General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong: Fight against negativity in all areas of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle

“Not only must we fight against corruption in the economic field, but more importantly, we must also fight against negativity in the fields of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle. Because the degradation of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle leads to corruption, this is the root, the fundamental thing that needs to be fought.”General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong- The Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption emphasized this at the Politburo meeting to give opinions on the Project "Amending and supplementing the functions, tasks and powers of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption" held on the morning of September 10 at the Central Party Headquarters.

After listening to the representative of the Central Internal Affairs Committee - the Standing Body of the Steering Committee present the content of the Project's Proposal, the Politburo discussed and reached a high consensus on the Project's contents.

Concluding the meeting, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized that corruption and degradation in political ideology, ethics, lifestyle, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” are all negative manifestations. Corruption in particular and negativity in general destroy the purity of the Party and State apparatus, seriously affecting the honor, prestige, moral qualities and exemplary role of cadres, party members, civil servants and public employees; and undermining people's trust in the Party, State and regime.

Therefore, the General Secretary believes that anti-corruption work must be closely linked and synchronized with the work of preventing and combating negativity, especially against degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle: Not only fighting against corruption in the economic field, but more importantly, fighting negativity in the fields of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle. These two things are directly related to each other, degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle leads to corruption, this is the root, the fundamental thing that needs to be fought. And economic benefits are often linked with political interests, power, and degradation in ethics and lifestyle...

The General Secretary assessed that the work of fighting to prevent and repel degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" has been led, directed, and implemented resolutely, with clear changes; however, there are still many shortcomings and limitations, and the degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the Party is still complicated. The fundamental cause of these limitations is that although the work of preventing and combating negativity has been directed, it is still scattered and lacks concentration; there is not a close connection between anti-corruption and the prevention and combat of degradation in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle. Therefore, amending and supplementing the functions, tasks, and powers of the Steering Committee to direct the prevention and combat of both corruption and negativity is extremely necessary, contributing to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that the Politburo has agreed on the name of the Central Steering Committee on preventing and combating corruption and negativity (adding the word “negativity”), to fully cover the functions, tasks and powers of the Steering Committee. The Politburo identifies cadres, party members, civil servants and public employees, first of all leaders and managers at all levels of organizations in the political system, to ensure comprehensiveness, synchronization, focus and key points in directing the prevention and combat of negativity.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stated that the scope and focus of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and Negativity in the coming time is to direct the work of preventing and combating corruption; preventing and combating negativity, focusing on the degradation of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle among cadres, party members, civil servants, and public employees, first of all, leaders and managers at all levels of organizations in the political system nationwide. Directly direct the handling of corruption cases and incidents or serious and complicated signs of corruption that are of public concern; other cases, incidents, and negative behaviors that seriously affect the honor, prestige, moral qualities, and exemplary role of cadres, party members, civil servants, and public employees, and undermine the people's trust in the Party, the State, and the regime (collectively referred to as serious and complicated corruption and negativity cases and incidents that are of public concern).

According to the General Secretary, the Politburo's decision to amend and supplement the functions, tasks and powers of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption continues to affirm the determination of the Party and State in the fight against corruption and negativity resolutely, continuously and without rest, to purify the contingent of cadres and Party members, to meet the requirements, demands and trust of the people in the leadership role of the Party.

At the meeting, the Politburo assigned the Central Internal Affairs Commission - the Standing Agency of the Steering Committee to coordinate with the Party Central Office to absorb the Politburo's opinions to complete and submit to the General Secretary for promulgation of the Regulation on functions, tasks, powers, working regime, and working relations of the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption and negativity to replace Regulation No. 211-QD/TW, dated December 25, 2019 of the Politburo (12th tenure)./.