Officials should not serve one family, but the people.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong presided over the first meeting of the Personnel Subcommittee of the 14th Party Congress.

Officials, especially those in managerial and leadership positions, must be aware of the need to "prevent family members, relatives, and others from exploiting their positions for personal gain."

This is one of the revolutionary ethical standards for cadres and Party members in the new period, as set forth by the Politburo of the 13th Party Congress in Regulation No. 144-QĐ/TW dated May 9, 2024.

"One family" and "hundred families"

In the treasury of Vietnamese idioms, there is the saying "When one person becomes an official, the whole family benefits," which carries a negative connotation – that those in high positions only care about enriching their own family and clan.

Currently, the phenomenon of "When one person becomes an official, the whole family benefits" still exists with new variations, including group interests that extend beyond blood relations.

Speaking at the meeting of the Personnel Subcommittee of the 14th Party Congress on March 13, 2024, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Head of the Subcommittee, stated: Some leading and managing officials, including high-ranking officials, lack exemplary conduct, are individualistic, and are involved in corruption and group interests. Whatever they do or whatever position they hold, they only consider their own personal gain and benefits for themselves and their families first, forgetting about integrity and honor.

The General Secretary stated that since the beginning of the 13th Party Congress term, the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Inspection Committee have had to discipline nearly 100 high-ranking officials under the Central Committee's management.

Behind the disciplinary action taken against some officials, including high-ranking ones, the shadow of illegal business practices lurks. Conversely, behind the businessmen who fall afoul of the law, the shadow of leading officials at various levels is visible.

Typical examples include the Vu Nhôm, Viet A, "Rescue Flight," AIC, Phuc Son, and Thuan An cases. Manifestations of leaders using their positions to promote family members, factionalists, and those who pay bribes include the "rapid promotion" of individuals lacking both virtue and talent, the "winning every bid" of weak businesses, the "entire family holding official positions" in localities, the "transformation" of public land into private land, the "acquisition of prime land" in major cities, and the "incomprehensible conversion of agricultural land" in rural areas…

The concept of "the whole family benefits" also encompasses the situation where trusted subordinates hide behind the guise of "officials" to pursue personal gain, harming the country and the community.

From ancient times, the idiom "When one person becomes an official, the whole family benefits" has had another version - "When one person becomes an official, the whole family benefits." This version has the opposite meaning, implying that a person holding a high position of power has a duty to care for the people.

Whether a person can care for the common people or only protect one family depends on their moral foundation. Whether the country and its people can rely on the integrity of its leaders and their revolutionary moral character.

Speaking at the online conference between the Government and localities on January 3, 2023, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized the need to select truly honest, patriotic, and people-serving individuals for leadership positions. He stressed the need to further improve personnel work to select and appoint truly virtuous, talented, honest, dedicated, and patriotic individuals to leadership positions within the state apparatus.

The overarching theme relates to "family ties."

In recent years, against the backdrop of objective circumstances and internal situations, the Politburo and the Central Committee of the Party have continuously issued strict regulations on revolutionary ethics and integrity for cadres and Party members, avoiding the situation where "when one person becomes an official, the whole family benefits."

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered the concluding remarks at the meeting.

In Regulation No. 89-QD/TW dated August 4, 2017, on the Framework of Job Title Standards and the Orientation of Criteria for Evaluating Leaders and Managers at all Levels, the Politburo set out five requirements.

One of these requirements is that leaders and managers must possess impeccable moral character; live honestly and with integrity; resolutely fight against individualism, factionalism, and group interests; and not allow relatives or acquaintances to exploit their positions and authority for personal gain.

Next, on October 25, 2018, the Central Committee issued Regulation No. 08-QĐ/TW on the responsibility of setting an example for cadres and Party members, first and foremost the members of the Politburo, members of the Secretariat, and members of the Central Committee.

Members of the Politburo, members of the Secretariat, and members of the Central Committee must resolutely oppose allowing their spouses, parents, children, or siblings to exploit their positions, authority, or prestige for personal gain; and against allowing their spouses, biological children, or adopted children to live extravagantly, ostentatiously, wastefully, or fall into social vices or violate the law.

According to Regulation No. 37-QD/TW dated October 25, 2021, of the Central Committee on things that Party members are not allowed to do, Article 11 states: Interfering with, influencing, or allowing one's spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, and others to exploit one's position or job for personal gain.

Article 17: Interfering with or influencing one's spouse, children, parents, siblings, relatives of one's spouse, oneself, and others to travel, study, or receive medical treatment using funding from organizations or individuals related to the sector or field under one's supervision and management. Regarding the control of power and the prevention and combating of corruption and negative practices in personnel work, the Politburo issued Regulation No. 114-QĐ/TW, dated July 11, 2023.

Abuse of power and authority is defined as using one's own prestige and influence, as well as that of family members, to pressure others into making decisions, directing, proposing, or voting according to one's wishes; or allowing family members or close acquaintances to exploit one's position, authority, and prestige to influence various stages of personnel work.

Most recently, on May 9, 2024, in Regulation No. 144-QD/TW on the Revolutionary Ethical Standards of Cadres and Party Members in the New Period, the Politburo required cadres and party members to uphold self-respect and honor; and not allow family members, relatives, or others to exploit their positions and work for personal gain.

Thus, regulations regarding preventing relatives from exploiting their position and authority for personal gain have been stated very specifically, consistently, and are being continuously supplemented and perfected.

Every cadre and Party member should take this as a "mirror" as a way to cultivate and refine revolutionary moral qualities, contributing to making our Party ever stronger.

TB (according to VNA)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/can-bo-khong-vi-mot-ho-phai-vi-tram-ho-383540.html