The Municipal Party Standing Committee and several top officials from the central city of Danang will soon face disciplinary measures as results from investigations by the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission.

A CIC report indicates that Secretary of the Danang Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Anh - a 41 year-old Danang native, “held the main responsibility” for multiple violations by the Municipal Party Standing Committee during the 2015-2020 tenure.

Particularly, Anh violated the principles of democratic centralism as well as Party and state regulations by arbitrarily appointing individuals to city government positions.

Anh’s actions “caused a division and affected the solidarity and unity in the committee”.

His use of illegitimate certifications and “dishonesty in declaration” also violated the code of ethics for Party members, the report stated.

Anh reportedly completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Humber College in Canada, from February 1995 to September 1998.

Then, from March 2001 to September 2002, the Danang leader enrolled in a master’s programme in business administration at the California Southern University in the US. From March 2005 to December 2006, Anh completed a doctorate programme and earned a PhD in business administration from the same university.  

In October 2007, the Southern California University for Professional Studies (SCUPS) was renamed California Southern University. However, degrees from this university are not recognised by Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training.

Anh, his wife, and their children currently live in a house in Nguyen Thai Hoc street, which Anh’s parents bought from the Danang People’s Committee in 1993.

Regarding his property assets, Anh said in a press meeting on December 31, 2015, “I personally do not possess any land plot, let alone any along the city’s coastline. If anyone can prove that I have any other property besides my current house at No. 43 Nguyen Thai Hoc street, I will bear all the responsibility and may leave my position as Secretary of the Danang Party Committee.”

The CIC report, however, condemned Anh for “not setting a good example” after he received two houses and a car as “gifts” from private enterprises. These houses are reportedly situated in Hai Chau ward in Danang. The car, valued at about $59,000, that the local company Minh Hung Phat Ltd. donated to the Danang Party Committee in 2016 and was later used for Anh’s commute to work, was returned to Minh Hung Phat Ltd. in March. The move followed a directive from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc that ordered localities not to accept cars donated by private enterprises.

Born on January 1, 1976, Anh was elected as  Secretary of the Danang Party Committee for the 2015-2020 tenure in October 2015 at the age of 39, becoming one of the two youngest Party secretaries in the country at that time.

He became Chairman of the Danang People’s Council for the same term in June 2016.

Anh is the son of Nguyen Van Chi, former Politburo member (2006-2011), and former CIC chairman (2003-2011).

Anh used to be a deputy director of the Danang Investment Promotion Agency, Secretary of the Lien Chieu District Party Committee, Deputy Chairman of the Danang People’s Committee, and Deputy Secretary of the Danang Party Committee.

Anh gained fame with his statements against the abuse of power, wastefulness, and corruption among state officials.

In a 13-minute speech on the day Anh took office as  Secretary of the Danang Party Committee on October 16, 2015, he vowed to dedicate all his energy and brainpower to serve the Party and the people.

“Wastefulness means breaking people’s trust, whereas being corrupt means sinning against the people,” he said at the start of his tenure.

According to CIC, besides Anh, another city leader, Huynh Duc Tho, Chairman of the Danang People’s Committee and Deputy Secretary of the Danang Party Committee, is also responsible for violations and faults of the Dananag Party Standing Committee during this tenure.

Tho, 55, holds a master’s degree in public relations science. Tho takes the main responsibility for violations and faults with regards to land management and urban planning. Tho also did not actively propose any personnel for government appointment.

Before he became Chairman of the Danang People’s Committee beginning in January 2015, he was Chairman of the Ngu Hanh Son District People’s Committee, director of the Danang Department of Planning and Investment, and Deputy Chairman of the Danang People’s Committee.

CIC concluded that the offences by Nguyen Xuan Anh and Huynh Duc Tho are serious, and that “disciplinary actions will be applied”.

Following current procedures, CIC’s findings will be announced to the organisations and individuals who perpetrated the violations.

Subsequently, the complicit individuals must engage in self-criticism and submit reports to relevant authorised Party organisations who will decide on a punishment.

As a Central Party Committee member, the case of Nguyen Xuan Anh will be handled by the Central Party Committee under a Politburo proposal.

VIR