Steadfastly moving forward under the leadership of the Party.

These August days, people throughout the country are once again filled with joy, celebrating the August Revolution of 1945 - a glorious milestone, a great turning point that changed the destiny of the Vietnamese nation.

The August Revolution ushered in a new era in Vietnam, an era in which the Vietnamese people became masters of their own country and their own destiny. (Source: VNA)

These August days, people throughout the country are once again filled with joy, celebrating the August Revolution of 1945 - a glorious milestone, a great turning point that changed the destiny of the Vietnamese nation, bringing power back to the people, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, ending more than 80 years of our people under the yoke of colonial and fascist rule, and abolishing the millennia-old feudal regime.

From this point on, the country, society, nation, and people of Vietnam entered a new era, an era of national independence linked with socialism.

Assessing the significance of this earth-shattering event, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: "The August Revolution overthrew the monarchy that had lasted for centuries, shattered the shackles of colonialism that had lasted for nearly 100 years, returned power to the people, and laid the foundation for an independent, free, and happy Democratic Republic of Vietnam. It was an extremely momentous change in the history of our country."

The success of the August Revolution was of immense significance. First and foremost, it was the culmination of the tenacious and indomitable fighting tradition of a nation with a thousand-year history of resistance against invasion, the result of 80 years of resistance against colonial rule, and directly the 15 years of struggle by the Vietnamese working class and people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam - the Party founded and nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh.

That victory and the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam transformed our country from a colonial and semi-feudal state into an independent, free, and developing nation following the socialist path, with extensive international relations and an increasingly important position in the region and the world . Our people, from a state of slavery, became masters of their country and society. The Communist Party of Vietnam, from a clandestine party, became the ruling party.

President Ho Chi Minh read the "Declaration of Independence" on September 2, 1945. (Source: VNA)

Following the August 1945 autumn days, the country experienced many heroic and arduous changes in the process of building and defending the Fatherland. Two wars against colonialism and imperialism, lasting for three decades, culminating in the world-renowned Dien Bien Phu Campaign and the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign liberating the South and unifying the country, had just ended when the entire nation embarked on righteous struggles on the southwestern frontier, the northern border, and the eastern islands to protect the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland.

During the period of building socialism while defending its fledgling independence, the country endured more than 10 years of the impact and influence of blockades, embargoes, and socio-economic difficulties and stagnation.

However, through the blood and sweat of generations of Vietnamese people, the country has overcome countless pressures, difficulties, and challenges. A vast expanse of the nation's borders and frontiers have been preserved, and national sovereignty and border security have been ensured.

And the winds of reform, which began with the Sixth National Party Congress at the end of 1986, lifted the country out of crisis, led to continuous economic growth, and eradicated extreme poverty and hunger.

From a poor and underdeveloped country, in 2022, Vietnam's economy ranked 37th in the world, and according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2023, Vietnam will be the 35th largest economy in the world.

Vietnam's prestige and standing on the international stage are increasingly high as it is a developing country with diplomatic relations with 192 countries across all continents. Vietnam also holds the important responsibilities of ASEAN Chair in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term.

In particular, Vietnam's participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations over the past nine years has significant political implications, not only affirming Vietnam's responsible membership in the international community but also making a practical contribution to resolving security issues and protecting peace and stability in the region and the world.

From June 2014 to the present, Vietnam has sent more than 500 officers and professional soldiers to carry out this noble mission in both individual and unit capacities at the missions in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Abyei region, and the United Nations Headquarters.

Officers and soldiers of Engineering Team No. 1 and Field Hospital Level 2 No. 4 depart to carry out United Nations peacekeeping missions. (Source: VNA)

The Vietnamese forces have been successfully fulfilling their duties, earning recognition and support from the Party, the State, and the people, and high praise from the United Nations and the international community.

