Vietnam - Kill individualism from the top: ex Party leader

Former Communist Party of Vietnam’s General Secretary Le Kha Phieu told Tuoi Tre Thursday that the urgent thing now is to eliminate individualism which he says is the most dangerous disease, starting from the top.

The following interview took place as the fourth meeting of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) is being held in the capital.

Le Kha Phieu:

I see that this time one of the topics at the CPVCC meeting concerns Party building. Before the meeting started, the Politburo organized a committee to monitor a project on building the Party. The project states that the task must be done immediately, fast and efficiently.

Tuoi Tre: Why is all the rush?

We must understand that we ourselves have the disease. Building the Party is a frequent task. We have taken medicine pills, have treated the disease, have progressed but we have not cured it. The most dangerous disease is individualism.

We have not done it radically because individualism heavily influences each person, including those in top positions. We have been unable to carry out the task that every official, every Party member must look at themselves to see if they are clean, especially for those who are at the top.

The incumbent Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong once referred to “the selfish muddy pond of individualism”. What will we do to evade that?

When you hold a certain office, when you are a Party member, you must overcome your shortcomings and help others rectify theirs, help build up our organization. This is especially important for those at the Party Central Committee level and Politburo. This must be done with the supervision of the Central Party Inspection Commission.

Then, who supervises activities of central agencies? The public supervises, the Party supervises. We need to clarify how the Party supervises. Inspection agencies at all levels must be transparent, unbiased, need to have courage and follow principles.

According to you, individualism is the most urgent issue to solve?

Need to solve it at any cost. Of course, we need to solve it in line with the law taking into account specific circumstances in a way that lets us be aware of the interests of the Revolution. Our Party is strong enough to serve the people, to achieve the highest interests of the people.

The situation where officials squeeze their way into higher positions and in the process, kick out talents, that is individualism.

During your tenure, did you witness that kind of individualism?

There is a Secretary of a provincial Party Committee who, after a central meeting, although it was cold at the time, came to me in the middle of the night and turned on his recording device to let me hear some chats by certain figures who expressed their desire to have certain officials promoted.

Where should we begin to build up the Party?

From the top. The Politburo and Central Party Committee should be in the vanguard. If it is done well at the Politburo, it will be reported and handed to the Central Party Committee and so on. Each official must criticize him/herself.

This is similar to sweeping a house: we must sweep from the highest floor first? 

The former Party Secretary Nguyen Van Linh once said a leaked house is leaked from the roof. Now, that house is not only leaked from the roof but from other areas. So we need to have time. If we have not prepared well, we should delay it.

The next task is central zoning of officials. By 2013, a draft plan for top human resources must be put forward: who are Politburo members, who should the Party General Secretary be… and some alternatives.

After all the tasks are done, the plans should be put forward to be discussed among the Party. That should yield good results. If not, we will encounter the stressful situation like the last time at the 11th Party Congress.

How did you, as head of the Party, and the Politburo at the time self-criticize?

We did criticize ourselves and welcome criticisms from lower agencies on the principle of frankness. We are not afraid of them.

Recent Party Congresses have mentioned many measures and I think they are not wrong but they have not been carried out to the last stage or not carried out at all. Or words and actions do not match. Or the wrong acts are ignored while the right actions are not protected. If this situation continues, it is dangerous.

We talk about promoting democracy inside the Party so why don’t we allow the Central Party Committee interpellate the Party General Secretary?

Democracy must be demonstrated by mechanisms without fear of anyone. Fear here concerns fear for one’s position. If one works for the benefit of the country, one would not fear even if one loses one’s head.

How do you criticize yourself?

I of course have many shortcomings but my fighting spirit never wanes.

During my birthday party some years ago, a lot of my friends visited. On the street, many citizens who grouped together and lodged complaints heard of the birthday party and asked to see me. They said “we only want to wish him health”. I was moved. But I realized I had not done much.

You turned 80 years old on December 27. Are you happier?

Not yet. I have done some things but they are individual achievements and are too small compared to the whole machinery.

TUOI TRE


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