General Secretary: Avoid turning self-criticism and criticism meetings into places for 'mutual stroking and praising'

On the morning of December 9, the Politburo held a national cadre conference to disseminate and implement the Central Committee's conclusions and regulations on Party building and rectification work.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other Party and State leaders attended the conference. Photo: Pham Cuong

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attended and directed the conference. Also chairing were Politburo members: Nguyen Xuan Phuc - President; Pham Minh Chinh - Prime Minister; Vuong Dinh Hue - Chairman of the National Assembly; Vo Van Thuong - Standing member of the Secretariat; Truong Thi Mai - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Organization Commission; Tran Cam Tu - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Inspection Commission.

In Nghe An, the conference was broadcast live to 588 locations, including 3 provincial locations, 30 district and grassroots locations, and 555 grassroots locations with more than 16,300 delegates attending.

At the main bridge of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, comrades: Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Lieutenant General Nguyen Doan Anh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of Military Region 4 co-chaired.

Also attending were comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; comrades members of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, members of the Provincial Party Executive Committee;... At the bridge point of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired.

Panorama of the conference at Dien Hong Hall, National Assembly House. Photo: Pham Cuong

PROACTIVELY FIGHT STRONGLY AGAINST RECESSION AND NEGATIVITY

One of the most valuable lessons emphasized in the Political Report at the 13th National Party Congress is: Party building and rectification work must be implemented resolutely, comprehensively, synchronously, regularly, and effectively in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization, and cadres.

From 2016 to 2020, 25,104 party members who degraded or showed signs of "self-evolution" or "self-transformation" (0.5% of total party members) were disciplined, of which 15,101 party members degraded in morality and lifestyle (60%), 8,281 party members degraded in political ideology (33%), and 1,722 party members showed signs of "self-evolution" or "self-transformation".

The conference listened to Head of the Central Organizing Committee Truong Thi Mai present a report on the main contents of Conclusion No. 21; Plan No. 03 and Regulation No. 37. Photo: Pham Cuong

At the 4th Conference, the 13th Party Central Committee issued Conclusion No. 21-KL/TW, dated October 25, 2021, on promoting Party building and rectification and the political system; resolutely preventing, repelling, and strictly handling cadres and Party members who have degraded in ideology, politics, ethics, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation"; and Regulation 37-QD/TW dated November 1, 2021 on what Party members are not allowed to do. On December 1, 2021, the Politburo issued Plan 03-KH/TW to implement Conclusion 21.

Conclusion No. 21 demonstrated high political determination, promoting Party building and the political system to comprehensively build the Party, improve the Party's leadership, governance and fighting capacity.

The new point of Conclusion No. 21 is that it has expanded the scope, not only building and rectifying a clean and strong Party but also including building the political system in the spirit of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

Panorama of the conference at the main bridge of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee. Photo: Thanh Duy

Along with prevention and pushback, we must proactively and strongly attack, resolutely fight against, and strictly handle degradation, negativity, "self-evolution", and "self-transformation". This is a new breakthrough, at a higher level, with more intensity and determination, and with a more severe handling attitude.

Conclusion No. 21 also clearly states the need to harmoniously combine “building” and “fighting”; high requirements for promoting self-criticism and criticism; resolutely fighting against individualism, opportunism, profiteering, “group interests”, bureaucracy, distance from the people, and indifference to the difficulties and frustrations of the people.

Plan No. 03-KH/TW of the Politburo has set out 3 goals and requirements; 11 key tasks and specified responsibilities of 17 agencies and organizations to implement Conclusion No. 21.

Overview of the Provincial People's Committee bridge chaired by Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee. Photo: Pham Bang

The conference also listened to the dissemination of Regulation 37-QD/TW on things that party members are not allowed to do. Accordingly, the basic Regulation still retains 19 articles, while adjusting, rearranging and editing a number of articles to suit groups of behaviors (ideology, politics, lifestyle; party member tasks, tasks assigned by superiors...) in a systematic, strict, legal, specific, clear, concise, easy to understand, easy to remember, easy to implement, easy to check and monitor.

ENCOURAGE AND PROTECT DYNAMIC, THINK-HARD-WORKING, AND DO-HARD-WORKING STAFF

Speaking at the conference, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized the need to continue discussing and implementing the building, rectification, and consolidation of our Party to make it increasingly clean and strong, truly the vanguard, the leader, and the helmsman of the country, continuing to firmly step on the path of building socialism and defending the socialist Fatherland.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered a closing speech at the conference. Photo: Pham Cuong

The General Secretary also discussed and analyzed the new spirit and new content of the 4th Central Conference (13th tenure), including focusing on building a contingent of cadres at all levels with revolutionary ideals, steadfast political will, pure revolutionary ethics, wholeheartedly serving the Fatherland and the People, and having the capacity and qualifications to meet the requirements of the task. "Cadres, regardless of their position, must always be fully aware of their responsibilities, "play their roles, know their lessons", be truly qualified, complete assigned tasks well, must be closely attached to the People, and be trusted and respected by the People", the General Secretary pointed out.

