Politburo member and President Vo Van Thuong met with a delegation of prestigious people from ethnic minorities nationwide _Photo: VNA
The important role of practicing democracy and promoting people's strength in the revolutionary cause
In any stage of development of the nation's history, promoting the people's strength is always a vital factor that determines the prosperity and decline of every dynasty and state. Practice has proven that gathering the people's hearts and promoting the people's strength is the decisive cause of all victories of the Vietnamese revolution. The people's strength is the origin and solid foundation for the country's everlasting and prosperous development. The people's strength will be promoted and multiplied if it is connected into a unified block under the leadership of the Party.
President Ho Chi Minh emphasized: People are the root of the country, the basis of all victories, the force that creates all material and spiritual wealth. To consider "people as the root" means to believe in people, be close to people, respect people and rely on people, clearly realizing: "With the people's strength, no matter how big or difficult the task is, it can be done. Without it, no matter what is done, it will not be done" (1).
It can be seen that President Ho Chi Minh's thought on promoting the people's strength is focused on the fact that in all policies and guidelines, the viewpoint must always be imbued with: People are the root. The key to implementing this thought of his is to practice democracy, promote the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of "being the master" and "being the master" of the people in building and developing the country.
As soon as the country gained independence, in order to institutionalize the idea that the people are the root, President Ho Chi Minh advocated building a new type of state of the people, by the people and for the people. As the head of the Party and State, he left a great legacy in organizing and building a new democratic state in our country. His thoughts on building a state of the people, by the people and for the people were a creative application of the Marxist-Leninist doctrine on the state; at the same time, he selected and inherited the quintessence of thoughts on state building in the history of the nation and humanity.
President Ho Chi Minh believed that a strong and effective state must be a “strong and wise” rule of law state. That state “must rely on the people, closely connect with the people, listen to their opinions and be subject to their control” (2), in the spirit of “the people are the masters, and the Government is the loyal servants of the people” (3). Our state must promote democracy, must make the practice of democracy manifest and permeate all areas of social life, because “practicing democracy is the universal key that can solve all difficulties” (4). “OUR COUNTRY IS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY/ All benefits are for the people./ All powers belong to the people... The government from the commune to the central government is elected by the people” (5), “all power in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam belongs to the people” (6).
President Ho Chi Minh pointed out: “In our country, the government belongs to the people, is controlled by the people. The people elect people's councils, local administrative resistance committees, the National Assembly and the Central Government... The people are the masters of the government. The people elect representatives to carry out that government on their behalf. That is democracy” (7). Under the democratic republic, the people have obligations as well as rights; women are equal to men in all aspects; all ethnic groups in the country are equal in rights.
Democracy must always go hand in hand with a mechanism to ensure democracy, and this mechanism must be legalized. The relationship between law and democracy in a rule-of-law state is expressed in the fact that to implement democracy, there must be a law to ensure it; the law must be built and practiced on a democratic and equal mechanism. The process of social democratization is also the process of constantly building and perfecting the law of the state. The higher the democracy, the stricter and more scientific the law. The law on implementing democracy at the grassroots level is the concretization of the Party's viewpoints and policies on this issue, regulating and institutionalizing the contents of "people know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise, people benefit"; regulating the ways and methods for people to demonstrate their right to mastery.
Socialist democracy is democracy of the vast majority of the people, associated with the implementation of people's rights in all areas of social life, guaranteed by law under the leadership of the Party; is a form of expression of citizens' freedom and equality, identifying the people as the subject of state power. Socialist democracy reflects the good nature of the regime, is both the goal and the driving force of the construction of socialism; therefore, building socialist democracy, ensuring that power truly belongs to the people is an important, long-term task of the Vietnamese revolution. The State respects and guarantees all human rights and civil rights, such as freedom of the press, assembly, movement, freedom of belief and religion, following or not following a religion, the right to inviolability of the body, the right to legal residence, to study... Democracy is associated with discipline, order, rights and obligations of citizens as prescribed by the Constitution and the law. The State is organized and operates according to the provisions of the Constitution and laws, manages society by law, and implements the principle of democratic centralism. The core of socialist democracy is to affirm the power of the people, and to harmoniously resolve the relationship between rights and interests, rights and obligations, and interests and responsibilities of citizens.
With the concept that “democracy” means “people are the masters” and “people are the masters”, President Ho Chi Minh not only placed the people in the position of social subjects, but also pointed out the close, inseparable relationship between that position and the people’s actions of truly mastering society. Democracy and practicing democracy are not only the goal and driving force of the revolution, but together with concentration, they will also become methods and ways to solve all difficulties and obstacles of the revolutionary cause. He reminded that our Party considers consolidating and strengthening the close relationship between the Party, the State and the people a very important task, ensuring the comprehensive leadership of the Party and the solidity of the regime. The people are the “source” leading the revolutionary cause of the Party, once the people’s strength is mobilized, organized and gathered under the leadership of the Party, it will become an invincible force.
