Strengthening the building of grassroots party organizations and improving the quality of party members in the Vietnam People's Army - Results and lessons learned

General Secretary and President To Lam attends the opening ceremony at the National Defense Academy, September 12, 2024 _Source: qdnd.vn

Grassroots party organizations are the foundation of the Party, the political nucleus at the grassroots level and the "bridge" between the Party and the people. When discussing the work of Party building, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: "To lead the revolution, the Party must be strong. A strong Party is due to good Party cells. Good Party cells are due to good Party members" (1), Party members are "the chain connecting the Party with the masses" (2). Understanding that guiding viewpoint of his, in the process of leading the revolution, our Party has issued many documents to build grassroots party organizations and improve the quality of Party members; one of them is Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW, dated June 16, 2022, of the 5th Central Conference, 13th tenure, "On strengthening the consolidation and building of grassroots party organizations and improving the quality of Party members in the new period". The Resolution states: "Improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of grassroots party organizations and the quality of party members is always considered important and determined by our Party as an important and regular task."

In the Vietnam People's Army, grassroots party organizations are established at the grassroots level with diverse types of agencies and units, large numbers, and large areas; leading the implementation of tasks in military operating environments, difficult and complicated conditions; grassroots party organizations in local military agencies are under the direct leadership in all aspects of the local Party Committee; at the same time, implementing resolutions of the higher-level military Party Committee on national defense tasks and local military work.

Deeply aware of the position and role of grassroots party organizations and party members, during the past term, the Central Military Commission, the General Department of Politics, party committees and political agencies at all levels have led and directed the implementation of the work of building grassroots party organizations, improving the quality of party members in the Army Party Committee and achieved many important results, notably:

Firstly, we have done a good job of researching, thoroughly understanding and concretizing the Central Committee's resolutions, directives, regulations and guidelines on Party building.

Focus on studying and thoroughly grasping the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the resolutions and conclusions of the Central Committee on Party building, especially the Resolution of the 4th Central Conference of the 12th tenure, the Conclusion of the 4th Central Conference of the 13th tenure, Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW of the 5th Central Conference of the 13th tenure; the Politburo's regulations on Party organization in the Vietnam People's Army, on the revolutionary ethical standards of cadres and Party members in the new period (3); the Secretariat's regulations on the functions, tasks, and working relationships of Party committees and grassroots Party cells in the Vietnam People's Army (4). On that basis, concretize them into leadership policies and measures in the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress of the Army, term 2020 - 2025, the resolutions and conclusions of the Central Military Commission, the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission (5) and Party committees at all levels; issue programs and action plans and implement them closely and seriously. At the same time, the Central Military Commission directed the General Department of Politics to issue guidelines on improving the quality of Party cell activities; on annual quality review, assessment and classification of Party organizations and Party members; on promulgating and implementing regulations of Party committees and Party cells in the Army (6); directed Party committees of military regions and Border Guard Party committees to proactively coordinate with provincial and municipal Party committees in the area to thoroughly grasp and implement in local military Party committees and Provincial Border Guard Party committees, ensuring the maintenance of the principle of absolute and direct Party leadership in all aspects over the Army, contributing to strengthening the building of grassroots Party organizations and improving the quality of Party members.

Second, build and perfect Party committees and organizations at the grassroots level in accordance with regulations and instructions of the Central Committee, in accordance with the process of adjusting the organization of the Army force.

Thoroughly grasping and mastering the resolutions, directives, regulations, rules and instructions of the Central Committee, closely following the movement and development of practical military and defense activities, the Central Military Commission, Party committees and political agencies at all levels have led and directed the timely consolidation and completion of over 3,000 grassroots party organizations in accordance with regulations, ensuring synchronization and unity with the process of adjusting the organization of the Army force according to the resolution of the Politburo; in which, focusing on leading and directing the construction and completion of grassroots party organizations in newly established, merged and reorganized units in accordance with the requirements of building a lean, compact and strong Army, capable of leading agencies and units to complete all tasks; linking the consolidation and completion of Party committee members with the work of planning, appointing key cadres and preparing personnel for the new term Party committee; ensure quantity, appropriate structure, good quality and inheritance, development to comprehensively lead agencies and units in all aspects of work. After consolidation and completion, Party committees and organizations at the grassroots level promptly supplement tasks, issue and strictly implement working regulations, regulations on leadership of key aspects of work in accordance with regulations.

Third, regularly pay attention to and take care of building the Party members; closely combine building the Party members with building the cadres.