It is also gratifying and a source of pride that, according to the ranking of the world's most powerful countries in 2022 by US News & World Report - a reputable American company - Vietnam ranked 30th with a GDP of $363 billion and a population exceeding 98.2 million.

Recently, the World Bank (WB) stated that the Vietnamese economy has maintained strong recovery momentum despite increasing global uncertainty related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, rising world commodity prices, and supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seventy-eight years have passed since that autumn, and our country continues to march forward under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The unity and close connection between the Party's goals and interests and the goals, interests, and aspirations of the people serve as the source of our strength. The Doi Moi (Renovation) process has propelled Vietnam into a new stage of development with the goal of "a prosperous people, a strong nation, democracy, fairness, and civilization," seizing many favorable opportunities and achieving numerous successes, especially in the economic field.

But looking at the reality, the country is facing many difficulties and challenges that require the Party, the State, and the entire political system to constantly build and reform to be on par with the tasks of the new era.

The journey to eradicate poverty remains arduous; poverty reduction achievements are not truly sustainable, and the rate of poverty reduction is uneven across regions; in many poor districts, the percentage of poor households is still over 50%, and in some places over 60%. The gap between rich and poor is widening increasingly noticeably. According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the multidimensional poverty rate, including the percentage of poor and near-poor households nationwide in 2022, was 7.52%, with a total of over 1.9 million multidimensional poor and near-poor households.

Furthermore, the resilience and competitiveness of the economy remain limited; productivity, quality, and efficiency are not high; and the risk of falling into the middle-income trap and lagging behind persists. Despite continued strong reform efforts, administrative procedures are still criticized as cumbersome, inflexible, and hindering development. The private sector, although identified as a crucial driving force of the economy, still faces many challenges in its business environment.

August Revolution Square, home to beautiful architectural landmarks such as the Hanoi Opera House, the Vietnam National History Museum, and the Hillton Hotel… (Source: VNA)

An alarming issue is the bureaucracy, authoritarianism, detachment from the masses, and actions contrary to the people's interests among a segment of Party members, which are undermining the Party's prestige and weakening its strength. The legal awareness of some Party members who are officials and civil servants responsible for enforcing the law is low, contributing to negative practices, corruption, and violations of the law.

Furthermore, issues within the ranks of cadres and Party members, especially the numerous cases of corruption and misconduct involving high-ranking officials and Party members that have been brought to light recently, have caused public outrage and raised concerns about potentially devastating consequences.

A recent report by the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negative Phenomena shows that in the first six months of 2023, Party committees and inspection committees at all levels disciplined 218 Party members for corruption and 10 Party members for violations related to asset and income declaration. The Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Inspection Committee disciplined 13 officials under central management.

Since the beginning of the 13th National Congress term, disciplinary action has been taken against 91 officials under central government management. In the first six months of 2023, local prosecuting agencies initiated 419 cases involving 1,324 defendants for corruption; many localities have prosecuted officials who were former Provincial Party Secretaries, former Chairmen of Provincial People's Committees, etc.

A frank and profound understanding of the difficulties and challenges is not intended to dampen the spirit or diminish the achievements our country has attained since the successful August Revolution under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Rather, it is to better recognize our strengths, to be determined to overcome weaknesses and limitations, so that the country can confidently move forward into a new stage of development. At the same time, it is an extremely important foundation for building trust in the Party and the State, so that the people trust, love, and wholeheartedly build and protect the Party, the State, and the regime.

As General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong clearly stated: “In the process of national development, many new issues arise that need to be addressed, and many extremely complex matters must be resolved; we must absolutely not be complacent or self-satisfied, nor be intoxicated by victory or rest on our laurels… A genuine revolutionary party with the right line, a tight organization, and a clean, exemplary, dedicated, and deeply connected cadre and party member team, supported by the people, possesses invincible strength that no force can stop on the path of leading the nation forward.”

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/78-nam-cach-mang-thang-tam-thanh-cong-vung-buoc-duoi-su-lanh-dao-cua-dang-238943.html