Publishing the book of the General Secretary and President on anti-corruption

General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the 15th meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption. Photo: Hien Hoa/CPV

In recent years, the work of preventing and combating corruption has been directed strongly by the Party Central Committee, achieving many remarkable results, welcomed, agreed and supported by cadres, party members and the people. The detection, handling of cases, investigation, prosecution and trial of corruption and economic cases, especially particularly serious economic corruption cases, have been promoted and have had many positive changes.

In order to systematize the direction of the General Secretary, President, Head of the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption, to help sectors, levels, localities, party organizations and people grasp, thoroughly grasp and effectively implement this important work, the National Political Publishing House Truth has published the book "Determination to prevent and repel corruption" by comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

The book includes 31 speeches, articles, and interviews by General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption, since the 11th National Congress of the Party, especially from the 12th Congress to present.

The book is arranged in two parts. Part one: Some speeches, articles and interviews of General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong on the work of preventing and combating corruption.

Preventing and combating corruption is a difficult, arduous and long-term task, not the task of one person, one agency or one sector, but the task of the entire Party and the entire people, requiring determination, perseverance, persistence, and the participation of the entire political system. Therefore, throughout the speeches of the General Secretary and President with agencies, departments and sectors, including units directly participating in this important work, such as the Central Inspection Committee, the Central Internal Affairs Committee, the Central Organization Committee, the Government Inspectorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Procuracy, the Supreme People's Court... all showed the very close, specific and consistent direction of the head of the Party and State, at the same time reminding each agency, unit, especially each cadre and Party member to enhance their responsibility in performing their tasks, contributing to making "our Party and State always clean and strong; the entire political system strong".

Speaking at the working session with the Central Internal Affairs Committee - the Standing Agency of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption on January 23, 2014, the General Secretary and President reminded: "The Central Internal Affairs Committee must be the eyes and ears of the Party, the brain of the Party on internal affairs and anti-corruption work"; at the same time, he advised: "Internal affairs officials must be extremely dedicated and responsible, especially have mettle and courage, know how to protect the right and criticize and reject the wrong, and resolutely fight against the wrong".

In all work, cadres are the most important link, deciding success or failure. Therefore, when working with the People's Procuracy on January 17, 2015, the General Secretary and President advised cadres and prosecutors assigned to handle corruption cases to "always keep themselves truly clean, truly honest, must be people with courage, determination to fight to protect what is right, and not be tolerant of corruption". At the same time, to make the Party clean and strong, to push back corruption, speaking at the 6th Central Conference of the 12th term (October 2017), the General Secretary and President required all cadres, party members, and civil servants to "regularly self-examine, self-correct, self-admonish, stay away from material temptations and ambitions".

Preventing and combating corruption is a huge and important task, related to the survival of the Party and the nation. Therefore, the speeches and articles of the General Secretary and President from 2011 to present have shown the strong determination as well as the resolute spirit and close direction of the Party and State leaders in preventing and repelling corruption.

At the National Conference on Anti-Corruption on May 5, 2014, the General Secretary directed the entire Party and people to fight uncompromisingly against this "national disaster" of corruption, which is likened to an "internal enemy": "When corruption occurs, it must be dealt with resolutely, strictly, in accordance with the law, with no forbidden zones." "We must resolutely fight to detect and eliminate corrupt and depraved people from the apparatus to make the Party cleaner."

Since the beginning of the 12th Party term, many large, serious, and complicated corruption cases, including cases that have existed for many years, have been investigated, clarified, and handled strictly, publicly, and in accordance with the law. Many leaders and managers, including high-ranking Party officials, at both the central and local levels, at all levels, in all sectors, in the armed forces, etc., have been discovered, handled, and disciplined, showing that the fight against corruption and negativity has no forbidden zones, no exceptions, and no privileges. "Fighting" corruption is important and urgent, but at the same time, "preventing" corruption is fundamental and long-term. It is not necessary to detect and handle it severely, but to deter, prevent, and warn so that violations do not occur. Therefore, in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on the occasion of the beginning of the new year of the Pig 2019, the General Secretary and President emphasized that, along with fighting corruption, we must do well, synchronously implement solutions, perfect institutions, policies, and laws so that we cannot be corrupt, do not dare to be corrupt, and no longer want to be corrupt; we must "propagandize and mobilize so that each cadre, party member, and each citizen clearly understands their responsibilities in the fight against corruption and negativity, does not get caught up in corruption and negativity, and despises and condemns corrupt and negative behavior".

Although the fight against corruption is “extremely difficult, complicated, and affects those in positions of power”, and is a battle to cut out “boils” and corruption within the organization, with the results achieved, the positive changes in the actual situation in recent years, along with high determination, solidarity and unanimity, we always believe that corruption must be prevented and gradually pushed back.

Part two: Speech by General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong at a number of meetings of the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption.

The results achieved in the work of preventing and combating corruption in recent times, especially since the establishment of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption (February 2013) with the General Secretary as Head, have had a strong impact, contributing to warning, deterring, preventing negativity, cleaning up the Party and State apparatus and the entire political system, creating positive changes in the work of Party building and rectification.

