Party building in the XIII Congress documents Part I: Separate report on Party building and implementation of the charter

The delegation of the Central Organizing Committee and the Provincial Party Committee leaders took a souvenir photo at the historical site of the Central Organizing Committee of the Southern Region. Photo: Phuong Thuy

October 14 every year is the traditional day of the Party Building and Organization sector (October 14, 1930 - October 14, 2023). Party building and rectification is an objective requirement, a regular task directly related to the fate, fighting strength, leadership capacity of the Party and the survival of the regime. Throughout the revolutionary process, especially during the renovation period, the Party has constantly cared for building and rectifying the political , ideological, organizational and moral aspects.

The Party has issued many resolutions, directives and conclusions on Party building and rectification, on fundamental and urgent issues for Party building work and preventing and repelling ideological, moral and lifestyle degradation, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the Party.

Three important resolutions

Looking back over a long period of nearly 40 years, specifically from the 6th Party Congress to the present, there has been no term in which the Party Central Committee has not had resolutions and conclusions on Party building and rectification. Let us temporarily list three important resolutions: Resolution of the 6th Central Committee (2nd session - 8th tenure) on "Some basic and urgent issues in current Party building work" (Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW, dated February 2, 1999); Resolution of the 4th Central Committee, 11th tenure "Some urgent issues in current Party building" (Resolution No. 12-NQ/TW, dated January 16, 2012); Resolution of the 12th Central Committee, Session XII on “Strengthening Party building and rectification; preventing and repelling the degradation of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Party” (Resolution No. 04-NQ/TW, dated October 30, 2016).

In addition to the achieved results, the work of Party building and rectification still has some limitations. The summary report on the work of Party building and implementation of the Party Charter during the 12th Congress term pointed out: “The institutionalization and concretization of a number of Party resolutions are still slow; organization and implementation are still weak. Ideological work still has limitations, lacks timeliness, and is not very convincing. The struggle to protect the Party's ideological foundation and refute erroneous and hostile viewpoints is sometimes passive, lacking sharpness, and not very combative…” ( Communist Party of Vietnam , 2021, vol. 2, p. 222).

In the section on directions, tasks and solutions for Party building work during the 13th National Congress, the Party stated: “In the coming years, the world situation will continue to have very rapid, complex and unpredictable developments. After 35 years of renovation, our country has achieved great and historic achievements, 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 four dangers that the Party has pointed out still exist and are 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; degradation, "self-evolution", "self-transformation" within the Party; fierce resistance and sabotage by hostile forces and reactionary organizations...

"The above situation has a strong and multi-dimensional impact on the work of Party building and rectification and the contingent of cadres and Party members. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to and further promote the work of building a truly clean and strong Party, leading the country to develop rapidly and sustainably in the coming years" (Communist Party of Vietnam, 2021, vol. 2, p. 228).

On the basis of inheriting the ideas and viewpoints of previous documents, especially based on the current situation of Party building work, our Party has added new points to continue building and rectifying a clean and strong Party, improving leadership and governing capacity to meet the requirements and tasks of building and defending the Fatherland in the coming time. Compared to previous Congresses, the XIII Congress Document (on the content of Party building) has a number of new points.

The XIII Congress documents devote 138 pages (from page 163 to page 301) to summarizing the work of Party building and the implementation of the Party's charter. Due to the importance of the work of Party building and rectification, the XIII Congress determined that "in the coming years, we must pay special attention to and further promote comprehensive Party building and rectification in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization and cadres".

Compared to previous Congresses, Party building work is not only mentioned in the political report of the 13th Congress, but there is also a separate report on summarizing Party building work and implementing the Party Charter of the 12th Central Executive Committee. Having a separate report on summarizing Party building work and implementing the Party Charter is a completely new point compared to previous Congresses.

Add new points

The 13th Congress added a new point to the Congress theme: "Strengthening the building and rectification of the Party and a clean and strong political system...". The Party added "Party rectification" and "political system" to the content of strengthening the building of a clean and strong Party to "Strengthening the building and rectification of the Party and a clean and strong political system".

The reason for adding “rectification” to the content of “building a clean and strong Party” in the theme of the 13th Congress is because in the past, there has been degradation among a significant number of cadres and Party members. Only by effectively implementing Party rectification can we build a clean and strong Party.

Adding "political system" to "strengthening the building and rectification of a clean and strong Party" to "strengthening the building and rectification of a clean and strong Party and political system" is correct and necessary.

The Party leads comprehensively, the Party leads organizations in the political system, but the Party is a part of the political system, so the purity and strength of the Party must be associated with the purity and strength of the entire political system including the State, the Fatherland Front, and socio-political organizations.

New Perceptions on Lessons Learned

After 5 years of implementing the Resolution of the 12th Party Congress, the 13th Congress drew 5 lessons, the first lesson on Party building and the political system. The Congress determined: "Party building and rectification work must be implemented resolutely, comprehensively, synchronously, and regularly in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization, and cadres...".

The Party's new awareness in this lesson is to emphasize Party building in terms of cadres. The Congress affirmed that cadre work must be the "key of the keys", focusing on building a contingent of cadres and strategic-level cadres with sufficient qualities, capacity and prestige, equal to the task. Cadres and Party members must fulfill their responsibility to set an example according to the motto that the higher the position, the more exemplary they must be, especially Politburo members, Secretariat members, and Central Executive Committee members.

Party rectification - the top factor

Compared to previous Congresses, the political report submitted to the 13th Congress added guiding viewpoints; among the 5 guiding viewpoints, there are two new viewpoints on Party building.

The first viewpoint raises principled issues in Party building: “Firmly and creatively apply and develop Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, firmly pursue the goals of national independence and socialism; firmly pursue the Party’s renewal policy; firmly pursue the principles of Party building to build and defend the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland”. Compared to previous Congresses, the 13th Congress added: “firmly pursue the principles of Party building”.

The fifth viewpoint states the factors that are decisive for the success of the cause of national construction and defense: “Strengthening Party building and rectification, enhancing the working class nature of the Party, improving the leadership capacity, governing capacity and fighting strength of the Party; building a clean and strong Party and political system in all aspects, building a streamlined State that operates effectively and efficiently;

Building a contingent of cadres and party members, especially a contingent of strategic-level cadres with sufficient qualities, capacity and prestige, equal to the task, closely attached to the people are factors that have decisive significance for the success of the cause of building, developing the country and defending the Fatherland. Thus, among the factors that have decisive significance, strengthening Party building and rectification is the leading factor.

Viet Dong

(To be continued)

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