Accordingly, to implement democracy, it must be implemented in many aspects, with the participation of many subjects with different positions, roles, rights, obligations and responsibilities to ensure the implementation of people's rights, such as the right to use ballots to elect representatives to state agencies, organizations, socio-political organizations; the right to decide on important issues of the country; the right to participate in activities of political and social life, express their will, aspirations and opinions in formulating and implementing policies and laws; the right to participate in social supervision and criticism activities. To exercise those rights, people must have a correct and complete understanding of their freedoms and democracy; raise awareness of the importance of implementing and promoting democracy, proactively and actively implement and use democratic rights, practice methods of practicing democracy and have the courage to practice democracy, and exercise true mastery.
Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien rejoices with the people of Quy Mong commune, Tran Yen district (Yen Bai province) achieving the advanced new rural standard _Source: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn
Some outstanding results in practicing democracy and promoting people's strength over nearly 40 years of renovation
Through each congress, our Party has increasingly gained a deeper and more specific understanding of democracy and democratic practice. After the country was unified, at the 4th Congress, our Party affirmed that in order to bring the socialist revolution to complete victory, one of the prerequisites is to establish and continuously strengthen the proletarian dictatorship, and to implement and continuously promote the collective mastery of the working people. The following congresses of the Party have emphasized the guiding viewpoint on democracy and the mastery of the people.
The Platform for National Construction in the Transitional Period to Socialism (Supplemented and Developed in 2011) affirms: Socialist democracy is the essence of our regime, both the goal and the driving force of national development. Building and gradually perfecting socialist democracy, ensuring that democracy is implemented in real life, in all fields, is an important task. Democracy is closely linked to discipline and order and must be institutionalized by law and guaranteed by law.
The 13th National Party Congress once again affirmed: The Party and State promulgate guidelines, policies, laws to create a political and legal foundation, respect, ensure and protect the people's right to mastery; promote the role of the subject and the central position of the people in the entire process of building and defending the Fatherland.
The Party's guiding viewpoints over the periods have been consistent, affirming the nature of our social regime of "people are the masters" and "people are the masters", becoming one of the characteristics of the socialist social regime that our people have built. The revolutionary achievements under the leadership of the Party over the past 94 years are thanks to our Party knowing how to inherit and promote the strength of the masses in the cause of national liberation, building and defending the Fatherland, in building and rectifying the Party and the political system. The mechanism of "Party leadership, State management, people as masters" is increasingly perfected.
The highlight and success of our Party in building socialist democracy is the increasingly deeper awareness of democracy in order to have appropriate guidelines, policies, laws; it is the harmonious combination between the theory of democracy and the practice of democracy in all aspects of social life. Practicing democracy is forming effective mechanisms, policies, regulations, principles and measures to ensure that all people exercise their democratic rights, realizing the motto that the Party has determined. The essence of practicing socialist democracy is to promote the role of the subject of the Party, the State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations and the people to mobilize all resources to build and defend the Fatherland; thereby, promoting representative democracy, improving the quality and effectiveness of the activities of the National Assembly, Government, People's Councils and People's Committees at all levels, and implementing direct democracy at the grassroots level so that people can discuss and directly decide on important and practical matters closely related to socio-economic development, and participate in building a clean and strong Party and political system.
The results achieved after nearly 40 years of innovation in the field of democratic practice have made very important progress, which can be summarized in the following highlights:
1- The practice of democracy within the Party has made new progress, promoting the responsibility of Party committees, the exemplary role of cadres and Party members, especially leaders at all levels; promoting democracy; strengthening solidarity and unity within the Party; respecting differences in personal views and opinions in the spirit of Party building.
2- The practice of democracy in building and perfecting the socialist rule-of-law state of Vietnam has been strengthened. The activities of the National Assembly in exercising the right to make the constitution, legislate, decide on important issues of the country and exercise supreme supervision have been innovated, and the quality and efficiency have been improved. The activities of the Government have been innovated in the direction of building a constructive government, promoting democracy in the implementation of public administration. Judicial agencies have continued to be improved, and the legal system has been fundamentally improved. The role of law and law enforcement has been increasingly emphasized in the organization and operation of the State and social life, ensuring the rule of law, publicity, transparency and accountability.
3- Practicing democracy in the activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations is focused on and increasingly more substantial; increasingly promoting the role of representing the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members, association members and people; proactively participating in social supervision and criticism; playing a good role as a bridge between the Party, the State and the people; participating in building the Party, the State and the political system.
