Q: The year 2020 has just passed with numerous difficulties and challenges, but the entire Party, people and army have not only overcome hardships but also obtained many important achievements, leaving good imprints in the hearts of people and international friends. Would you please share with readers of the Party’s Newspaper about what you have been most impressed by?
A: In the process of building, defending and developing the country, besides the advantages, we always have to face and resolve numerous difficulties. But it is true that in the past year, the international, regional and domestic situation has continuously witnessed new and complicated developments; the strategic competition among major countries has grown increasingly fierce; and the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and spread globally, seriously affecting all aspects of the socio-economic life of all countries around the world, including Vietnam. Along with those great impacts, domestic difficulties and challenges are not small. Natural disasters, storms and floods have occurred, negatively impacting production and people’s lives, especially for people in the central region.
In that context, we have proactively and flexibly responded effectively to all developments, including unexpected situations, promoting the spirit of solidarity, mutual care and affection of the entire Party, people, and army, striving to successfully implement the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress. The Party Central Committee, the National Assembly and the Government have promptly issued many appropriate, drastic and realistic directions and policies; all levels, branches and localities joined in a synchronous manner; the whole people united in striving to both prevent and combat the pandemic, overcome consequences of natural disasters, and promptly complete the socio-economic development plan for 2020 and for the whole term, while at the same time successfully organising Party Congresses at all levels towards the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. While the world economy has been in serious recession with negative growth of nearly 4%, the micro-economy of Vietnam has been still stable, inflation has been controlled, the growth quality has been enhanced, and the economy’s major balances have been improved. In 2020, Vietnam’s economic growth was estimated at nearly 3%. To date, the world has recorded more than 100 million people infected with COVID-19 with more than two million deaths. Vietnam is one of the very few countries to have effectively prevented and fought against this pandemic. Other areas of the political life and social security continued to be stable, many of them are flourishing. People’s confidence in the Party’s leadership and the socialist regime has been steadily strengthened, which is the highest and most accurate measure. I have often said, and received a high consensus, that never before has our country had the fortune, potential, and international position and prestige that it does today.
The achievements in 2020 and this 12th tenure, including the successful organisation of Party congresses at all levels, are the result of the striving efforts in the whole tenure and more profoundly that is the following of the achievements of the Doi Moi during the past 35 years.
Q: The work of Party building and rectification as well as the fight against corruption and negative activities has left a prominent and deep impression of the 12th tenure of the Party Central Committee. How was this achieved?
A: The work of Party building and rectification, especially the fight against corruption and negative activities, are always big, difficult, complicated and extremely sensitive problems, because that is the struggle within the Party, within the Government, within each person who has position, rights, and money. That is the fight against “internal invaders”! From the past until now, our Party focused on this work in previous tenures, but in fact, have never achieved such positive results as in recent years, as well as been acknowledged and supported by the people, creating a positive effect in all society. More than 110 officials, even including high-ranking officials under the Central management were disciplined. It hurts! But it must be done for the common cause of the Party, the people and the nation. And,in doing so, we can clean the organisation, the apparatus of the Party and the State, thus restoring the people’s trust. The motto is the synchronous and tight combination between “building” and “fighting”; continuing to develop and perfect guidelines and policies, create favourable conditions and opportunities for cadres to strive and dedicate their talents to the country, build a synchronous legal document system, and increase the control of power; while at the same time resolutely and strictly handling violations.
Those positive results were attributed to the high determination, the drastic direction, the correct and persistent methods of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption, the advisory and functional agencies, especially the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs, the Police, the Army, the Supreme People’s Procuracy, the Supreme People’s Court, the Government Inspectorate, the State Audit, etc. All have joined in a synchronous manner, from central to local levels. No one can stand outside and cannot stand outside, because the fight against corruption has really become a trend and a demand for itself in the Party building work, which is an urgent requirement of the people. The Party’s political determination has been shown in handling cases in a methodical, fair, objective and public manner, in the spirit of no “forbidden zones”, no exceptions, and no privileges. The handling is strict but also very humane, creating a high consensus in the Party and the society.
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Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong with delegates attending the 70th founding anniversary of Nguyen Gia Thieu High School in Hanoi. (Photo: Duy Linh)
Q: Could you tell us what lessons have been learned from the success of the 12th tenure of the Party Central Committee?
A: The success of the 12th tenure gave us valuable experiences. The following are some of the main lessons.
First of all, it is necessary to regularly well implement the Party building and rectification work in all fields of politics, thought, organisation, ethics and personnel. This is the core issue, the cause of all causes. In any period, if there is no strong party organisation, no high spirit of solidarity, especially without a contingent of qualified and talented cadres, then no correct path and policy can be realised; the degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle of a number of cadres will lose people’s trust. If we lose trust, we lose everything. Thanks to good implementation of the Party building and rectification work, previous shortcomings, especially in personnel work, have been gradually overcome. Therefore, people’s trust has been strengthened, creating a new driving force, new determination in promoting socio-economic development and overcoming all difficulties and challenges.