The work of discovering, creating sources, training and admitting party members is regularly focused on, ensuring the right motto, direction, principles and procedures, focusing on quality, not simply chasing quantity; the development of party members focuses on the training of officers, professional soldiers, battery leaders, squad leaders and excellent soldiers. From 2020 to August 2024, the entire army has admitted more than 66,000 party members, the annual party member development rate in the entire army is always over 5% compared to the total number of party members, exceeding the planned target by 2%. Linking the work of developing party members with the work of training, fostering and building the contingent of cadres, contributing to increasing the leadership ratio in the entire army and creating a source of cadres and party members for localities. Regularly doing a good job of managing, educating and training the contingent of party members, creating favorable conditions to help party members strive to fulfill their assigned responsibilities and tasks. Focus on reviewing, detecting, educating, assisting, screening, and removing unqualified party members from the Party; introducing and managing party members who are working regularly to maintain contact with the party organization and the people where they reside in accordance with the regulations of the Politburo.

Closely combine the building of party members with the building of cadres, especially the building of party committee members and party committee secretaries with the building of cadres in charge at the grassroots level in terms of political qualities, ethics, lifestyle, qualifications, capacity, methods, and working style. Since the beginning of the 13th Party Congress term, more than 63,000 cadres and party members (focusing on comrades who have excellently completed their tasks and received awards) have been selected and sent to training and fostering at training facilities inside and outside the Army, contributing to improving the level of political theory, education, expertise, and professionalism of the cadres and party members.

Fourth, perform well the work of inspection and supervision; protect internal politics and promote the role of mass organizations in participating in Party building.

The Central Military Commission, Party committees and inspection committees at all levels have thoroughly grasped, concretized and seriously implemented the regulations and guidelines of the Central Committee on inspection, supervision and Party discipline work, ensuring the correct viewpoints, mottos, principles, processes and regulations; the order and quality of inspection and supervision work of grassroots Party organizations have been maintained and improved. Grassroots Party organizations in all types of agencies and units have proactively and flexibly developed plans and programs for inspection and supervision, focusing on inspection and supervision of the leadership in implementing political tasks and Party building work; Resolution of the 4th Central Conference, 12th tenure, Conclusion of the 4th Central Conference, 13th tenure on Party building and rectification; studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle; proactively grasping the situation and inspecting Party organizations and Party members when there are signs of violations(7). Through inspection and supervision, it has contributed to early warning and prevention of violations by party organizations and party members, and to raising the responsibility of leaders of party committees, party organizations, cadres and party members. It has done a good job of protecting internal politics, especially in assessing, examining, verifying, and concluding political standards for personnel recruitment, promotion, appointment of cadres, and introduction to join party committees and develop party members.

Regularly pay attention to leading the building of strong mass organizations (youth union, women's union, trade union) that operate in accordance with their functions and tasks; promote the role of mass organizations in training and creating sources for introducing and recruiting party members; participate in contributing opinions on the leadership work of party committees and organizations; supervise the setting of examples, self-cultivation, and training of ethics and lifestyle of cadres and party members, especially party committee members and cadres in charge of agencies and units.

Fifth, innovate leadership methods and styles; build and effectively implement good models and creative approaches.

Focus on innovating leadership methods and styles in a scientific, democratic, effective and practical direction, especially the ability to thoroughly grasp and concretize resolutions and directives of superiors, determine policies and measures for leadership at one's level to ensure they are close, correct and suitable to the nature, characteristics and tasks of each type of grassroots party organization. The organization and implementation of resolutions must be strict and scientific; promptly detect and take effective measures to handle arising problems. The promulgation and implementation of working regulations and leadership regulations for key work aspects are strictly implemented by 100% of grassroots party committees and party cells, strictly following the principles of democratic centralism, collective leadership and assigning individual responsibilities. Promote the exemplary responsibility of the team of committee members and party members, first of all the secretaries and deputy secretaries of the party committees and party cells; Thanks to that, the vanguard and exemplary role of the Party Committee members and Party members can be promoted according to the motto "top first, bottom last", "inside first, outside last"; encouraging the Party members to persevere and effectively implement the spirit of "6 dares" according to the spirit of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress (8).

Lead, direct the development and effective implementation of the model of "four good party cells", "four good grassroots party organizations" according to the Resolution of the 5th Central Conference, 13th tenure; at the same time, continue to implement and promote well the models in agencies and units, such as "4 good, 3 no" party cells (9); "3 good, 3 no" party cells (10); "4 good, 4 no" party cells; "4 good, 5 exemplary"; "5 good party cells, 5 good party members"; cadres and party members "say what they do"; "4 concentration, 1 combination" (11),... to directly improve the leadership capacity, fighting strength of grassroots party organizations and the quality of party members; Thereby, spreading and replicating good, creative and effective practices throughout the army, contributing to building a clean and strong exemplary grassroots party organization, and a comprehensively strong "Exemplary and exemplary" agency and unit.

