We need to be objective and avoid localism.

Regulation 96 has great practical significance.

One of the important items on the agenda of this 13th Party Congress Mid-Term Conference is the Central Committee's vote of confidence for members of the Politburo and members of the Secretariat, in accordance with the Party's new regulations - Regulation 96 (replacing Regulation 262).

Previously, at the 10th Central Committee meeting of the 11th Party Congress in January 2015 and the 9th Central Committee meeting of the 12th Party Congress in December 2018, the Party Central Committee conducted confidence votes for these positions.

However, the difference this time is that the results of the confidence vote, taken according to Regulation 96, are not just a source of information for personnel work, but are used to evaluate officials, serving as a basis for planning, transferring, appointing, nominating candidates, and dismissing officials.

Third time the Central Committee holds a vote of confidence: Objectivity is needed, avoid localism - 1 — The mid-term conference of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam took place from May 15-17.

According to Party building experts, this change in Regulation 96 can be said to have great practical significance. The results of the confidence vote become an important criterion for evaluating cadres and create a sanction for cadres with low credibility and many shortcomings. This new point will contribute to overcoming formalism and will have multifaceted impacts on cadre work in general and the cadre team in particular.

Associate Professor Bui Dinh Bon, former Scientific Secretary of the Central Theoretical Council, stated that conducting a vote of confidence for Politburo members and Secretariat members at the mid-term conference is a very important matter.

This can also be considered a significant challenge, not only assessing the credibility and performance of each leader in fulfilling their assigned duties, but also helping them to self-reflect and self-correct. Through this, it serves as a reminder and creates a requirement for those being evaluated to improve their leadership and management skills to successfully complete their assigned tasks.

" This is a very good practice, aimed at strictly implementing the principle of self-criticism and criticism; it emphasizes the responsibility of Party committees, Party organizations, agencies, units, and leaders, especially those being evaluated and those casting the votes. From the results of the vote, each person will see what they have done well and what they have not done well, thereby drawing lessons learned to overcome and correct their shortcomings."

"Officials with low credibility must be promptly considered for removal from the planning process, resignation, dismissal, or reassignment to lower-ranking positions without waiting for the end of their term or appointment, " Mr. Bui Dinh Bon said, adding that he hoped that through this voting process, the practice of self-criticism and criticism would become more systematic, making the Party stronger.

Third time the Central Committee holds a vote of confidence: Objectivity is needed, avoid localism - 2 — Associate Professor Bui Dinh Bon, former Scientific Secretary of the Central Theoretical Council.

In his opening remarks at the 13th Party Congress's mid-term conference, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong demanded: " We must resolutely prevent any violations or abuses of the confidence vote process to cause division and undermine internal unity ."

The demands of the Party leader are also the demands of the people, because this is an important measure in evaluating, planning, and utilizing cadres. To do this well, it requires a scientific, objective, impartial, and rigorous process in collecting votes.

In addition, the person being evaluated must provide sufficient information about their personal performance report, the results of fulfilling their assigned responsibilities and duties, and also point out limitations and solutions to overcome them so that voters can understand and make an objective and fair assessment.

Avoid vested interests, factionalism, and localism in voting.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Le Quoc Ly, former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, the confidence vote largely depends on the sense of responsibility and constructive spirit of the Central Committee members in considering and expressing their confidence. This allows for an accurate assessment of the qualities, capabilities, concrete results in fulfilling assigned responsibilities, and prestige of the Politburo and Secretariat members.

" The vote of confidence by Central Committee members for the 21 Politburo and Secretariat members subject to the vote must be conducted in the spirit of communists, with impartiality, objectivity, and placing the interests of the nation, the people, and the country above all else. The evaluation must be based on very clear criteria."

"This must include factors such as loyalty to the country and the people. At the same time, we must consider the contributions of officials in their positions and leadership roles to the Party and the country over the past half-term, and whether there have been any violations or shortcomings… Furthermore, we must carefully consider and avoid 'group interests,' factionalism, and localism in the confidence vote process ," said Mr. Le Quoc Ly.

Third time the Central Committee holds a vote of confidence: Objectivity is needed, avoid localism - 3 — Associate Professor Dr. Le Quoc Ly, former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

According to the former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, Regulation 96 clearly states that for members of the Politburo and the Secretariat, the results of the confidence vote within the Central Committee of the Party must be made public. For positions elected or approved by the National Assembly and People's Councils, the results must be publicized through mass media so that voters and the people are aware. For other positions and titles in the political system, the results must be made public at the confidence vote conference.

Those who receive more than 50% but less than 2/3 of the votes of no confidence will be removed from consideration for higher positions; their current position will be terminated, they will be reassigned to other duties, or they will be asked to resign. Those who receive 2/3 or more of the votes of no confidence will be dismissed from their current position and reassigned to other (lower) duties without waiting until the end of their term or appointment.

“ Based on the voting results, officials who receive high confidence votes should strive harder, while those with many low confidence votes, as stipulated, should voluntarily step down from their positions rather than clinging to them. This voting process once again demonstrates the Party's need to strengthen and revitalize its leadership team to move the country forward, ” said Mr. Le Quoc Ly.