Vietnam’s Politburo issues warning against deputy PM

After considering the proposals put forth by the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission, the Politburo and Secretariat determined that the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the Government Inspectorate in the 2016-2021 tenure infringed the principle of democratic centralism, Party regulations, working rules; showed the lack of responsibility and relaxed leadership and direction, allowing the Government Inspectorate to settle the petition from Sai Gon Dai Ninh Company in contrary to regulations of the Inspection Law; proposed the progress prolonging for the Dai Ninh urban area project in Lam Dong Province and extension of land use, violating the regulations. Many officials and Party members were disciplined and criminally prosecuted.

Le Minh Khai, Deputy Prime Minister, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Secretary of the Party Civil Affairs Committee and former Inspector General of the Government Inspectorate, violated Party regulations and State laws in performing his duties and assigned tasks, and infringed the regulations on what Party members are not allowed to do and regulations on the responsibility to set an example; causing serious consequences and bad public opinions, harming the reputation of Party organizations and the inspection sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai. Photo by VNA

The Politburo decided to give warning to Khai, while the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat also decided to give a warning to the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the Government Inspectorate in the 2016-2021 tenure.

The Politburo and Secretariat also found the Standing Board of the Party Committee of Lam Dong Province in the 2015-2020 tenure violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, and failed to report to and ask for directions from the provincial Party Committee on the planning of three types of forests in the locality.

The Standing Board showed the lack of responsibility and lax leadership and direction as well as inspection and supervision, allowing the standing members of the provincial People’s Council to issue documents replacing resolutions of the provincial People’s Council on the planning of the three types of forests, which were contrary to the regulations and its authority; and letting the provincial People’s Committee to release decisions and documents on the planning of the three types of forests, the switching of using purposes of forest and housing land, the implementation of financial obligations, project management and construction order of three projects without legal foundations, which were contrary to the regulations and their power, leading to a risk of loss of revenue and state budget; causing many Party organizations and members disciplined.

The Standing Board of the Lam Dong provincial Party Committee in the 2020-2025 tenure violated the principle of democratic centralism and working regulations, did not meet to discuss the policy of continuing changing the using purposes of forest land to housing land at Dai Ninh urban area project; decided the policy of building the golf club with illegal contents; showed the lack of responsibility and lax leadership and direction as well as inspection and supervision.As a result, the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee submitted a report to the prime minister asking for agreement with the results of the Government Inspectorate’s inspection and supervision over the Dai Ninh project, allowing the project to be rescheduled and continuously implemented illegally; the provincial People’s Committee was slow in defining financial obligations regarding land use for the Dai Ninh project, causing a risk of great loss in State budget revenue; and many officials and Party members, including key provincial leaders were disciplined and criminally handled for involving in the case of “giving bribes, taking bribes, abusing of position and power while performing official duties” occurred at the Dai Ninh project, Lam Dong province and related units and localities.

The Politburo decided to give warnings to the Standing Board of the Party Committee of Lam Dong in the 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 tenures.

At the meeting, the Politburo and Secretariat also found violations committed by the Party organizations and members in the Party organizations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the provinces of Lang Son, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, Binh Thuan and Ca Mau.

Some party members of the Party organizations of the ministry and the provinces were expelled from the Party.

The Politburo and Secretariat asked authorized agencies to impose futher disciplinary measures on the violating officials and Party organizations in a timely manner, ensuring that they are in line wih the Party’s disciplinary measures.

Vietnam’s Communist Party has four modes of punishment for misconduct by official members: reprimand, warning, demotion and expulsion.