The above results have contributed to improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of grassroots party organizations and the quality of party members in the Army. Grassroots party organizations have closely followed their functions and tasks, leading agencies and units to successfully complete all assigned tasks. The leadership, research, consulting, proposing, directing, guiding, and inspecting of units at the campaign and strategic level has made much progress; the quality of training, combat readiness, implementation of regularity, and discipline training of grassroots units have changed positively; the consulting, proposing, managing, and using logistics, technical, and financial resources of agencies have well met the requirements and tasks, contributing to effectively preventing corruption, waste, and negativity; The staff work and proposals of local military agencies to Party committees and authorities on the implementation of military and defense tasks, building political bases, preventing and fighting natural disasters, searching, rescuing, helping people eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, build new rural areas, and civilized urban areas have achieved good results;... The team of Party committee members, first of all the Party committee secretaries and deputy secretaries, and Party cells have promoted their roles and responsibilities well, setting an example, saying what they do. Every year, the results of the assessment and classification of the quality of grassroots Party organizations are over 92% of them completing their tasks well and excellently (over 17% of grassroots Party organizations completing their tasks excellently); over 91% of Party members completing their tasks well and excellently (over 18% of Party members completing their tasks excellently).

Senior Lieutenant General Trinh Van Quyet, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Standing Member of the Central Military Commission, Director of the General Department of Politics, inspected rescue work in flooded areas in Tuyen Quang province. Photo: VNA

From the results of the work of building grassroots party organizations and improving the quality of party members in the Party Committee of the Army in recent times, the following lessons have been drawn:

Firstly, regularly grasp, concretize, and resolutely and effectively implement the Central Committee's resolutions, directives, regulations, rules, and guidelines on Party building. Focus on grasping, synchronously and effectively implementing resolutions of Party congresses at all levels, resolutions and conclusions of the Central Committee on Party building and rectification, directly Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW of the 5th Central Conference of the 13th tenure,... to create unity in perception and action on building grassroots Party organizations and improving the quality of Party members throughout the army; on that basis, concretize and determine policies and measures to lead and direct the building of grassroots Party organizations and improve the quality of Party members in line with the functions and tasks of each type of grassroots Party organization in the Army.

Second, regularly attach importance to the work of developing party members; combine the building of party members with the building of cadres, the building of committee members with the building of cadres in charge. Raise the awareness of responsibility of committees, party committees, and party cells in the work of developing party members; effectively develop and implement plans for developing party members; create a favorable environment for the masses to be enlightened about ideals, have pure motivations, practice, and strive to join the Party. Effectively combine the work of fostering and developing party members with the creation of sources for training cadres from the grassroots; attach importance to the work of training, fostering, and improving the quality of input sources of cadres. Closely combine the assessment of cadre quality with the assessment of party members' quality, the assessment of the quality of cadres in charge with the assessment of the quality of committee members; effectively carry out the work of protecting internal politics. Strictly and seriously carry out the stages and steps in the process of cadre work; The assessment, selection, planning, management, training, fostering, appointment, promotion, use of cadres and preparation of personnel for grassroots party congresses, grassroots party cells, and the consolidation of party committees at all levels must ensure that they meet the prescribed standards and conditions, in accordance with each type of grassroots party organization and the responsibilities and tasks of cadres at all levels. Closely combine the work of managing, educating, and training party members with administrative management work through the process of performing the responsibilities and tasks of cadres.

Third, promote the role of organizations and forces in building grassroots party organizations and improving the quality of party members. First of all, promote the role of party committees, political agencies, political commissars, and direct superior commanders in thoroughly grasping and grasping the resolutions, directives, and instructions of the Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and the General Department of Politics; at the same time, based on the functions and tasks of each type of grassroots party organization, determine policies and measures for leadership, direction, and guidance in building appropriate grassroots party organizations. Grassroots party organizations must strictly comply with the leadership, direction, and guidance of party committees and political agencies at higher levels; promote collective intelligence, positivity, and proactiveness in building policies and measures to improve leadership capacity, fighting strength, and the quality of party members, and overcome the phenomenon of waiting for and relying on superiors. On the one hand, promote the role of mass organizations (youth union, women's union, trade union) in training and creating sources to introduce outstanding union members and members for consideration of admission to the Party; participate in contributing opinions on the leadership of the Party organization; supervise the exemplary conduct, cultivation, and training of ethics and lifestyle of cadres and Party members. On the other hand, it is necessary to promote the role of local Party committees, authorities, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations in participating in building grassroots Party organizations and improving the quality of Party members in the Army Party Committee.

