Why do these "red seeds" wither prematurely?

Names like Vu Minh Hoang, Nguyen Xuan Anh, Le Phuoc Hoai Bao, and more recently Tran Van Man, Nguyen Ba Canh… are all young officials, all from privileged backgrounds, expected to be the "red seeds" of the country, seemingly with their futures within reach. However, some were disciplined, while others, though not disciplined, saw their political careers halted for various reasons.

Mr. Le Nhu Tien, former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, and Children, who once warned about the nepotism phenomenon of "5Cs - children and grandchildren of influential people," plus "6Es - money, lineage, connections, exceptions, disciples, intelligence," leading to the "5Ds - no matter where you go," jokingly said that "a good horse must run a long distance," but after only a short run, some people are exhausted, and others "fall into a pit."

The National Assembly representative from the 12th and 13th terms argued that, based on the above cases, it can be seen that if the children and grandchildren of influential people have good qualities and abilities, there is no reason not to appoint them. However, conversely, if they are not mature enough, have not had enough time to prove themselves, and are appointed so quickly, the situation of "failure halfway" is foreseeable; in fact, some people are dismissed even before reaching the halfway point of their appointment.

"For example, in the military, to reach the rank of colonel or general, soldiers have to go through combat, rising from private, corporal, and lieutenant. It takes many years to get one rank higher. It's the same in any profession or field; you have to start from the bottom and work your way up, and it takes decades to get there," Mr. Tien explained.

The story of young officials being "forced to mature too quickly" has left a painful lesson, showing that personnel work needs to be much more thorough and cautious. They should even be tempered in harsh environments to see if they have the necessary qualities and capabilities, rather than being promoted in a haphazard way, Mr. Le Nhu Tien stated.

"Children of influential families" are considered the "red seeds" of the nation, inheriting their family's intellectual foundation and receiving thorough training. Therefore, if they are not honed to develop strong practical skills and achieve maturity in both character and competence, but instead are rushed into positions that are too large or too broad, it harms them and hinders, or even shortens, their political careers.

Conversely, as "children of influential families," they cannot rely on their "privileged background" and assume they are automatically entitled to "privileges" inherited from their ancestors. They must have self-respect to maintain their integrity, preserve family traditions, and avoid being labeled as "prematurely raised," commented Mr. Le Nhu Tien.

Pointing out one of the many reasons why promising young talents wither prematurely due to being promoted too quickly, too suddenly, too unexpectedly, and too unusually, Mr. Le Nhu Tien argued that the leaders must take responsibility for the appointments. In particular, he emphasized the responsibility of the personnel and organization agencies – the gatekeepers of personnel organization for Party committees and agencies at all levels of the Party and State.

"There needs to be an objective verification and assessment body to evaluate appointments. It's unacceptable that every agency and organization has a full complement of Party committees, government leaders, trade unions, youth organizations, women's organizations, and the Fatherland Front, yet when violations occur, few people speak up to take responsibility. The process is very strict, yet 'an elephant slips through the needle's eye,' so accountability must be clearly assigned," Mr. Tien stated.

Associate Professor Dr. Le Quoc Ly, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, stated that while the Party's policy of encouraging young people to develop well, promoting them to positions of responsibility if they are worthy and qualified, is undeniable and beneficial to the country, young people holding important positions must meet all the necessary standards. Furthermore, they should be tempered in practical situations, in difficult and complex environments, so that they can accumulate sufficient courage and experience to avoid making mistakes.

The Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy analyzed that the special cases mentioned above clearly did not fully meet the standards. They were promoted due to deference and a desire to curry favor with superiors. As the old saying goes, what comes quickly goes quickly. Promoting someone prematurely before meeting the standards and conditions will quickly reveal their limitations, weaknesses, and shortcomings.

Conversely, leaders whose children are considered "privileged" should remember the regulations on setting a good example and the responsibilities of a leader before granting favors to their children. They should carefully consider whether they should exploit the deference and flattery of their subordinates to promote their children prematurely. Furthermore, they should seriously and fairly assess their children's abilities and qualities, because it's not necessary for them to become someone important to contribute to the development of the country. What matters is what they can do for the country.