Secondly, there is the lesson of “taking people as the root”, considering the people as the centre and the subject of the Renewal cause. All the Party’s guidelines and policies must come from the legitimate rights and interests of the people; and consider serving people as the motivation and goal to strive, always trust, respect and strongly promote the people’s rights to mastery, realising the motto “People know, people discuss, people do, people monitor, people supervise, and people enjoy”.
Thirdly, regarding leadership, direction, administration, organisation, and implementation, there must be high determination, truly dynamic and creative to overcome the limitations and weaknesses pointed out by the Congress. It is necessary to maintain and strictly implement the principles and activities of the Party, especially the principle of democratic centralism, self-criticism and criticism. When new and difficult problems arise, these principles should be upheld in order to find a common voice to solve problems together. We should enhance the responsibility of setting the example of cadres and party members, especially leaders, and at the same time encourage the spirit of innovation, creativity, daring to think, to do, and to take responsibility; as well as strictly observe the discipline of Party, and the law of the State.
Fourthly, in the implementation of the tasks, due attention must be paid to the synchronisation and comprehensiveness, combining the realisation of long-term basic goals and tasks with solving urgent and immediate problems in a drastic manner in order to ensure the harmony between economic development and the handling of social problems, and between maintaining independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-reliance and achieving deeper international integration;while handling all situations wisely to maintain a peaceful and stable environment and cooperate for mutual development, etc.
The lessons mentioned above have been drawn over many tenures and have been deepened in the past five years, with long-term value in the process of leading and developing the country of our Party.
Q: Could you please tell us about some new points raised at the 13th National Party Congress and what is currently the most concerning issue?
A: The direction of this Congress has seen many innovations. Firstly, the direction of the Party Central Committee is very specific, close, regular, drastic, prudent, methodical and scientific; defining further vision, but also more clearly defining specific objectives, tasks and solutions. This is truly a profound and democratic political activity. The Party Central Committee soon issued documents to direct and thoroughly organise the National Cadres’ Conference to unify the implementation. On behalf of the Politburo, I shred three articles (this is also the first time in the process of organising the congress that the General Secretary has done this) to orient general and key issues,in order to thoroughly grasp and well implement Directive No.35 of the Politburo on the Congress’ organisation, on personnel work, and the drafting of documents of the 13th National Party Congress. I know that, together with the directive documents of the Party Central Committee, these three articles are considered as “manuals” for party committees and organisations at all levels to prepare and organise their congresses more smoothly. Another new point is, the Secretariat set up 12 working groups to directly inspect, urge and direct the timely removal of difficulties and problems. The Politburo and the Secretariat have been focused on directing and stabilising the situation in “problematic” places and strengthening the staff to prepare and organise the congress. After finishing the congress at each level, there is a summary to draw experience; the Politburo organised the National Cadres’ Conference to comprehensively evaluate the organisation of the Party Congresses at all levels, draw lessons from experience to promptly serve the preparation towards the 13th National Congress as well as the directing work for the next stage. The drafting of documents, especially the Political Report, have many new points, not only summarising the term but also looking back at 35 years of Doi Moi (Renewal); not only defining directions, goals, tasks and solutions for the next five years, but also striving for the year 2030 as the Party celebrates its 100th anniversary, as well as a vision to 2045 when the country will mark its 100th independence anniversary. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). The drafting documents have done very carefully, absorbing the most comments of the people, and have been reviewed in many times, worthy of a document of the National Party Congress. An action plan is discussed at the Congress. Personnel work has been done step by step in a prudent, strict, thorough, scientific manner, with the coordination, inspection and supervision of the party committees, advisory agencies, and functional agencies. With such strict steps, processes, and regulations, negative phenomena have decreased, the quality of the party committees at all levels has been improved, the proportion of Party committee members who are women, young people and of ethnic minorities has increased compared to the previous tenure.
The documents have been carefully prepared, with good quality, truly crystallising the wisdom of the entire Party, people and army. The most concerned issue is the personnel work. This issue has been and is being done in a thorough manner, resolutely not to be included in the electoral list of ineligible and unqualified people. The delegates attending the Congress must be really sound, truly fair, objective, and put the interests of the Party, the nation, and the people first and foremost; absolutely not to be dominated by anyone, any power when holding the ballot, choosing the most deserving people to be elected to the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Inspection Commission, and especially the General Secretary. The entire Party and people trust each delegate to decide this important job. It must be remembered that it is the responsibility and honour of each delegate to be part of this major national event.
Q: On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, what is your message to people across the country and overseas Vietnamese?
A: The results achieved in the 12th tenure of the Party Central Committee and especially the lessons from 2020 give us more confidence in the leadership of the Party, in the power of the great national unity bloc, creating a new spirit and a new driving force for the entire Party, people and army to steadily overcome all difficulties and challenges, bring the country into a new stage of development, as well as successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. On behalf of the Party and State leaders and with my own affection, I cordially send New Year greetings to all citizens, comrades, and soldiers in every part of the country, and to all compatriots overseas. May the New Year bring peace, prosperity, happiness, and new victories.
Thank you very much!
