Persistently and steadfastly protecting the political line of the Communist Party of Vietnam - Part 2: Vietnam's innovation practice affirms the value and vitality of the Party's political line

The Communist Party of Vietnam is the flag that gathers and leads our nation to firmly follow the chosen path: National independence and socialism, demonstrating the firmness of our Party's stance, viewpoint, direction, and correct and wise political line, creatively loyal to the socialist ideals and goals of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh thought.

Revolutionary stature of the renovation policy

In 1986, reforms took place in the Soviet Union and the socialist countries in Eastern Europe. At the same time, in 1986, Vietnam carried out renovation with a historic decision from the 6th Party Congress. Seizing the opportunity and courageously overcoming challenges was the correct, wise and courageous decision of our Party in the context of complicated international developments and the domestic situation falling into a serious socio -economic crisis.

The reform failed due to political disorientation and mistakes in principles, viewpoints, guidelines and policies, so the socialist regime in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries collapsed. The world socialist system disintegrated. Socialism and the revolutionary movement fell into recession, albeit temporarily. The world order changed. History was at a challenging turning point. Hostile, anti-communist, anti-socialist forces with sophisticated, malicious propaganda and distortions and blatant sabotage methods constantly preached about the "end of communist ideology" (Marxism-Leninism), about the "end of socialism"; that choosing socialism was a mistake, leading to a dead end, a dead end, leading to poverty and backwardness, only following the Western path and model could bring freedom, civilization, wealth, prosperity and happiness (!).

During the early years of renovation, Western countries continued to encircle and embargo Vietnam, inciting discontented and opposing elements to attack the ruling leadership of our Party. They tried their best to promote neo-liberalism, free market economy, pluralism, and multi-party system, considering it necessary for democracy and freedom. They calculated that if they wanted to abolish socialism and the Communist Party of Vietnam, they would have to use all means to overthrow the idol of Ho Chi Minh, sow doubts among the people, especially the youth, intellectuals, artists, and writers, erode ideological beliefs, follow a pragmatic lifestyle, worship money and material interests, and incite individualism and extreme nationalism. These are toxins that can destroy from within, and if we become infected, we will destroy our own careers.

Along with early recognition of the dangerous plots and tricks of "peaceful evolution" by hostile and reactionary forces to maintain the initiative in this war without gunfire, our Party issued Resolution 4 of the 12th Central Committee to strengthen Party building and rectification. For the first time, the Party frankly pointed out 27 manifestations of degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, "self-evolution", "self-transformation" within the Party, and proposed a series of solutions to make the Party clean and strong, maintain its political direction, avoid making mistakes in viewpoints and policies to continue moving forward the revolutionary movement.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Illustrative photo / VNA

The Communist Party of Vietnam holds power legitimately, justly and worthy of the flag of national independence and socialism, with scientific intelligence armed with the pioneering theory of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought, with rich experience accumulated in the history of revolutionary struggle, with political courage tempered by practice and especially with flesh and blood ties with the people, with strength from the hearts of the people. Following the secret that Ho Chi Minh instructed: If the people trust, love, support, help and protect, the revolution will succeed.

In carrying out the renovation, our Party considered soberly and wisely when determining the premise and prerequisite for renovation, which is political and social stability. That is positive stability, bringing benefits to the people, first of all economic benefits. The people feel and directly enjoy those benefits through jobs and income to improve their lives, from which the people support and accompany the Party, together with the renovation. Without stability, social disorder, and people's hearts are not at peace, no renovation program can be implemented.

From that awareness, the Party chose the key link as the economy, focusing on economic innovation, developing production, overcoming the "galloping" inflation (over 770%) to gradually stabilize people's lives and promote growth. It must be on the basis of effective economic innovation, with initial success, so that people believe in political innovation, first of all the political system, in a cautious and principled manner. From the practice of innovation, there have been signs of success, later our Party emphasized synchronous economic and political innovation.

Our Party's two major breakthroughs in theory and practice are the development of the market economy and the building of a rule-of-law state. These are common achievements of humanity in the bourgeois era, not just of the bourgeoisie. They are an inevitable requirement for development, a driving force for the liberation and development of productive forces. They are also necessary economic and political factors to build a modern democracy that socialism can and must apply, especially in countries transitioning to socialism, bypassing the capitalist regime, including Vietnam. This is the Party's precise calculation of its theoretical awareness and political decisions.