The General Secretary's speeches at meetings of the Steering Committee and the Standing Committee of the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption showed a consistent viewpoint: "The Steering Committee gives opinions on policies and guidelines... on political, legal and foreign affairs requirements; directs coordination in removing difficulties and obstacles and inspects, supervises and urges implementation... The Steering Committee does not replace the tasks of the competent authorities" (speech at the 13th Session).

Thoroughly grasping that viewpoint, the sessions and meetings of the Steering Committee and the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee have given directions and directions to promptly and strictly handle corruption cases, especially large, serious, complicated, sensitive corruption cases that have received public attention. With higher determination, greater efforts and more drastic actions, the effectiveness of anti-corruption work has also been more positive, spreading widely throughout society, gaining the people's approval and support, becoming a movement and a trend. Each statement and direction of the Head of the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption has become the command of the leader in the uncompromising fight against corruption and negativity, has been thoroughly grasped, implemented in practice and brought about practical results. The number of corruption cases discovered has increased, especially major, serious, and complicated corruption cases, brought to public trial, in accordance with the law, with the right people and the right crimes, without letting criminals escape, without being cursory or general, creating deterrence and warning, prevention, and containment.

Speaking at each meeting of the Steering Committee, the General Secretary, President, and Head of the Steering Committee clearly analyzed what the Steering Committee and its members had done, the remaining problems and limitations, and pointed out what needed to be done immediately. The working methods and manner of the Steering Committee were also clearly understood by him, as in his speech at the 12th Meeting: “We work systematically, with specific assignments, determining completion times and specific results; deploying tasks according to programs and plans, with preliminary and final summaries, drawing lessons from experience, promptly discussing and resolving any problems; handling them as they become clear, doing each task, doing the previous task creates the premise for the next; all agencies are involved, promptly publicizing information, mobilizing the strength of the entire people, the political system, the people and the press”.

Along with orienting the general work, the General Secretary, President, and Head of the Steering Committee also closely followed the tasks of each member of the Steering Committee and the functional agencies directly involved in detecting and handling corruption; reminded about the remaining problems, the work that needs to be done, the need to thoroughly grasp, pointed out the problems that need to be focused on solving, and set a specific time for the work of preventing and fighting corruption to bring about practical results.

The statements of the General Secretary and President showed high determination, drasticness, linked with concrete results, positive changes in reality, words go hand in hand with actions, have met the expectations of the people of the whole country, and strengthened the people's trust in the leadership of the Party, in the work of Party building and rectification.

Evaluating the results after 5 years of operation of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption (2013 - 2018), at the 14th meeting of the Steering Committee, the General Secretary and President emphasized: "The work of anti-corruption has made great progress, especially since the 12th National Party Congress until now, corruption is being gradually controlled, prevented, pushed back, and tends to decrease, creating positive effects, spreading strongly throughout society, contributing to maintaining political stability, promoting socio-economic development, and strengthening the trust of cadres and people". The results achieved are due to our "high determination, great consensus, strong direction and implementation", with appropriate, methodical, and solid approaches, based on the principle of "no forbidden zones, no exceptions, regardless of who that person is", as affirmed by the General Secretary and President in many speeches, which is the reason for success.

However, the fight against corruption, along with "fighting" is "building", along with "pushing back" is "preventing", along with strict and severe handling, must prevent, educate, contribute to limiting negativity and corruption. Under the leadership of the General Secretary, President, Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption, the Steering Committee and relevant agencies always thoroughly grasp the principle of ensuring the Party's leadership, in accordance with the provisions of the law and political requirements, strictly handling violations, but also with reason, emotion, and humanity; acting resolutely and strictly, but must maintain political stability, promote socio-economic development. That is also a key task in the Party's anti-corruption work. To carry out this task, since the beginning of the 12th Party Congress term, the work of Party building and rectification, reforming the state apparatus at all levels, building a contingent of cadres, etc. has received attention. The system of Party regulations, State policies and laws on corruption prevention and control has also been issued relatively completely, creating a synchronous political and legal basis, contributing to the formation of an increasingly strict corruption prevention mechanism, more clearly demonstrating deterrence and warning against all acts of violating Party and State discipline.

The achievements in the fight against corruption are great and important, but as the General Secretary and President have repeatedly reminded, fighting against corruption is a thorny and harsh task, requiring perseverance, continuous and long-term work. In the context of the coming years, when the cause of national renewal moves to a higher stage, increasingly going into depth, so that the fight against corruption can maintain its fierce momentum and current trend, at the 15th meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption, at the beginning of the new year 2019, the General Secretary and President requested: "Absolutely do not be subjective, satisfied, or content with the results achieved, but must persistently promote, continue to do so with a higher determination, stronger and more effective in the coming time". That is also the reminder of the General Secretary and President to the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people on the threshold of the New Year of the Pig 2019: The fight against negativity and corruption is not just a "climax" and cannot "slow down".

The experiences and achievements, especially the very responsible, close and drastic direction of the General Secretary, President, Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption, are the basis for us to believe that, together with the determination of the Party and State, the participation of the entire political system and society, the work of anti-corruption in the coming time will continue to achieve more positive results; prevent and repel corruption; contribute to building our Party and State to be increasingly clean and strong; for the prestige of the Party, for the development of the country, for the wishes and happiness of the people./.

Pham Chi Thanh
(Acting Director - Editor-in-Chief of the National Political Publishing House Truth)