New President Nguyen Phu Trong lives a simple and frugal life

General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong takes the oath of office. Photo: VNA

First of all, I would like to wish the new President good health to assume this position for a long time. I am very happy. I hope that in the process of building a comprehensive rule-of-law State and a strong Party, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong has all the qualifications and qualities to assume the two positions.

This is fortunate for our Party, State and People.

Delegate Vu Trong Kim. Photo by Le Kien

Talking about General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, first of all, let's talk about integrity. As Uncle Ho said, a leader must have both virtue and talent, then virtue must come first, virtue is the root, because with virtue, one can gather everyone.

Having held many different positions, we see that Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong is a very capable person, and skillful in handling difficult situations. I think he is a person who is firm and gentle at the right time.

For example, when the Haiyang 981 drilling rig violated our country's waters, the Politburo met 13 times to discuss how to respond to different issues, and all 13 times we successfully resolved those situations.

* At the recent 8th Central Conference, the Central Executive Committee had regulations on setting an example for Politburo members, Secretariat members, and Central Committee members. What does the image of a General Secretary and President living in a public house and having almost no large assets say, sir?

- It is not now when the National Assembly elected him as President, when there is a declaration of assets, that I can confirm that he is an honest person, but for a long time during my work and understanding, I can confirm that Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong is a fair and impartial person, completely pure.

This is a shining example, very clear. Especially in the current context, when things like the mansions and mansions of officials cause public outrage, setting an example is very meaningful. The head of the Party and State lives in an official residence, with a small amount of savings, this says it all.

Only by setting an example, and a convincing example, can one lead and govern.

I dare to affirm once again that General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong is a completely clean person, absolutely clean.

Mr. Le Thanh Van - Standing Member of the National Assembly's Finance and Budget Committee: "He thanked the person who refused to hire his child."

General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong is a very exemplary person. Looking at his asset declaration on the occasion of the National Assembly Standing Committee's nomination for election as President, I see that it is an honest declaration with a very high level of reliability.

Delegate Le Thanh Van. Photo: Le Kien

Through that declaration, I see that he has a normal, simple life like the majority of Vietnamese workers today. He lives in a public house and has small savings.

Personally, I had time to work and interact with Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong when he was still Chairman of the National Assembly, and I can confirm that he is an extremely honest and upright person.

Through his friends and relatives, I also know that his family, wife and children also live a very simple life, no different from everyone else.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong did not act to benefit his family or relatives.

I remember when his son graduated, a friend of his brought his application to apply for a job at the Government Office, but the Head of the Government Office at that time replied that his son was not qualified because he lacked practical working time.

When he learned about this, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong not only did not influence his son to get the job, but also thanked the person who did not accept him.

With such an example of integrity, I think that is one of the reasons why he was continuously recommended in special circumstances. This time, also in a special circumstance, when President Tran Dai Quang suddenly passed away, the Party and the State were highly unanimous in recommending and electing him as President.

I believe that the new President Nguyen Phu Trong has all the excellent qualifications to lead the Party and State, and is an example in a period when our Party must emphasize the exemplary role of leaders.

* What does the image of a General Secretary and President living in a public house without many savings show, sir?

- We can see from the way he dresses. Except for formal occasions when he needs to wear a suit, he usually wears simple clothes, some of which are so old that the shoulders are worn out.

Such a simple and frugal life, I think it comes from the life, from the revolutionary ethics of an exemplary person. That is a person who maintains personal integrity, in harmony with the lives of the majority of compatriots when the country is still in difficulty.

* It is known that the new President has spent his savings to buy government bonds?

- That's right, he spent part of it buying government bonds and part of it in savings, just like the lives of ordinary civil servants and many other working people.

General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong currently lives at No. 5, Thien Quang Street, Nguyen Du Ward, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi. According to research, this is the official apartment that used to be the residence of former Vice President Nguyen Luong Bang.

The hometown of General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong is in Dong Anh district, on the outskirts of Hanoi, with a house and land left by his parents.