One of the outstanding successes of the renovation in our country is the successful resolution of the socio-economic crisis, although it took a decade (1986-1996), without a political crisis occurring when entering into the renovation of the political system and politics in general, which many countries have encountered, resulting in the collapse of the institution and the loss of the Party's ruling role. Our Party is a pioneer in renovation, self-aware of the important requirement to innovate the content and methods of leadership and governance of the Party to promote the renovation of the whole society.

Our Party has recognized and acted upon that requirement early on. Leading in the conditions of developing a market economy, implementing social democratization, and having a rule-of-law state requires our Party to recognize and act in accordance with the laws, here being the laws of the market economy. With only one ruling party, it must ensure the promotion of democracy, and must handle all issues in leadership and governance in a constitutional, legal manner, without violating the constitution, but on the contrary, complying with the law, respecting the state and protecting the Constitution and laws, advocating the building of a constitutional mechanism, focusing on controlling power, and not allowing the power entrusted by the people to be corrupted.

The two pillars of national development are economy and politics. Our Party has achieved great innovations such as a socialist-oriented market economy and a socialist rule-of-law state, affirming that power is concentrated and unified in the people, not dividing power according to the "separation of three powers", implementing the division and coordination between legislative, executive and judicial institutions to implement the people's authorization and serve the people's rights and interests.

The 1991 Platform and the 2011 supplemented and developed Platform of the Party are truly the banner that gathers and leads our nation to firmly follow the chosen path: National Independence and Socialism, demonstrating the firmness of our Party's stance, viewpoint, direction, and correct and wise political line, creatively loyal to the ideals and goals of socialism of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought. Therefore, it can be affirmed that Vietnam's innovation truly has the stature of a revolution.

The lasting value of the Party's ideology

The enemies of revolutionaries and genuine revolutionary parties often incite society, even using demagogic tricks, claiming that Marxism is outdated, centuries away from the present day, and no longer suitable in a society where the flow of information is as turbulent as a storm. Modern capitalism is far from the criticisms and negations of Marx and Engels. Leninism is no longer valid when the Soviet Union and the Eastern European socialist countries collapsed. Ho Chi Minh's ideology has also lost its role since then because it is only a copy of Marx and Lenin.

These are arbitrary, subjective assessments, superficial inferences that hide dark intentions, only encouraging opponents and deceiving some ignorant people. In essence, they are distortions of history and insults to human culture, because Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Ho Chi Minh are representatives of the intellectual quintessence of their time, outstanding leaders and cultural celebrities who enlightened, enlightened, and enlightened mankind to progress, for nations to fight to realize noble values, honor human dignity, and direct life toward truth, goodness, and beauty.

Marxism-Leninism with its system of lasting values will forever shine, illuminating the way for humanity on its journey from “the kingdom of necessity to the kingdom of freedom”. The thesis of Marx and Engels in the “Communist Manifesto” (1848) that “the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all” affirms the humanistic nature of socialism and communism. Lenin not only advocated the New Economic Policy (NEP), becoming the first great reformer of real socialism in history, but also made a modern prediction that sooner or later, all nations will move towards socialism. The international nature of socialism still includes historical and cultural characteristics and the unique nuances of each nation. That means, the nature and goal of socialism are universal, the paths and models of building socialism are rich and diverse. It is a unified culture, encompassing differences.

Ho Chi Minh, from Vietnam's practice closely linked with world practice, once determined that building socialism is building a highly cultural society, imbued with the development perspective, so that "material life increases day by day, spiritual life becomes better day by day, society becomes more civilized and progressive".

The scientific, revolutionary and humanistic nature of Marxism-Leninism and scientific socialism has been mentioned in the ideological heritage of Marxist classics. Especially Ho Chi Minh, who fought all his life for the Fatherland, the nation, the people and humanity, pursuing to the end the system of values of Independence-Freedom-Happiness.

Vietnam's innovation with its great achievements of historical significance not only brings tangible benefits to each individual, each family and the whole community, but also strengthens the confidence and pride of our entire Party, people and army. Vietnam's innovation is highly appreciated by international and world public opinion. It is the honesty and historical conviction of the value and vitality of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought from Vietnam's practice, experience and lessons in innovation and international integration.

The XIII Congress document emphasizes that “Socio-economic development is the center; Party building is the key; cultural development is the spiritual foundation; ensuring national defense and security is essential and constant”. That is truly a theoretical summary of the Party, a development message, a development path and policy that our Party has conveyed to the majority of our people and friends and partners around the world, full of faith and hope.

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