National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong in memory of former National Assembly delegate of Hai Duong province

Wholeheartedly for the people

On June 26, 2006, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was elected Chairman of the 11th National Assembly. At that time, Mr. Bui Thanh Phu, former Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Hai Duong province, was the Head of the National Assembly Delegation of the province, so he had many opportunities to meet Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

Having once participated in welcoming comrade Nguyen Phu Trong in Hai Duong, although many years have passed, Mr. Phu is still impressed by a deeply-minded, approachable and knowledgeable elected representative, leaving many good impressions in the hearts of National Assembly representatives and voters.

In Mr. Phu's memory, the General Secretary was always calm, elegant, polite, a National Assembly delegate devoted to the people. Mr. Phu believed that it was because he came from the people and rose from hardship that Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong had the valuable qualities of a people's representative. When he held the position of National Assembly Chairman, he remained very modest, calm, and always worried about the people.

Mr. Phu said that once when discussing the Law on Dikes, the drafting agency did not include in the draft the regulations on the responsibilities of the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level. Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong pointed out and expressed a very clear and profound awareness of the role of the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level in protecting dikes from the past to the present.

"In the life and career of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, we see that he is always receptive, conservative, self-cultivated, talented, and virtuous. Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong is always a polite, exemplary, moral, and honest person. At National Assembly meetings, I see that he is very attentive to listening, has the ability to synthesize, is gentle but profound like a soft rope that binds tightly," Mr. Phu recalled.

Always attentive and open

During the 12th National Assembly, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong continued to serve as Chairman of the National Assembly. Lieutenant General Nguyen Duy Nguyen, former Director of the Militia and Self-Defense Department, General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, was then Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Hai Duong Province. Mr. Nguyen also had many opportunities to meet, talk, and exchange directly with Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

Mr. Nguyen remembers that during breaks in the National Assembly sessions, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was very close and friendly with the delegates like an uncle. He often asked the delegates where they were from and how their children were doing.

Because comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was only a few years younger than Mr. Nguyen's father, he often called the General Secretary "uncle". Searching through his memories, Mr. Nguyen still clearly remembered and told me a conversation between the uncle and nephew during a break:

- How many children does Nguyen have?

- I have two daughters!

- Oh, that's a good girl. A deep field and a buffalo are not as good as a first-born daughter. Having a daughter brings good fortune to the family.

Uncle Trong asked and encouraged Mr. Nguyen so kindly. Mr. Nguyen shared that he was lucky and proud to have the same birthday as the General Secretary (April 14). During group discussions, Mr. Nguyen was often in the same group as comrade Nguyen Phu Trong. "Uncle Trong is very concise, speaking briefly, concisely, and speaking sufficiently. If he speaks at length but not sufficiently, he will say that he speaks at length but has too many unnecessary words. Uncle Trong is close, instructing each little thing, without any distance between high and low, big and small, making me more bold in expressing my opinions in the discussion," Mr. Nguyen confided.

Through Mr. Nguyen's story, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong always suggested in a subtle and open-minded way. Once, when Mr. Nguyen had not yet spoken, he asked: "So Nguyen, what is the opinion of the Director of the drafting agency? What do you think about this issue? Is there any problem with what the delegate said?"

In particular, Mr. Nguyen still remembers and clearly reads a saying of Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong. That is, the law must be predictive and handle the problems that arise in the country in the coming period. The law must be able to live in the people, in society and must have a long-term existence, avoiding the phenomenon that the law has been passed, but before it reaches the people and society, there are many things that cannot be applied, overlap, and contradict other laws.

Many years have passed, but Mr. Nguyen still deeply understands the teachings, consistent thoughts, and top principles that comrade Nguyen Phu Trong put forth: the people's issues and the country's strategic interests are always put first, never exchanged for anything else.

The good and deep impressions and words and advice of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the National Assembly delegates of Hai Duong province remain intact forever.