Removing bottlenecks, unifying models, promoting the strength of the Front

On August 15 in Hanoi, the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) held a national online conference to reflect on difficulties, obstacles and solutions in the arrangement and streamlining of the VFF apparatus, socio-political organizations, and mass organizations assigned by the Party and State. Many proposals and recommendations were made to soon have unified direction from the Central Committee, ensuring the new apparatus operates synchronously and effectively.

The conference was connected to the bridge of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities. Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Fatherland Front , Central mass organizations, Vice President - General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front chaired the conference.

The national online conference reflects, resolves difficulties, obstacles and solutions in the arrangement and streamlining of the apparatus of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio- political organizations, and mass organizations assigned by the Party and State. (Photo: Minh Hien)

Specific recommendations

According to the Summary Report of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front presented at the Conference, after more than 1 month (July 1, 2025 - July 31, 2025) of implementing the organization and streamlining of the apparatus, besides positive results, many localities encountered difficulties.

Regarding Party work, under the guidance of the Central Organizing Committee, the Party Committee of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee was established and is directly under the Party Committee of the Provincial Party Committees. In implementation, this model has revealed difficulties due to the characteristics of the Fatherland Front as a political alliance organization, voluntary association, with profound political and social activities, requiring direct, comprehensive and regular leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, especially with important political tasks.

Head of the Organization and Inspection Department (Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front) Nong Thi Mai Huyen presented a report at the Conference. (Photo: Minh Hien)

At the provincial level, there is no national consensus on the allocation of staff to the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee. Some localities have allocated separate staff to the Vietnam Fatherland Front and each socio-political organization, without assigning a common staff to the provincial Fatherland Front, leading to difficulties in developing working regulations, issuing functions and tasks, operating the apparatus and mobilizing staff between committees. At the commune level, the arrangement and merger still have places where suitable personnel have not been arranged for some member organizations, making it impossible for the organizations to operate independently, limiting the effectiveness of coordination with the commune Fatherland Front.

After the merger, the number of cadres, civil servants and workers increased, but the infrastructure of many provincial headquarters was still limited, lacking office space; specialized departments had to work in a scattered manner, causing difficulties in management and coordination; equipment was not uniform, and many places were degraded or damaged. At the commune, ward and special zone levels, many headquarters were cramped and degraded; equipment was lacking and of poor quality. With large areas, scattered population, and difficult transportation (especially in mountainous communes and ethnic minority areas), grasping public opinion, people's aspirations and implementing movements at the grassroots level became even more difficult.

The report stated: Given the above reality, the localities recommended that the Central Government direct the study of establishing a provincial-level Vietnam Fatherland Front Party Committee directly under the Provincial Party Committee. This is to ensure the direct and comprehensive leadership of the Provincial Party Committee over the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, meeting the requirements for a unified organizational model from the Central Government and in accordance with the position, role, functions, tasks, and organizational structure of the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in the political system according to the Party's regulations, the Constitution and laws...

Localities recommend that the Central Government promptly issue specific guidance documents on the organizational model, functions, tasks, coordination mechanisms and methods of operation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels according to the new organizational structure after the rearrangement; in which it is necessary to clearly define the "subordinate" relationship and the "relative independence" of socio-political organizations in the interconnected organizational model, and at the same time clarify the management and operation mechanism for affiliated public service units to ensure consistency and avoid overlap.

In particular, it is necessary to soon issue a Project to arrange, streamline and consolidate mass organizations assigned by the Party and State so that the provincial and communal levels can develop implementation projects at their levels to ensure consistency. Consider and arrange mass organizations assigned by the Party and State with overlapping functions and tasks; consolidate associations with similar objects, nature and content of activities; terminate the activities of ineffective associations...

Regarding personnel work, the units proposed that the Central Government allow the appointment of a number of department heads and equivalent positions to perform full-time (not concurrently as at present) for departments with large and important workloads and requiring regular leadership and direction and requiring specialized knowledge and experience in each field to meet the requirements of the tasks in the current period.

The conference was connected to the bridge of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities. (Photo: Minh Hien)

The units also requested guidance on the number of deputy heads of provincial-level socio-political organizations; guidance on standards and specific orientations for Vice Chairmen of commune-level socio-political organizations, because there are still a number of non-professional commune-level staff who wish to continue working...

Delegates highly appreciated the organization of online conferences to promptly resolve difficulties, and at the same time reflected on many issues related to preparations for the Congresses of the Fatherland Front at all levels, financial management, seals, document digitization, activities in residential areas, etc.

New thinking, new approach, new results

Taking note of the opinions of the delegates, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha clarified the groups of issues proposed by the provinces and cities. She said that the proposal to establish a Party organization directly under the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee is under the decision-making authority of the Politburo ; the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will propose that the Central Organizing Committee advise the Secretariat to supplement the working regulations so that the Provincial Party Committee of the Fatherland Front can directly report to the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee.

Regarding staffing, Ms. Ha proposed unifying the assignment to the provincial and communal Fronts; not assigning it separately to each socio-political organization.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Fatherland Front, Central mass organizations, Vice President - General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front delivered the concluding speech at the Conference. (Photo: Minh Hien)

Regarding the "subordination" and "relative independence" of socio-political organizations, Ms. Ha emphasized: "Independence and subordination are not contradictory and have a dialectical relationship with each other. In the process of organization and implementation, we must clearly define roles, positions, functions, and tasks." The Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front is the leading agency, managing the payroll, budget, and assets; socio-political organizations are affiliated but still have legal status, seals, accounts, charters, and their own congresses. The public service units and facilities of socio-political organizations are essentially subordinate to the Front, and can be decentralized in management depending on local conditions. The general budget does not decentralize payroll and separate budgets for each organization as before. The Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will coordinate to support disadvantaged localities, especially remote and isolated areas, prioritizing support for digital transformation at the present time.

Regarding the charter, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha said: the charter can only be approved at the congress; the charter guidelines can be issued early to avoid problems. Regarding the number of deputy heads of socio-political organizations, this issue is being compiled by the Central Organizing Committee, expected to be submitted to the Politburo in early September 2025; for now, the status quo will be maintained.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha affirmed that with new thinking, new ways of working, new products, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will continue to accompany the Fatherland Front Committees of provinces, cities, and socio-political organizations, creating conditions to remove difficulties and obstacles in management and operation. She believes that after the Conference, the work of the Front will turn to a new page - new apparatus, new vitality, new energy, new results.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/go-diem-nghen-thong-nhat-mo-hinh-phat-huy-suc-manh-mat-tran-215591.html