Hanoi (VNA) – The Politburo for the first time ever issued a regulation on keepingpower in check in personnel work and fighting the use of money or influence togain positions and power.

Itis not accidental that Regulation 205/QD-TW was promulgated at a time whenpreparations are underway for all-level Party congresses towards the 13th National Party Congress.

Officials,Party members and the public have shown their approval of the new regulations,saying that it is a timely move meeting the needs in personnel preparation forthe new term, ensuring that only capable and prestigious persons are selectedfor the Party leadership.

Inreality there have been many cases when officials use the power of theirpositions to form interest groups or put their relatives in positions in publicagencies, which is a serious violation of the principle of centralized democracy,working regulations and rules on personnel work of the Party and the State.

Evensome high-ranking officials of the Party and the State committed such violations.One such example is Le Phuoc Thanh, who was stripped of the position asSecretary of the Party Committee of Quang Nam province in 2010-2015 tenure for promotinghis son who did not have all the required qualifications. Another case isformer standing vice chairman of the steering committee for southwest regionNguyen Phong Quang, who signed decisions to appoint more than 30 officials notfollowing regulations. He was later stripped of all positions in the Party bythe Party Central Committee’s Secretariat.

Thoseare just two among many cases of violations of personnel rules that have been detectedand punished strictly in the recent past. The abuse of power has become aserious problem, affecting the working desire of many capable officials andcausing disunity.

Theidentification of the bad practice of paying for promotion or job assignment inRegulation 205 serves as the foundation for functional agencies to handle suchpractice and for officials, Party members, the public, the Vietnam FatherlandFront and other agencies and mass organisations to detect and denounce suchnegative acts.

Regulation205 also stipulates additional punishments for violators. Besides disciplinarymeasures against Party members committing violations such as warning,reprimanding and dismissing as said in the Politburo’s Regulation 102-QD/TW,those who engage in or cover up acts relating to the use of power or money toget promotion or positions can also be removed from the personnel plan forcertain periods, or be excluded from positions in organization, personnel andinspection work. Those who are expelled from Party for such violations can bedismissed from their jobs or have their working contracts end. Those who giveor receive bribes, or commit violations to a certain extent will be subject tocriminal liability and handed over to relevant agencies for investigations andpunishment in accordance with the law./.