The practice of building and promoting socialist democracy has affirmed that the motto "people know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise, people benefit" has always been the guiding principle for all actions of the Party, which has been supported by all classes of people and has increasingly been effective in practice. The institution for implementing people's mastery rights has been established, concretized and put into practice. Through the mechanism of direct democracy and representative democracy, the role of "inspection and supervision" of the people has truly been highly effective in detecting a number of violations by state agencies, cadres and party members, contributing to improving the effectiveness of the Party's inspection and supervision work. Since then, people's trust in the Party and the State has been consolidated, and the relationship between the Party and the people has become increasingly strong.
The 13th National Party Congress concluded: The strength of national solidarity has been consolidated; socialist democracy has continued to be promoted, increasingly better implementing the people's mastery in deciding major and important issues of the country. Respecting, ensuring and protecting human rights, citizens' rights and obligations according to the 2013 Constitution; linking citizens' rights with citizens' obligations and responsibilities towards society. Focusing on implementing both direct and representative democracy, especially at the grassroots level, ensuring publicity, transparency and accountability. Leaders at many levels of Party committees and authorities have increased contact, dialogue, listening, receiving and resolving the people's legitimate concerns and aspirations(8).
However, in addition to the important results achieved, the issue of promoting people's mastery still has some limitations. Some grassroots party organizations, a number of cadres, party members, civil servants and public employees have not been exemplary, have not truly respected the opinions and recommendations of the people, and have not promptly resolved the people's legitimate and legal proposals and recommendations. People's mastery in some places is still violated, the implementation of democracy is sometimes and in some places still formalistic, separating democracy from discipline and law. The quality and effectiveness of the supervision and social criticism activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations are not uniform...
Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council of Quang Ninh province Nguyen Xuan Ky exchanged and listened to citizens' opinions at the regular citizen reception session _Source: baoquangninh.vn
Solutions to promote democratic practice and promote people's strength in the new situation
After nearly 40 years of renovation, our country has achieved many great achievements of historical significance, and its position, comprehensive strength and prestige in the international arena have been raised. However, the revolutionary cause of our Party and people still faces many difficulties and challenges: The world situation continues to evolve rapidly, complicatedly and unpredictably. The four dangers that the Party has pointed out still exist, and are even more severe; threats to the country's independence, sovereignty and strategic interests, especially in the East Sea; non-traditional security issues, climate change, environmental pollution, epidemics, resource depletion, population aging trends; the state of degradation, "self-evolution", "self-transformation" within the Party; fierce sabotage by hostile forces and reactionary organizations... still exist.
The above situation shows that we must pay special attention to and further promote the work of building a truly clean and strong Party and political system, leading the country to develop rapidly and sustainably in the coming years; in which, promoting the strength of the people and practicing democracy must be considered the "core" task.
The people's strength can only be promoted when the Party correctly assesses the people's great potential, respects the people, is close to the people, and strongly promotes the people's mastery. If the Party wants to be strong, it must rely on the people; the strength of the people's hearts will create the Party's strength; from there, solid factors are formed, ensuring the movement and development of the Party and the Vietnamese revolution. That means, the Party's endogenous strength must come from the people, for the people, "using the people's talent, property, and strength to benefit the people".
One of the five lessons summarized by the Party at the 13th Congress is: In all work of the Party and State, we must always thoroughly grasp the viewpoint that the people are the root; truly trust, respect and promote the people's right to mastery, persistently implement the motto "people know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise, people benefit".
The guiding viewpoint in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress is: To strongly arouse the spirit of patriotism, the will of national self-reliance, the strength of great national unity and the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country; to promote socialist democracy, the combined strength of the entire political system and of the culture and people of Vietnam, to foster the people's strength... to create new momentum for the rapid and sustainable development of the country. To strive to become a developed country with a socialist orientation by the middle of the 21st century.
The Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress emphasized: The people play the role of the subject, holding the central position in the country's development strategy. Promote the people's positivity, rights and responsibilities in participating in building and rectifying the Party, building a socialist rule-of-law state, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations, building a contingent of Party members, cadres and civil servants. At the same time, new points in the Party's direction focus on the following issues and contents:
Firstly, implementing the motto of “people know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise, people benefit”. Continuing to concretize and perfect the democratic practice institution according to the Platform for national construction in the transitional period to socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011) and the 2013 Constitution, ensuring that all state power belongs to the people.
Second, more clearly define the roles of the subjects when the Party leads, the State manages, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations act as the core for the people to be masters. The Party and the State issue guidelines, policies, laws to create a political and legal foundation, respect and ensure the people's right to mastery.
Third, affirming the people's central and primary role in the country's development strategy, in the process of building and defending the Fatherland. Promoting the people's intelligence, positivity, rights and responsibilities in building the Party, the socialist rule-of-law State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations.
Fourth, Party committees, Party organizations, organizations in the political system, Party members, cadres, civil servants, and public employees must set an example in practicing democracy, complying with the law, and upholding social ethics. Timely and strictly handle organizations and individuals who take advantage of democracy to cause internal disturbances, destabilize political and social affairs, or violate democracy, and harm the people's right to mastery.