Fourth, focus on innovating leadership methods, styles, working procedures, promoting the sense of responsibility, awareness of law compliance, discipline, and capacity of Party committees and Party secretaries at the grassroots level, ensuring the comprehensive leadership role of the Party at the grassroots level. In particular, focus on innovating the issuance of leadership resolutions in a concise, easy-to-understand, easy-to-remember, and easy-to-implement manner; assigning specific and strict implementation tasks, linked to the responsibilities and tasks of each cadre and Party member; implementing resolutely; regularly inspecting, urging, promptly detecting, and thoroughly resolving arising problems. Actively innovating propaganda and mobilization work to create unity within Party committees, Party cells, and consensus within agencies and units. Implement well the regulations on exemplary responsibilities of cadres and Party members, promoting honor and self-respect, first of all, the heads of Party committees, agencies, and units. Resolutely prevent and repel the degradation of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the Party. Strictly adhere to the principles of democratic centralism, self-criticism and criticism, maintain discipline, order and solidarity within the Party. Continue to effectively implement the model of "four good party cells" and "four good grassroots party organizations". Strengthen administrative reform, apply information technology, and digital transformation in Party work and Party member management.

Fifth, focus on summarizing, reviewing, and drawing lessons from the work of building grassroots party organizations and improving the quality of party members. Through summarizing and reviewing, objectively and comprehensively evaluate the results achieved, limitations, shortcomings, and causes, and draw lessons as a basis for determining appropriate and feasible policies and measures. Along with summarizing and reviewing, it is necessary to attach importance to doing a good job of rewarding party organizations and party members and promoting propaganda, disseminating experiences, good, effective, and creative practices to widely replicate advanced models of building grassroots party organizations and improving the quality of party members.

The building of grassroots party organizations and improving the quality of party members in the Vietnam People's Army has recently received serious leadership, direction, and implementation, and has achieved many important achievements and valuable lessons. This is the basis for the Central Military Commission and Party committees at all levels in the Army Party Committee to lead and direct the strict and effective implementation of Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW of the 5th Central Conference of the 13th tenure./.

TRINH VAN QUYET

Senior Lieutenant General, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army

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(1) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2011, vol. 15, p. 113
(2) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 8, p. 288
(3) Such as: Regulation No. 49-QD/TW, dated December 22, 2021, of the Politburo, "On Party organization in the Vietnam People's Army"; Regulation No. 144-QD/TW, dated May 9, 2024, of the Politburo, "On revolutionary ethical standards of cadres and party members in the new period"
(4) Such as: Regulation No. 110-QD/TW, dated August 20, 2004, of the Secretariat, "On the functions and tasks of grassroots party committees and cells in military agencies"; Regulation No. 117-QD/TW, dated January 25, 2018, of the Secretariat, "On the functions and tasks of grassroots party committees and cells at border posts in the Vietnam People's Army"...
(5) Conclusion No. 111-KL/QUTW, dated February 12, 2019, of the Central Military Commission Standing Committee, "On continuing to improve the leadership capacity, fighting strength of grassroots party organizations and the quality of cadres and party members in the Army in the new period"
(6) Such as: Instruction No. 1677/HD-CT, dated September 28, 2018, of the General Department of Politics, on "Some issues on improving the quality of Party cell activities in the Army Party Committee"; Instruction No. 1794/HD-CT, dated September 9, 2020, of the General Department of Politics, "On annual review, assessment and classification of quality for Party organizations and Party members in the Army Party Committee"; Instruction No. 1224/HD-CT, dated July 27, 2022, of the General Department of Politics, on "Issuing and implementing regulations of Party committees at all levels in the Army"
(7) From 2020 to present, 4,576 party organizations and 10,836 party members have been inspected; 3,319 party organizations and 7,211 party members have been supervised according to plan. Inspection committees at all levels have inspected 27 party organizations and 301 party members when there were signs of violations; 802 party organizations and 2,531 party members have been supervised. Grassroots party organizations have reviewed and disciplined 33 lower-level party organizations and 611 party members; the inspection committee of the grassroots party organization has reviewed and disciplined 6 party members; and complaints have been resolved against 3 party organizations and 32 party members.
(8) See: Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2021, vol. II, p. 243
(9) The content of the “4 good” includes: Leaders who complete political tasks well; good quality of life; good solidarity, good discipline and good cadres and party members. The “3 no” includes: No cadres or party members with social evils; no violations of traffic safety; no use of party membership cards, papers issued by the State or the Army as collateral for loans, assets, and debts that cannot be paid.
(10) Building a “3 good” Party cell: Building and organizing the implementation of good resolutions; educating, managing, and training good cadres and Party members; implementing the principles of democratic centralism, self-criticism, and good criticism. Building a “3 no” Party cell: No weakness; no cadres and Party members violating discipline, failing to fulfill their tasks; no Party members degenerating in political ideology, ethics, lifestyle, “self-evolution,” “self-transformation.”
(11) In the party committees: Military Region 2, Military Region 5, Military Region 7, Military Region 3, Navy.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/tang-cuong-xay-dung-to-chuc-co-so-dang-va-nang-cao-chat-luong-doi-ngu-dang-vien-trong-quan-doi-nhan-dan-viet-nam-ket-qua-va-bai-hoc-kinh-nghiem-203276.html