Editorial Team for 14th National Party Congress Documents works with Ho Chi Minh Municipal Party Committee Standing Board
It is evident that the aforementioned argument is not novel; it is merely “a rehash of old tactics” used to sabotage the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) whenever the Party Congress is held. Their familiar strategy involves spreading confusion, demeaning and denying new points and contributions in the documents, thereby impacting on the process of preparing congress documents, with the aim of diverting socialism right from the Party's viewpoints and policies.
First of all, it must be affirmed that the Party’s guidelines remain consistent and unwavering on vital issues, as embodied in its political platform to lead and develop the country in each period. Hence, the congresses are tasked with summarising and evaluating the results of each term, setting goals, policies, and solutions for the next term. Accordingly, the draft documents submitted to the 14th National Party Congress have selectively inherited key elements from the documents of the previous congresses while incorporating appropriate adjustments and supplements. With the motto of “Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Breakthrough - Development,” the Political Report Draft for the 14th National Party Congress has introduced some new points as follows.
First, the 14th National Party Congress theme, "Remaining united and determined to achieve national development goals by 2030 under the Party’s glorious flag; staying poised to enter a new era - the era of the Vietnamese nation’s rise for peace, independence, democracy, prosperity, civilisation, and happiness, firmly advancing towards socialism", conveys a comprehensive vision. A notable addition is the clause: "Staying poised to enter a new era - the era of the Vietnamese nation’s rise for peace, independence, democracy, prosperity, civilisation, and happiness, firmly advancing towards socialism".
Secondly, from realities of the renewal process, particularly the five years of implementing the 13th National Party Congress Resolution, the Political Report Draft of the 14th National Party Congress (hereinafter the Report Draft) reflects the Party’s new insights, which are clearly demonstrated through five key lessons: (1) firmly grasping and strictly adhering to the Party’s Platform, Charter, guidelines, and regulations, as well as the State’s laws and policies; (2) prioritising personnel work and the building of a contingent of cadres, especially key ones; (3) taking people's satisfaction and trust as a yardstick to evaluate cadres and their work efficiency; (4) promoting innovation, creativity, and rapid, sustainable national development; (5) integrating practical review and theoretical research with the formulation and implementation of policies and lines.
In addition, for the first time, the Report Draft has presented five theoretical lessons on the Party’s renewal policy. First, it is essential to remain steadfast in and creatively apply and develop Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, stay committed to the goal of national independence linked with socialism, persist in the Party’s renewal lines, effectively uphold the principle of "combining national strength with the strength of the times" in national development and defence. Second, it is vital to maintain and strengthen the CPV’s leadership and ruling role as a decisive factor in all victories in the national renewal, development, and defence process. Emphasis is placed on promoting Party building and rectification, ensuring a clean, strong political system, and upholding the duty and exemplary role of officials, Party members, and key leaders. Third, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp and fully practise the viewpoint on "taking the people as the root". It is important to promote the people’s central role and mastery. All policies must truly originate from the people’s aspirations, rights, and legitimate, legal interests, while the principle "People know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise, and people benefit" should be persistently executed. Fourth, it is important to conduct synchronised, comprehensive, but focalised innovations in leadership, direction, management, and execution of renewal lines. It is required to proactively research, grasp, and forecast situational developments closely, early, accurately, with strategic, innovative, creative thinking, develop appropriate, timely, flexible, effective strategies. Fifth, it is necessary to prevent and combat subjective, dogmatic, opportunistic, conservative attitudes, effectively maintain a balance between inheritance, supplementation, and development, seamlessly integrate practical review with theoretical research, policy formulation, and implementation of Party's lines and State's policies and laws.
Thirdly, the Report Draft has identified a new system of directing viewpoints, emphasising a close connection between practical review, theoretical research, and formulation and execution of Party’s lines and State’s laws and policies. Regarding the national development master strategy, it has introduced a new perception: environmental protection plays a central role; cultural and human development acts as a foundation; promoting foreign affairs and international integration is essential and constant. In terms of institution and development momentum, it has highlighted the need to remove obstacles, unlock resources, and encourage innovation and responsibility. With reference to the key factors in the success of national development and defence, it has stressed the importance of controlling power and resolutely, persistently combating corruption, wastefulness, and negative practices.