At the main bridge of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, comrades: Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Lieutenant General Nguyen Doan Anh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of Military Region 4 co-chaired. Photo: Thanh Duy

In particular, along with preventing, repelling, resolutely fighting, and strictly handling degradation, negativity, “self-evolution,” and “self-transformation,” General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized the need to effectively implement the policy of encouraging and protecting dynamic, creative cadres who dare to think, speak, and act, and always strive to act for the common good. This is a very dialectical issue to encourage cadres to enthusiastically move forward, and not to shrink back and not dare to act because of violations being handled to avoid making mistakes.

EVERY CADRE AND PARTY MEMBER MUST SERIOUSLY REFLECT ON HIMSELF

However, according to the General Secretary, the very important issue of decisive significance is still to organize and implement well, with practical results. Conclusion, the new Regulations of the 4th Central Conference (term XIII) are associated with continuing to promote the implementation of the 4th Central Resolution (term XII) on Party building and rectification.

Accordingly, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized: First of all, we must fully and deeply understand the purposes, meanings, requirements, and contents of this Conclusion and Regulation; firmly grasp the guiding thoughts and tasks to be done.

Delegates follow the conference at the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee bridge. Photo: Thanh Duy

On that basis, there is a high level of unity in will and determination, fully realizing one's responsibilities to be exemplary, voluntarily implementing and directing the implementation in each working position in the areas and fields under one's charge; launching a broad political movement on building and rectifying the Party and a strong, clean, and comprehensive political system.

The General Secretary also requested that immediately after this conference, Party committees and organizations at all levels, sectors, agencies and units in the entire political system need to urgently develop plans and action programs to implement the Conclusions and Regulations in conjunction with continuing to promote the implementation of Resolution 4 of the Central Committee (term XII).

“We must do this very seriously and practically, with clear and strict assignment of leadership responsibilities and direction, avoiding superficiality and formality,” the General Secretary pointed out, while emphasizing that these tasks and solutions must be carried out in a synchronous, comprehensive, focused and key manner; closely combining “building” and “fighting”, “fighting” and “building”; preventing, warning, criticizing and strictly handling wrongdoings, strongly fighting against corruption, deterioration, negativity, and violations of Party discipline and State laws.

Delegates attending the Conference at the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee bridge. Photo: Pham Bang

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong requested to carry out inspection, supervision, auditing, investigation, prosecution, and trial more strongly and resolutely; enhance the fighting capacity of grassroots Party organizations, and promote the supervisory role of the people, unions, the press, and public opinion.

The General Secretary requested that every cadre and party member, first of all, leaders and managers at all levels, especially leaders and chairpersons, must set an example and voluntarily implement the contents in the Conclusion and Regulations.

“I propose that immediately after this conference, without waiting for anything, based on the Resolution, Conclusion and Regulations this time, we must seriously self-criticize, review and reflect on ourselves, our units and our families; promote what is good, self-adjust what is lacking, self-cleanse and self-correct what is bad. All cadres and party members must do the same, not just stand outside and judge; or wait and see, considering ourselves innocent,” said the General Secretary.

In Nghe An, the conference was broadcast live to 555 grassroots points. Photo: Thanh Duy

Self-criticism and criticism must be carefully prepared, meticulously and closely directed, carried out seriously and cautiously, with concrete results, substantial results, and products; it is necessary to avoid doing things superficially, carelessly, formally, and perfunctorily; overcome the situation of being superficial, deferential, and even turning criticism and self-criticism meetings into places to flatter and praise each other; but at the same time, it is necessary to prevent and avoid taking advantage of this occasion to fight and bring each other down.

Strictly handle cases of criticism and slander against others. Experience shows that in order for self-criticism and criticism to be effective, the important thing is to be sincere, loyal, uphold the Party's principles, truly promote democracy within the Party, and leaders must set an example; there must be democratic forms for the masses to contribute and criticize cadres and Party members, and must seriously accept correct criticism; cases of serious violations that are not sincere, not self-aware, and those that receive collective help but do not accept must be handled appropriately; any attitude of deference, avoidance, right-wing, "shut up and take the money", or extreme attempts to take advantage of criticism to attack others and cause internal turmoil are all incorrect.

Delegates attending the conference at the National Assembly bridge point. Photo: Pham Cuong

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also pointed out that this is an opportunity to better understand cadres, have a basis for evaluating cadres, and consider and combine preparations for cadre planning for the coming time.

“Building and rectifying the Party is 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, and promote the implementation of political tasks to achieve higher results; not the other way around,” General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong pointed out.

Comrade Vo Van Thuong - Politburo member, Standing member of the Secretariat spoke to accept the direction of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and delivered the closing speech of the conference.