Regulation 144 - The foundation for Party members and officials to maintain their integrity.
Today (July 9th), the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Central Committee held a national conference to disseminate Regulation 144-QĐ/TW on "the standards of revolutionary ethics for cadres and Party members in the new situation." This regulation is considered a fundamental foundation to help cadres and Party members proactively face and overcome challenges, uphold honor, maintain revolutionary ethics, remain loyal to the Party, and wholeheartedly serve the country and the people.
Regulation 144 on "revolutionary ethical standards for cadres and Party members" was issued in the context that since the beginning of the 13th Party Congress term, more than 100 high-ranking officials have been disciplined. Among them, 10 officials under the management of the Politburo and the Secretariat were prosecuted and detained for their involvement in economic and corruption cases occurring in several localities… causing serious consequences, significant losses of state assets, and eroding public trust.
This shows that, more than ever, it is necessary to further emphasize individual responsibility in training, cultivating, and preserving the revolutionary moral qualities of cadres and Party members, especially those holding leadership positions. Because reality has proven that the success of the Party and the people's trust in the Party depend primarily on two factors: the ability to formulate correct policies and leadership guidelines, and the pioneering and exemplary spirit of the cadres and Party members.
Regulation 144 has set out specific standards of revolutionary ethics that every cadre and Party member must possess. These are: Patriotism, respect for the people, absolute loyalty to the Party and the Fatherland; Having courage, innovation, creativity, and integration; Diligence, thrift, integrity, impartiality, and selflessness; Unity, discipline, compassion, and responsibility; Exemplary conduct, humility, self-cultivation, and lifelong learning.
Specifically, with this Regulation, the Politburo has requested that "cadres and Party members uphold self-respect and honor, avoid political opportunism and power ambitions; maintain the dignity of a cadre and Party member; not be influenced or tempted by negative influences. They must not allow family members, relatives, or others to exploit their position for personal gain; they must protect their own reputation and honor, as well as that of the Party organization. They must be ready to resign when they feel they lack the necessary ability or prestige."
The reason this requirement needs to be emphasized is that, looking back at most of the leaders who have been disciplined recently, they all share a common trait: a lack of training and self-cultivation, a lack of fortitude, susceptibility to the allure of power and money, and a decline in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle, leading to "self-evolution" and "self-transformation," and a departure from the Party's ideals and goals... They have betrayed their oaths to the Party and the people.
Looking back at the practical experience of more than nine decades of the Party's construction and development, upholding revolutionary ethical standards is a way for each Party member and cadre to contribute to building a cleaner and stronger Party, worthy of its role as the ruling Party, comprehensively leading the Vietnamese Revolution from one victory to another. Therefore, the issuance of Regulation 144 at this time reflects the Party's higher demands for the pioneering and exemplary spirit of its cadres and members. This shows that the cause of national construction and development in the new situation has no place for mediocre, stagnant, and uninnovative cadres; even more dangerous are those who are degenerate, corrupt, and morally bankrupt.
Therefore, today's National Conference on the Implementation of Regulation 144-QĐ/TW affirms the spirit that all Party policies must permeate all Party committees, grassroots Party organizations, and every Party member and cadre; so that they truly become the theoretical foundation and a lesson for "self-reflection and self-correction" for every Party member and cadre, especially leading cadres in the political system, to achieve "revolutionary ethical standards" in the new situation.
Thoroughly understanding this important regulation and putting it into practice in the work and activities of Party committees at all levels and the entire political system, we can see that building the Party on ethical foundations is truly the fundamental basis, the root that makes our Party increasingly clean and strong, truly worthy of being the Party of Ethics, the Party of Civilization, as President Ho Chi Minh always wished during his lifetime.