In that spirit, to promote the practice of democracy, promote the strength of the people in building and defending the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam in the new situation, with the goal of "Continuing to promote the tradition of great national unity, creating social consensus, strongly arousing the spirit of patriotism, national self-reliance, belief, aspiration to contribute and build our country to be increasingly rich, prosperous, civilized, and happy to successfully achieve the goal that by 2030 Vietnam will be a developing country with modern industry and high average income; by 2045 it will become a developed country with high income; striving to become a developed country with socialist orientation by the middle of the 21st century" (9), it is necessary to focus on implementing the following solutions:
Firstly, strengthen propaganda and education work, raise awareness and understanding of cadres, party members and people about democracy. Promote propaganda, dissemination and implementation of the Party's policy on promoting democracy and people's democratic rights, associated with promoting the role of the people in building a clean and strong Party and political system. Innovate and diversify forms of propaganda and dissemination of the Party's policy on promoting democracy in accordance with the current new situation.
Second, do a good job of institutionalizing and concretizing the motto "people know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise, people benefit" into strict, synchronous, and specific regulations in the legal system. Properly and effectively implement direct democracy, representative democracy, especially democracy at the grassroots level. The people's mastery is demonstrated in all important areas of the country, such as participating in building and rectifying the Party and the political system; building a contingent of Party members, cadres, and civil servants; developing the economy; managing and self-governing society; building, managing, and enjoying culture; building a national defense, people's security, and people's diplomacy associated with the national defense posture, people's security posture, and "the posture of people's hearts".
Continue to institutionalize and concretize the mechanism of "Party leadership, State management, people as masters". Well implement the Grassroots Democracy Regulations in all forms according to Directive No. 30-CT/TW, dated February 18, 1998, of the Politburo, "On building and implementing the Grassroots Democracy Regulations"; Conclusion No. 120-KL/TW, dated January 7, 2016, of the Politburo, "On continuing to promote and improve the quality and effectiveness of building and implementing the Grassroots Democracy Regulations"; Law on Implementing Grassroots Democracy (2022).
Strengthening publicity, transparency, and relying on the people to inspect, supervise, and evaluate, in order to select and build a team of cadres and party members who are truly worthy of being leaders and loyal servants of the people, "practicing what they say", "trusting the people, respecting the people, being close to the people, understanding the people, learning from the people, relying on the people, and being responsible to the people".
Third, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations continue to innovate the content and methods of operation, promote the role of caring for and protecting the legitimate and legal rights and interests of union members, association members and the people; proactively participate in social supervision and criticism, play a good role as a bridge, ensure the people's mastery, promote the people's role through the mechanism of Party leadership, State management, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations as the core for people to be masters, create conditions for people to exercise their representative and direct democratic rights in building and rectifying the Party and the political system.
Fourth, promote democracy along with strengthening discipline and order within the Party and in society; strengthen the protection of the Party's ideological foundation, resolutely and regularly fight to criticize and reject erroneous and hostile viewpoints; fight, prevent and repel the degradation of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the Party. Build a socialist rule-of-law State of the people, by the people, for the people, associated with strengthening administrative reform, reducing inconvenience to the people; pay attention to listening to and promptly and effectively resolving the people's legitimate concerns and recommendations; implement policies and strategies that are "in line with the people's wishes", care for the material and spiritual lives of the people, especially in areas that are still facing many difficulties. Step up the fight against corruption and negativity, and consolidate people's trust in the Party, the State and the regime./.
TS LAI XUAN MON
Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee, Central Propaganda Department
---------------------
(1) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, National Political Publishing House Truth, Hanoi, 2011, vol. 5, p. 335
(2) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 12, p. 375
(3) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 9, p. 382
(4) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 15, p. 325
(5) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 6, p. 232
(6) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 12, p. 375
(7) Ho Chi Minh: Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 8, p. 263
(8) Important documents of the Party, State, Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations have been issued with many new points on democracy and people's mastery. The Politburo has issued the "Regulations on supervision and social criticism of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations" and "Regulations on the Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations and people participating in giving opinions on Party building and government building"...
(9) “Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW, dated November 24, 2023, the 8th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee, on continuing to promote the tradition and strength of great national unity, building our country to be increasingly prosperous and happy”, Communist Party of Vietnam Electronic Newspaper, December 2, 2023, https://tulieuvankien.dangcongsan.vn/van-kien-tu-lieu-ve-dang/hoi-nghi-bch-trung-uong/khoa-xiii/nghi-quyet-so-43-nqtw-ngay-24112023-hoi-nghi-lan-thu-tam-ban-chap-hanh-trung-uong-dang-khoa-xiii-ve-tiep-tuc-phat-huy-truyen-4021
Source
Comment (0)