Part II: Loyal, intelligent, exemplary leader

The talent, virtue, simplicity and closeness of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong left a deep and affectionate impression and affection. When the General Secretary passed away, cadres, party members and people of Thai Binh all expressed their respect and infinite sorrow for the loyal, intelligent and exemplary leader of the Party.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong writes in the guestbook at the Nguyen Duc Canh Memorial Site (Diem Dien town, Thai Thuy district), January 2014.

Share the infinite regret

Not only those who had met and interacted with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong felt moved, choked up, and infinitely sad when the General Secretary passed away, but this was also the common feeling of millions of Thai Binh people.

Mr. Do Tien Con, Secretary of the Party Committee of An Quy Commune (Quynh Phu) said: Cadres, party members and people of An Quy Commune always have absolute respect and trust in General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong - a true communist soldier, a talented leader, who is always consistent between words and actions, takes people's satisfaction as a measure, takes people's interests as a goal to strive for; always close to the people, close to the people and has an extremely kind heart. Therefore, everyone was very moved and deeply saddened when hearing the news of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's passing. Each person, in their own way, expressed their respect and infinite sorrow at the passing of the General Secretary. Many social media accounts sent their deepest condolences, shared their feelings, images, and advice from the General Secretary, including the sentence: "The most precious thing in life is life and the honor of living. Because, life is only lived once, we must live so as not to feel pain and regret for the years we have lived in vain, wasted, and not to be ashamed of the mean and despicable deeds that are despised by everyone. So that when we close our eyes, we can be proud that all our lives, all our strength, we have devoted to the noblest cause in the world - the cause of fighting for national liberation, human liberation, and bringing happiness to the people". Some social media accounts borrowed a verse from poet Thu Bon to express their feelings for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:

“...A heart stopped beating
Stopped beating
an eagle...”.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Be, Group 9, Hoang Dieu Ward (Thai Binh City) shared: The passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a great loss for our Party, our country, and our people. Like many other cadres, party members, and people of all walks of life, I am deeply moved and deeply saddened.

Through my observation and listening, I realize that the life of the General Secretary is a typical example of simplicity, closeness and modesty. The General Secretary has lived an exemplary, sincere life, worthy of the younger generation to follow and nurture "a pure heart - bright mind - great ambition" as the General Secretary once said. Under the leadership of the General Secretary and the entire Party, our younger generation has more confidence in the leadership of the Party and the bright future of the country. This is also the motivation for our younger generation to continue to strive to contribute more to the cause of building and defending the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam. I respectfully bow to the virtuous and talented leader who devoted his life to the country and the people.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited and encouraged heroic Vietnamese mother Nguyen Thi Tuat, Hong Phong village, Tay An commune (Tien Hai), February 1, 2018.

The legacy remains forever

With 80 years of age, nearly 57 years of Party membership, 14 years as General Secretary, more than 2 years as President, more than 5 years as Chairman of the National Assembly, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong has always been concerned and devoted to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation, together with the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government leading the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army to achieve many great achievements of historical significance. Our country has never had such a foundation, potential, position, and international prestige as it does today.

According to Mr. Do Chi Thiet, former officer of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Board: Throughout his revolutionary career, Party work and Party building have held a particularly important position for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Creatively applying Ho Chi Minh's thought on Party building, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has deeply clarified the nature and role of the Party in the cause of national renewal, and in building a ruling Party based on the practice of renewal in Vietnam. Since then, the General Secretary and the Central Executive Committee have planned and led the successful implementation of strategic policies on Party building and rectification; resolutely and persistently fighting against individualism, degradation, corruption, and negativity, while constantly cultivating revolutionary ethics, political mettle, working capacity, vanguard spirit, exemplary behavior, promoting fine traditions, and close relationships with the people.

Since comrade Nguyen Phu Trong assumed the position of the Party's top leader in 2011, our country has had many positive changes in the socio-economic situation in the context of many fluctuations in the world and the region. The General Secretary has also devoted much effort to the fight against corruption and negativity.

Having witnessed and gone through many historical stages of the Party and the country, Mr. Nguyen Dang Kha, Party cell of Trung village, Dong Son commune (Dong Hung) said: General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a devoted communist, an excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh, a talented leader. Since General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong started the great "furnace burning" campaign, it has shown that our Party has well implemented the motto "words go hand in hand with actions", deployed the fight against corruption and negativity in a drastic, systematic manner with high determination, "no forbidden areas, no exceptions". I am impressed with the General Secretary's motto in preventing corruption and disciplining cadres: Cut down a rotten branch to save the tree; cut down a rotten tree to save the whole forest; punish one person to save the whole group; punish to warn and deter those who show signs of "being corrupt", to "treat the disease and save people". That motto is widely agreed by cadres, party members and people of all walks of life because it is carried out strictly but also very humanely. The passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is an extremely great loss for the country and people of Vietnam. Hopefully, the cause of building the Party and the political system, the fight against corruption and negativity will continue to be maintained and promoted.

Not only is he a talented and virtuous leader, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is also an excellent theorist and scientist. As the theoretical flag of the Party, the General Secretary has made great contributions to theory with his painstaking research work "Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam". Along with many other articles on this issue, the General Secretary has inspired and strongly believed in cadres and party members about socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam. The article is a valuable document for domestic and foreign scholars when researching this fundamental issue of the revolution; a "bedside" document for those working in propaganda; a sharp weapon to fight against the wrong views of hostile forces to protect the ideological foundation of the Party.

In addition to the above-mentioned great theoretical works, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also made many contributions in specialized theoretical fields. Mr. Ngo Quang Dang, Deputy Head of the Party Committee's Propaganda Department, reporter of the Tran Hung Dao Ward Party Committee (Thai Binh City) shared: Fortunately, we have a shining example of theory and practice - that is General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong - an example of saying what goes with doing, always imbued with the viewpoints and teachings of Uncle Ho: "Whatever is beneficial to our people, we must do our utmost; whatever is harmful to our people, we must avoid it"; always close to the people, respect the people. Not only that, the works, articles, and research articles in all fields of the General Secretary are the flag that gathers, leads, and answers practical problems of life; truly a handbook, a compass to guide the entire Party, the entire people, the entire army, including our team of reporters, to fulfill our tasks well.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away on a sad rainy day in July, but the people of Thai Binh and the whole country will forever remember the General Secretary - a leader with high strategic thinking, always concerned and worried about the people and the country, but also very simple, close, compassionate and altruistic. The General Secretary is the "Commander-in-Chief" of the people, respected and remembered by all classes of people.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong warmly visited and presented gifts to revolutionary veteran Tran Thi Mien, Trinh Trung Dong village, An Ninh commune (Tien Hai).