Hanoi (VNA) - Resolutely handling wrongdoing officials, including those holding high positions, demonstrates the political determination of the Party and the State to maꦡke the apparatus pure and tighten Party disciplines and State l👍aws.

Specific regulations

The Party and the State have set clear and specific regulations on the responsibilities of individuals who would be officials, Party members, and heads of agencies, before collectives in the principle of “with high position comes great responsibility”. On behalf of the Politburo, Truong Thi Mai, permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat and Chairwoman of its Organisation Commission, recently signed Regulation No. 142-QD/TW dated April 23, 2024, on the pilot assignment of rights and responsibilities for heads of agencies in personnel affairs. The document stipulates the scope, subjects, principles, authority, and responsibilities of heads of agencies in the personnel work, covering nomination, the appointment of their deputy heads, the election of additional members to the standing board of the Party Committee at the same level, and the appointment and dismissal of heads of units under their management. Notably, heads of agencies must bear responsibilities for their decisions even when they are performing other tasks or have retired. Regulation 142 is a step forward in promoting the role and responsibilities of heads of agencies, including relief and resignation if they fail to fulfill their duties, which are also clearly prescribed in Regulation No. 41-QD/TW dated November 3, 2021, of the Party Central Committee. According to Regulation 41, “relief” refers to the decision by competent authorities to relieve officials of their positions before the end of their terms due to their failure to satisfy job requirements, declining reputation, and wrongdoings but not to the extend of being dismissed. Meanwhile, “resignation” would happen when officials voluntarily resign from their positions before the end of their tenures, which is approved by competent forces. The relief would be decided once heads of agencies let units and subordinates under their management commit very serious corruption and other negative phenomena, while resignation is allowed in case of serious corruption and other negative phenomena. While performing their tasks, it is a must for heads of State agencies and organisations to observe Decree No. 157/2007/ND-CP dated October 27, 2007, of the Government, which says that apart from taking responsibilities for all activities of their agencies and organisations, the leaders must set examples in following guidelines and policies of the Party, laws of the State, and instructions of their superiors. The higher the leadership level is, the higher the exemplariness must be.

Consensus on enforcement

Officials, Party members and the public have shown their support for the above-said Party and State regulations, which have been put in place during the handling of cases of corruption and other negative phenomena over the past time.

A large number of officials at both central and grassroots levels have been relieved of their positions, with many of them violating rules set for Party members and the regulations on the responsibilities of officials and Party members, firstly Politburo members, members of the Secretariat, and members of the Party Central Committee, for setting examples, as well as the responsibilities of heads of agencies. These violations and wrongdoings have triggered public concern and negatively affected the reputation of the Party, the State and the officials themselves. The relief of officials and Party members, including those holding high positions, is to build a pure and strong Party and State apparatus, demonstrating the supremacy of the law, promoting the sense of responsibility among Party members, and consolidating public trust in the Party. This helps officials and Party members self-reflect and correct themselves, which is considered a regular, lifelong task. Regulation 41 enables all-level leaders to voluntarily leave their current positions when they find that they no longer deserve them, thus showing their political responsibilities before the Party and people. The imposition of disciplinary measures against leaders at different levels over the past time demonstrates no tolerance in the Party’s and the State’s fight against corruption and other negative phenomena. Therefore, the personnel screening process has won high consensus within the Party and in the public, significantly contributing to maintaining the country's socio-political stability. Party members and people are aware that tightening Party disciplines and State laws is necessary for the common cause of the nation, and that the responsibilities of heads of agencies for setting examples must be promoted to match their power. The target of building and rectifying the Party needs to be persistently implemented with greater determination and more drastic actions./.