History Of The Anti-Corruption Movement That Made Two Vietnamese Presidents Resign

Nguyen Phu Trong, who was President of Vietnam from the 2018-2021 era. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Vietnam once received the title as one of the world's most corrupt countries. Corruption is carried out systematically, from superiors to subordinates. The intention to eradicate corruption has indeed been echoed. However, it cannot touch officials and officials of the ruling party: the communist Party of Vietnam.

Everything changed in 2016. Nguyen Phu Trong is behind it. The Communist Party's Secretary General (Sekjen) created an anti-corruption movement for the combustion furnace. High officials were arrested. In fact, two Vietnamese Presidents --Nguyen Xuan PhowOdic and Vo Van Thuong resigned.

The practice of corruption has long been endemic throughout Vietnam. Vietnam's one party system became the cause. This condition made the Vietnamese Communist Party the determinant of everything. If the party wants congregational corruption, then corruption can run rampant.

No one can stop this corrupt behavior. Local officials, let alone. The party is like a shield for corrupt officials. This condition makes officials and party members too busy to become rich with corruption, rather than working. The people became victims.

Everything changed when Nguyen Phu Tr'ng served as the supreme leader of the Communist Party since 2011. The Secretary General of the Communist Party was already hot with rampant corruption practices. He wants to eradicate corruption and purify the Vietnamese Communist Party from corruptors.

Pessimism also accompanies Trong's wishes. In fact, Trong was able to silence many parties. Possessance is high. He made an anti-corruption movement on the combustion stove. The Communist Party like taking over the government's power in taking action against corruptors.

The results are brilliant. Whoever is caught corruption will be punished immediately. As the name implies, the combustion stove, the anti-corruption movement was able to quickly spread like a fire punishing corruptors.

Officials who were fired for corruption and in prison are piled up. Trong also gave two options to corruptors so that the Vietnamese Communist Party would not be ashamed of them. First, Trong asked the perpetrators of corruption to resign and would be punished lightly. Second, those who do not recognize and find corruption in severe law.

Since Trong started an anti-corruption campaign in 2016, countless officials have been fired, dismissed from parties, or imprisoned for corruption. For example, at that time, the Minister of Health, Nguyen Thanh Long, and Vu Hong Nam's ambassador, were officially fired last year for their corrupt actions around the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Some experts argue that the party now wants to create a cultural resignation,' so irresponsible officials can take action before they have to be removed. Trong suggested that those who resign be given lighter penalties. Trong argues it would not be good if all were severely punished, or removed from office, "explained David aired in his writing on The Diplomat page entitled VIetnam s Anti-Corruption Drive Can Never Go Far Enough(2023).

The impact of the anti-corruption movement that was rolled out by Trong spread to all lines. State officials are increasingly afraid in issuing permits. This fear makes economic growth in Vietnam slow down. This is because officials are reluctant to give the green light regarding new goods or investment procurement projects.

They thought that by not giving the green light, they would avoid corruption. This condition made Trong asked to relax a little anti-corruption campaign to increase economic growth. Trong also replied by continuing to take action against those who are corrupt, or helping corruptors.

Moreover, when Trong became President of Vietnam in the 2018-2021 era. No official dared to play with him. This condition lasted until he took the throne and chose to refocus as Secretary General of the Vietnam Communist Party.

Problems arise. His successor as President of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, actually has shortcomings. He is not the right person to lead Vietnam. Phuc is considered to have had a bad time when he became Prime Minister of the 2016-2021 era.

Phuc is considered responsible for the corruption committed by several senior ministers. Two deputy prime ministers and three ministers each. This condition made Phuc, who incidentally, the President of Vietnam, choose the option to resign and retire in January 2023.

The same condition came through the replacement for Phuc, Vo Van Thuong. Initially, the President of Vietnam was considered an anti-corruption figure even though the successor to the Trong policy. Fate said otherwise. Instead of daring to exceed Trong, Thuong was considered not much different from Phuc.

Thuong is considered to be flirting with corruptors. Thuong chose the option to resign from his position as President of Vietnam in March 2024. This fact made the anti-corruption movement that Trong rolled out effective.

A movement that Trong calls an assessment of eradicating corruption from Vietnam. Even though the Vietnamese people are afraid that the character of corruption will return again when Trong, who has passed away or retired from the position of Secretary General of the Communist Party.

This campaign extends to the top level of party leadership in recent years. Thuong's predecessor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, resigned in January 2023. His departure came after authorities said his staff were involved in corruption.

Among other things, two deputy prime ministers and three ministers. They were accused of corruption in connection with two scandals involving the distribution of COVID-19 test kits and the repatriation of Vietnamese citizens during the pandemic. In March 2023, Thuong then replaced Phuc as president of Vietnam, "said Sui Lee Wei in his writing on The New York Times website entitled Vaietnams President Designs Over Communist Party Breach, State Media Says (2024).