Officials are not for one family, but for hundreds of families.

Officials, especially those holding management and leadership positions, must be aware of "not allowing family, relatives and others to take advantage of their positions and work positions for personal gain."

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

"One family" and "hundred families"

In the treasure trove of Vietnamese idioms, there is a saying "When one person becomes an official, the whole family benefits" which has a negative connotation - a high-ranking official only cares about taking care of his own family and clan.

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

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

The General Secretary said that since the beginning of the 13th term, the Central Executive Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Inspection Commission have had to discipline nearly 100 senior officials under the Central Committee's management.

Behind some disciplined officials, including high-ranking officials, there are looming shadows of illegal businesses. Conversely, behind businessmen caught in the net of the law are the shadows of leaders at all levels.

Typical examples are the cases of Vu Nhom, Viet A, “Rescue Flight,” AIC, Phuc Son, Thuan An… The manifestation of leaders using their positions to support relatives, people in their factions, and people who “pay bribes” is the “rapid promotion” of some characters who lack both virtue and talent, the “winning of every bid” of weak enterprises, the situation of “the whole family becoming officials” in the locality, “transforming” public land into private land, “seizing prime land” in big cities, “incomprehensibly converting the purpose of agricultural land use” in rural areas…

The concept of "the whole family benefits" also includes the situation of trusted subordinates hiding behind "officials" to seek personal gain, causing harm to the country and the community.

Since ancient times, the idiom "When one person becomes an official, the whole family benefits" has had another version - "When one person becomes an official, a hundred families benefit." This sentence has the opposite meaning of the previous sentence, meaning that a person holding a high position and power must have the obligation to take care of all the people.

Whether a person can take care of “a hundred families” or only care for “one family” depends on the moral roots of that person. Whether the country and the people can rely on them or not depends on the level of integrity and revolutionary moral qualities that the leaders have.

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 people who are truly honest, dedicated to the country and the people for leadership positions. It is necessary to do better in personnel work to select and arrange the right people who are truly virtuous, talented, honest, dedicated, and truly dedicated to the country and the people for leadership positions in the state apparatus.

The pervasive requirement regarding “family affection”

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

In Regulation No. 89-QD/TW dated August 4, 2017 on the Framework of title standards and orientation of the framework of criteria for evaluating leaders and managers at all levels, the Politburo sets out 5 requirements.

One of them is that leaders and managers must have pure moral qualities; an honest and upright lifestyle; resolutely fight against individualism, factionalism, and group interests; and not let relatives and acquaintances take advantage of their positions and powers for personal gain.

Next, on October 25, 2018, the Central Executive Committee issued Regulation No. 08-QD/TW on exemplary responsibility of cadres and party members, first of all, Politburo members, Secretariat members, and Central Executive Committee members.

Politburo members, Secretariat members, and Central Executive Committee members must resolutely oppose allowing their spouses, parents, children, and siblings to take advantage of their positions, powers, and prestige for personal gain; allowing their spouses, biological children, and adopted children to live lavishly, ostentatiously, wastefully, or to fall into social evils or violate the law.

In Regulation No. 37-QD/TW dated October 25, 2021 of the Central Executive Committee on things that party members are not allowed to do, there is Article 11: Interfering, influencing or allowing one's spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws and others to take advantage of one's position or work position for personal gain.

Article 17: Intervening and influencing one's spouse, children, parents, siblings, spouse's family, oneself and others to travel, study or receive medical treatment using funding from organizations and individuals related to the industry or field under monitoring and management. Regarding the control of power and the prevention and combat of corruption and negativity in personnel work, the Politburo issued Regulation No. 114-QD/TW, dated July 11, 2023.

The act of taking advantage of one's position and power is defined as using one's own prestige and influence and that of family members to influence and pressure others to make decisions, direct, propose, and vote according to one's will; allowing family members or close friends to take advantage of one's position, power, and prestige to influence all stages of personnel work.

Most recently, on May 9, 2024, in Regulation No. 144-QD/TW on 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; not to let family, relatives and others take advantage of their positions and work positions for personal gain.

Thus, the regulations on not allowing relatives to take advantage of their position and power for personal gain have been stated very specifically, consistently and are increasingly supplemented and perfected.

Every cadre and party member needs to take that as a "mirror" as a way to cultivate and train revolutionary moral qualities, contributing to making our Party increasingly stronger.