The special point in the career and life of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is probably the 6 times he was elected to key leadership positions. That is, twice he was elected by the National Assembly as Chairman of the National Assembly, once he was elected by the National Assembly as President and 3 times he was elected as General Secretary. In his six inauguration speeches, regardless of his position, in every word General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong clearly demonstrated the modesty, sincerity and noble character of a true communist. In particular, the determination to fight corruption and negativity as well as to build and rectify a clean and strong Party has always been a constant pain throughout life, just like the two verses: "As long as there is one second, one minute left / We will still fight and never stop!" by To Huu, which the General Secretary borrowed to express his feelings and to promise the Party and the people.

'Thinking my fate is as weak as a dragonfly'

Do you remember 18 years ago, on June 26, 2006, in his inaugural speech after being elected by the National Assembly as Chairman of the 11th National Assembly, at Ba Dinh Hall, the new Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong shared: "This is a great honor, but also a very heavy responsibility for me". Taking on the new responsibility while being Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, he acknowledged that moving to a new field of work would certainly encounter many difficulties. "I see that I still have many limitations, both in knowledge and experience. Therefore, I hope to receive the active help of the National Assembly deputies; the close cooperation of comrades in the National Assembly Standing Committee; the regular coordination of relevant agencies and organizations; the attention and support of voters and people nationwide", said Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong. During his second inauguration as Chairman of the National Assembly (12th tenure) on July 23, 2007, in his commitments at that time, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized the resolute fight against corruption; striving to further improve the legislative and supervisory capacity of the National Assembly, innovating working methods, resolutely fighting against manifestations of bureaucracy; regularly maintaining contact with the people to be worthy of being the agency representing the will and aspirations of the people. On January 19, 2011, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong was elected by the 11th Central Executive Committee as General Secretary for the 2011-2015 term. After taking office, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong shared many sincere and frank things with the press: "To be honest, I just took office, I'm not used to hearing you guys calling me General Secretary, I feel so embarrassed, I haven't had time to think about where to go". General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also confided: "Whatever I do, I don't think about making an impression, not to promote myself, or to show that I am this or that. The responsibility of party members and cadres is to seriously implement the Party's resolutions. Just doing the Party's resolutions well is good enough". On his second election as General Secretary (12th term) on January 28, 2016, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said: “I am surprised, moved and worried because the upcoming work is still heavy and I have to bear great responsibility. Given the current domestic and international situation, there are favorable opportunities, but also many difficulties and challenges.” When elected by the National Assembly to hold the position of President for the 2016-2020 term on October 23, 2018, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed some of his thoughts and feelings. “Some delegates may want to know how I feel right now. I would like to honestly say that I am both happy and worried. Happy because the National Assembly and the people trust and love me and assign me this task. Worried about how to fulfill my responsibilities well. These are my sincere thoughts and feelings, just like my feelings more than 12 years ago, when I was elected by the National Assembly to hold the position of Chairman of the 11th National Assembly,” he shared. Expressing his feelings of both joy and worry like the time he first took office as Chairman of the National Assembly on June 26, 2006, General Secretary - President Nguyen Phu Trong recalled at that time: “I spontaneously quoted two lines of Kieu: Thinking of my fate as thin as a dragonfly's wing/ Knowing that the green mold is square or round, how good is it ! And now, my feelings are similar, even a bit more worried.” On February 1, 2021, right after being re-elected for the third time as General Secretary (13th term), in his speech at the 13th Congress, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong shared that he is always aware that honor always goes hand in hand with responsibility. "The greater the honor, the greater the responsibility, especially the tasks in the coming period in the documents submitted to the 13th Congress have many advantages and opportunities, but also countless difficulties and challenges, some of which are unforeseeable." Responding to the press later about anti-corruption, the General Secretary affirmed: Doing it is not to punish or take revenge on anyone, but is completely humane and humane. "Sawing down a wormy branch to save the whole tree. Punishing a few people to deter, educate, and prevent others from violating. Warning, warning and prevention are the main things, not punishing many or punishing heavily, that is seriousness," General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong repeated Uncle Ho's saying. According to the General Secretary, the fight against corruption cannot be done without courage and bravery. “Everyone likes wealth and money, but I have said many times that honor is the most sacred and noble thing,” the General Secretary emphasized.

Once the stove is hot, even fresh wood must burn.

Speaking of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, everyone will surely remember the famous saying: “When the furnace is hot, fresh wood must burn. Dry wood, medium wood will burn first, then the whole furnace will heat up, all agencies will join in, no one will stand aside”. This saying was made by the General Secretary at the 12th meeting of the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption on July 31, 2017, and was mentioned many times in later speeches and became a consistent manifesto of action throughout his career of fighting corruption and negativity; building and rectifying the Party. In meetings with voters, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong always emphasized: “Fighting corruption is not just empty appeals, empty ideological education, but must be done by law. Power must be locked in a cage of mechanisms and laws. When you are given power, you must also have a whip, a blow so that you cannot, dare not and do not want to be corrupt”. In response to some concerns that fighting corruption will discourage people and make them not want to do it, the General Secretary affirmed that this idea is wrong. “If anyone feels hindered or discouraged, then step aside and let someone else do it,” the General Secretary emphasized at the meeting of the Central Party Secretariat on April 10, 2018. Expressing his determination to clean up the apparatus, speaking at the meeting of the Central Public Security Party Committee Standing Committee on November 28, 2018, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong advised: “A good name lasts forever, don’t be greedy for titles, positions, material things, money, especially when you have power in your hands, there are many people who flatter you, many people who flatter you…”

