Hanoi (VNA) – Corruption is a particularly dangerous problem causing enormous consequences for the society. Therefore, preventing and fighting corruption and other negative phenomena is a task of leading importance demonstrating the strong political resolve of the entire Party, people, and army.

Over the recent past, the combat against the “internal enemy” in general as well as the investigation into and settlement of corruption and other negative phenomenon cases has been carried out in a more drastic, comprehensive, and effective manner at both central and local levels.

With the motto of “no off-limits zones, no exceptions, no privileges, no matter who”, the combat against corruption and other negative phenomena is truly an irreversible trend.

Relevant agencies have been expanding investigation into and launching criminal proceedings against many persons involved in large and particularly serious and complex cases of corruption and other negative phenomena, along with the violations that involve many ministries, sectors, localities, both state and non-state sectors, and stir public concern.

They include the cases at Van Thinh Phat Group, the Sai Gon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB), and related units and organisations. Basing on these cases, authorities have expanded probes and initiated legal action against two more cases involving 72 persons, tens of who used to serve as leaders of ministries’ departments and agencies, officials of inspectorates and auditing units, and bank inspectors.

Five key cases in the settlement plan of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption and Negative Phenomena Prevention and Control have had first-instance trials completed, including the one at the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some relevant units, and another at the Health Department of Quang Ninh province, the Advanced International JSC (AIC) and related units

The internal affairs boards of provincial-level Party committees have also uncovered hundreds of cases of corruption and other negative phenomena.

In 2023 alone, the provincial-level steering committees for corruption and other negative phenomenon combat put 260 cases under their monitoring. Local authorities also launched investigations into 763 cases involving 2,079 persons, almost doubling the figure in 2022.

In particular, a number of outstanding and prolonged cases have been handled. Many localities have also took legal action against major cases linked with officials managed by the Party Central Committee and provincial-level Party committees, including former secretaries of provincial Party committees or former chairpersons and vice chairpersons of provincial People’s Committees.

Promoting Party building, rectification

Throughout the over 90 years of making self-improvement and construction, the Party has consistently attached importance to the Party building and rectification, taking this as a pivotal task. Particularly, the personnel work forms the core of this pivotal task because, as President Ho Chi Minh said, “cadres are the root of every work” and “success or failure depends on good or bad cadres”.

That fact could be seen clearly when the country was reunified and has surmounted countless difficulties and hardships, especially during the nearly 40 years of “Doi moi” (Renewal) and integration into the world. Part of that success is attributable to the personnel work implemented seriously and in line with the Party’s principles and rules, as well as the contingent of cadres proactively making self-improvement, thinking big, acting bold, daring to confront challenges, and making unceasing efforts for common interests.

It is also a fact that alongside national reforms and development, a no minor part of the cadres, including those at the strategic level, has shown degradation. Many of them abused power, infringed the Party’s statutes, broke laws, and committed corruption and other negative phenomena. This is the direct and main cause for corruption yet to be stamped out.

Therefore, to effectively prevent and fight corruption and other negative phenomena, it is necessary to take action early and from afar or, in other words, to “confine the exercise of power within an institutional cage”.

That is also why recently, aside from stringently dealing with violating cadres and Party members, the Party has strongly upheld the Party building and rectification. In particular, it has invested efforts in perfecting the guidelines and legal regulations on corruption and other negative phenomenon prevention and control.

Last year, the Politburo issued regulations on the control of power and the combat against corruption and other negative phenomena in the personnel affairs (Regulation 114); in the examination, supervision, and enforcement of the Party discipline, and in inspection and auditing (Regulation 131); along with in investigation, prosecution, hearing, and judgment enforcement (Regulation 132).

🦹 Together with other documents of the Party and State, the three above-mentioned are considered the “institutional cage” for purifying the contingent of cadres, protecting the regime and the law-governed socialist State of Vietnam, drastically protecting the healthiness of social relations and the transparency of the civil authority system, consolidating people’s trust and support, and contributing to socio-economic development in multiple aspects during the comprehensive national reforms. They also guarantee that all power is under strict control and responsibly binding. With great power comes great responsibility./.