Fourthly, based on the 12 development orientations for the period of 2021 - 2030 set by the 13th National Party Congress, the Report Draft has specified development orientations for the period of 2026 - 2030 as follows.
First, concerning the continued construction and improvement of a synchronised institutional framework for rapid, sustainable national development, the Report Draft has added and specified the perfection and synchronisation of the institutional framework to create conditions and meet the requirements of entering the new era of development.
Second, in terms of the growth model and economic restructuring, the Report Draft has introduced the term "economic sector" for the first time, replacing "economic component", marking a significant shift in the Party’s awareness of the economic structure.
Third, as for cultural and human development, the Report Draft has underlined the strong, comprehensive development of Vietnamese culture and people. This includes strongly awakening patriotism, self-confidence, autonomy, self-reliance, self-strengthening, national pride, and aspirations for building a prosperous, civilised, and happy nation, which is a new point compared to the CPV’s 13th National Congress.
Fourth, regarding education and training, the Report Draft has added a new point of improving the people’s intellectual standard, enhancing the quality of human resource training, detecting, nurturing, and utilising talents, and building a lifelong learning society.
Fifth, with regard to science, technology, and innovation, the Report Draft has stated that science, technology, and innovation serve as the main driving force for the development of new productive forces.
Sixth, with respect to social management and development, the Report Draft has underscored inclusive and sustainable social development management.
Seventh, regarding natural resources and environment, the Report Draft has advocated implementing synchronised solutions to promote the economical, efficient use of resources, protecting the environment, and adapting to climate change.
Eighth, in regard to national defence and security, the new point in the Report Draft is the building of revolutionary, regular, elite, modern People's Army and People's Public Security.
Ninth, concerning foreign affairs and international integration, the Report Draft has emphasised actively participating in and contributing to the construction and shaping of multilateral institutions and global political - economic order.
Tenth, as for socialist democracy, the Report Draft has affirmed that it is vital to strongly promote the people’s central role, socialist democracy, and national great unity strength. This includes building and perfecting mechanisms and policies to effectively realise the people’s right to mastery, enforcing laws on democracy at grass-roots level. It is also essential to perfect mechanisms to encourage the people’s role in building a clean and comprehensively strong CPV and political system.
Eleventh, regarding the building of a socialist rule-of-law State, the Report Draft has specified localities’ proactive, creative, and accountable role under the motto: localities decide, localities do, localities take responsibility.
Twelfth, with reference to Party building and rectification, alongside perfecting mechanisms to ensure coherence between the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws, the Report Draft has introduced for the first time the "four no's" principle in the fight against corruption, wastefulness, and negative practices. It has also stressed the building of a culture of integrity among officials, Party members, civil servants, and the people.
Fifthly, regarding key tasks and strategic breakthroughs, the Report Draft has identified six key tasks and priorities in the 3 strategic breakthroughs stipulated in the documents of the 13th Party Congress for the period of 2021 - 2030. The concretisation of these strategic breakthroughs for the period of 2026 - 2030 represents a new perception in the Report Draft submitted to the 14th National Party Congress.
A brief overview of the fundamentals of the Report Draft presented at the 14th National Party Congress shows that this is a draft with major innovations in both structure and content. Many new understandings have been inherited, supplemented, and developed from previous congresses. This is entirely in accordance with the objective, comprehensive, historical, scientific, and developmental law. The notion of a "complete negation" is non-existent. Therefore, we must inherit and develop positive points to a new height, while also setting new points and goals in line with the development trends of the era. The new points in the Report Draft presented at the 14th National Party Congress reflect careful, scientific preparation and the crystallised intellect of the Party Central Committee. They embody the vision and direction needed to propel the nation into a new era of national development. The Report Draft serves as a cornerstone for fostering unified perspectives and fresh insights, facilitating meaningful discussions within the Party and the people, and achieving a consensus in both will and action to effectively implement the resolutions released by the 14th National Party Congress. Those above-mentioned things present a robust, well-founded scientific argument to effectively counter hostile forces’ distortions that the Report Draft is "unchanged, with nothing new".
Associate Prof. PHAN TRONG HAO, PhD