During the 12th Congress term, more than 87,000 cadres and party members were disciplined, of which more than 3,200 party members were disciplined for corruption. Notably, more than 110 cadres under the Central Committee's management were disciplined, including 27 members of the Party Central Committee, former members of the Party Central Committee; 4 members of the Politburo, former members of the Politburo; and more than 30 generals in the armed forces. Report of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negative Practices

The determination to fight corruption with “no forbidden zones, no exceptions, no matter who the person is” has always been the consistent message that the General Secretary mentioned many times in his speeches and articles. At the National Conference summarizing the work of preventing and combating corruption in the period of 2013-2020 held on the morning of December 12, 2020, the General Secretary and President continued to state the message: “Discipline a few people to save thousands of people, and will continue to do it more drastically and strongly in the coming time in the spirit of Uncle Ho's teaching: Cutting off a few rotten branches to save the whole tree”. Along with these strong messages are the drastic actions of the entire political system. Thanks to that, a breakthrough has been created in the inspection and discipline work of the Party in particular and the work of preventing and combating corruption in general.

Introduce and elect truly worthy comrades

This spirit continues to be maintained, strongly promoted and further developed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to a new height in the 13th term. One of the key tasks of this term is clearly stated in the Resolution of the 13th Congress as "Continuing to step up the fight against bureaucracy, corruption, waste, negativity, "group interests", manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the Party". Under the leadership of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Politburo has issued new regulations on the functions, tasks, powers, working regime, and working relations of the Central Steering Committee on preventing and combating corruption and negativity; in which the functions and tasks of the Steering Committee have been supplemented and expanded, including directing the prevention and combat of corruption and the prevention and combat of "negativity". In particular, the focus is on preventing and combating the degradation of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle among cadres and Party members, considering this the root of all problems. Along with that, the Provincial Steering Committee on anti-corruption and anti-negativity was established in all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities. After more than 1 year of establishment, this model has initially achieved good results, gradually overcoming the previous situation of "hot above, cold below". Thanks to that, the work of detecting and handling corruption has been directed and implemented in a methodical, synchronous, drastic and effective manner, creating a breakthrough in the work of anti-corruption and anti-negativity. In addition to anti-corruption and anti-negativity, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has always attached importance to the work of Party building and rectification with many outstanding marks in the harmonious and smooth combination between "building" and "fighting", especially in personnel work. The General Secretary always emphasized that personnel work is not only a key step in Party building but also an important link in all activities of the Party, a decisive factor in the success or failure of the revolution. Therefore, "must have a discerning eye", "don't mistake chicken for crow", "don't see red and think it's cooked", "don't just see the outer appearance to cover up the rough inside", "avoid the situation of crabs relying on their claws, fish relying on their fins".

From the beginning of the 13th Congress term to the end of 2023, competent authorities have disciplined 105 officials under the Central Committee's management, including 22 members and former members of the Party Central Committee. In 2023, 9 officials under the Central Committee's management were dismissed from their positions, suspended from work, and assigned to other jobs. In the first 6 months of 2024 alone, the Party Central Committee also disciplined 7 personnel (6 expelled from the Party, 1 dismissed from office); 5 personnel were dismissed from their positions due to shortcomings and violations. The Politburo disciplined 5 Party organizations (warnings), 6 Party members (3 warnings, 3 reprimands). The Secretariat disciplined 5 Party organizations (3 warnings, 2 reprimands), 27 Party members (26 expelled, 1 dismissed). Report of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negativity

In particular, the General Secretary always advised that in selecting cadres, we must absolutely not let political opportunists, good at "sneaking around" but incompetent and lacking in morality like "eels" and "loach" into the planning. During more than half of the past term, our Party has resolutely prevented, repelled and strictly handled cadres and party members who have degraded political ideology, ethics, lifestyle, and exhibited "self-evolution" and "self-transformation", regardless of who they are; there are no forbidden areas and no exceptions. Resigning, dismissing and replacing disciplined cadres, those with limited capacity and diminished prestige, demonstrates strictness as well as humanity, gradually making "up, down, in, out" a culture and normal practice in cadre work. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the mid-term Central Conference in May 2023, the General Secretary noted that each member of the Politburo and Secretariat needs to promote the spirit of setting an example, regularly cultivate, train, and improve revolutionary ethics. "Do our utmost to avoid the situation: Your feet are still dirty; yet you hold a torch to rub other people's feet!", the General Secretary advised. The General Secretary requested to do better in personnel work to select and arrange the right people who are truly virtuous, talented, honest, and dedicated; who truly serve the country and the people to leadership positions in the state apparatus. Resolutely fight to eliminate from the ranks those who fall into corruption and depravity; fight against all manifestations of seeking positions, power, localism, preferential recruitment of unqualified relatives and family members.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered the closing speech at the 9th Central Conference last May. Photo: Nhat Bac

In his closing speech at the 9th Central Conference in May, the General Secretary noted that the work of preparing personnel and electing Party committees must be carried out in accordance with the Party's Charter, regulations and rules. In particular, the General Secretary requested a thorough review to select, introduce and elect truly worthy and qualified comrades who meet the requirements of the tasks in the new situation; pay attention to discovering and introducing new potential factors, ensuring the proportion of young cadres, female cadres and ethnic minority cadres. Until 10 days before his departure, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was still closely following the political situation. In his role as Secretary of the Central Military Commission, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered a speech to the Central Military Commission Conference to review military, defense and Party building work in the first 6 months of the year on July 8, 2024. Previously, on July 4, the General Secretary also delivered a speech at the Central Party Committee of the Public Security's first 6-month review conference in 2024. Every word and action of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong until his last breath demonstrated his dedication to the revolutionary cause of the Party and our nation, living his entire life for the country and the people.

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