Since the 10th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee, General Secretary To Lam has repeatedly mentioned and made a thorough analysis of a new era — the era of the nation’s rise — and devoted a session to discussing this topic at a training class for tentative members of the upcoming 14th Party Central Committee.
This is the powerful message from the Party chief, expressing the aspirations of the entire nation, showing confidence and decisive action to overcome all challenges and surpass ourselves to “successfully build a socialist Vietnam with wealthy people, strong nation, democratic, just and civilised society, standing shoulder to shoulder with great powers across five continents.”
To enter the era of the nation’s rise, starting with the 14th Party Congress, General Secretary To Lam outlined seven key areas of focus: improving the Party’s leadership methods; enhancing the Party character in building and perfecting the law-governed socialist state of the people, by the people, for the people; streamlining the apparatus for effective and efficient operations; digital transformation; combating waste; personnel; and economic issues. These are not just strategic orientations but also fundamental and effective solutions for the journey into the new era to embark on the right path and reach the goals on schedule.
Call for a new stage of development
After 40 years of the Doi Moi reform, Vietnam has achieved its current position and international prestige. The size of the economy in 2023 was 96 times larger than that of the first year of Doi Moi (1986). Vietnam is among the 40 largest economies in the world and has diplomatic relations with 193 UN member countries. However, to maintain steady progress on the new journey, alongside opportunities and advantages, Vietnam also faces numerous challenges.
The world is in an era of drastic changes with unpredictable developments, especially with armed conflicts escalating in many regions, seriously affecting global economic and political life. Domestically, there are still many difficulties hindering progress in various areas of society.
To realise the aspirations and set goals, there is no other way than for the entire Party and people, millions as one, to awaken the national spirit and the spirit of self-reliance and self-strengthening, as well as to maximise internal resources and take advantage of external resources, using endogenous resources and human resources as the foundation, with science-technology and innovative renovation as breakthroughs to take the country forward.
This is a valuable lesson that the history of the Vietnamese revolution brings and is also an urgent requirement from the current renovation process. With a sharp scientific mindset through summarising practices with a broad vision, General Secretary To Lam has identified major issues and pointed out what needs to be done to drive rapid and sustainable development in Vietnam. That is the call for a new development stage.
Looking back at the history of the Vietnamese revolution, especially since the establishment of the Party, we are more deeply imbued with the General Secretary's message. A small nation like Vietnam has defeated any invader no matter how powerful they are, and with its strength, it has gradually pushed back poverty and backwardness to have the beautiful country it is today. Recalling the miserable years of slavery, sinking into the scene of a lost country and broken homes, recalling the times of "digging up mountains, sleeping in trenches, eating rice with rain; mud mixes with blood"; remembering the days of “cutting through Truong Son to save the country”, seeing the country with so many hardships and difficulties that seemed impossible to overcome.
On every step forward of the nation, especially before historical moments, the entire Party, people and army must rise up, overcome challenges and overcome themselves to avoid stumbling and move forward firmly.
Without the Party's ingenious and wise leadership, without the rise of the 54 ethnic groups, overcoming all dangers, bombs and bullets, there would be no August Revolution in 1945, no Dien Bien Phu Victory in 1954 and no historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975, unifying the country.
At its 6th Congress, the Party proposed a renewal policy for this reason; the Party recognised its own limitations and shortcomings, conservatism, stagnation, and slow innovation of outdated economic management mechanisms and apparatus. The Party believes that to survive and develop, it is necessary to innovate to meet the demands of the times, to innovate thinking, first of all, economic thinking, to innovate organisation, to innovate the cadre team, and to innovate leadership and working style. The 6th Congress marked a milestone in the Party's journey of building and growing, surpassing itself to survive and grow.
After 40 years of renovation, the country has gathered all the factors of position and strength to continue writing new pages of history. The path is wide open, but there are still many thorns ahead. That is the eternal law of life, but it is also an opportunity for the whole nation to rise up and test itself - a virtue of the Vietnamese people.
The message from Party General Secretary To Lam is a sacred call from the Party, carrying the resonance of the nation’s historical essence. It not only guides but also inspires and instil confidence in Party organisations, officials, members, and all segments of the population to move forward on the path of renewal. In the near term, this means successfully achieving strategic goals of becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030 and becoming a developed, socialist nation with high income by 2045.
The new era, an era of Vietnam’s resurgence, is one of development and prosperity under the leadership and governance of the Communist Party. It is the era of building a successful socialist Vietnam where the people are wealthy, the nation is strong, and society is democratic, equitable, and civilised, standing shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents.
Every citizen will enjoy a life of warmth, prosperity, and happiness, with support for growth and wealth-building. They will increasingly contribute to global peace, stability, development, human happiness, and universal progress.
Turning the call to decisive and effective action
The message about the new era, an era of national resurgence, delivered by the Party’s highest leader, comes at a particularly critical time: the entire Party is preparing for the congresses of Party committees at all levels in the lead up to the 14th National Party Congress, scheduled for January 2026. This major political event for the country is even more significant as it is chosen to mark the beginning of a new era.
Along with the Politburo’s Directive No. 35, dated June 14, 2024, regarding congresses, and the Party Central Committee’s guiding documents, the strategic directions outlined by General Secretary To Lam regarding the era of national resurgence serve as a foundation for Party committees and organisations at all levels to study, internalise, and implement. These principles will be incorporated into the drafting of congress documents to unify objectives, directions, tasks, solutions, and action plans. They are among the key factors contributing to the success of Party congresses at all levels and the 14th National Party Congress itself.
The urgent requirement to fundamentally renew leadership methods, enhance leadership capacity, and improve governance ability to ensure the Party remains the great helmsman steering our nation toward powerful progress is now more pressing than ever.
stated Party General Secretary To Lam
In the seven strategic orientations that General Secretary To Lam mentioned, the first thing to mention is the improvement of the Party's leadership method. According to the General Secretary, the requirement to strongly innovate the leadership method, improve the leadership and the governing capacity, and ensure that the Party is the great helmsman leading the nation forward is urgent. This is the central issue, the basis for implementing other solutions synchronously, on the principle of strictly implementing the Party's leadership and governing method effectively, not making excuses to replace or loosen the leadership role.
One of the key contents here is to innovate the issuance of resolutions and the organisation of their implementation, ensuring that resolutions have a scientific, practical, and feasible vision. Each resolution of the Party Committee from the Central to the grassroots level must correctly identify the tasks and requirements of the Party, the country, each locality, and each ministry and branch, urging action and solving each problem in life.
General Secretary and President To Lam speaks at the Conference to deploy the Resolution of the 10th session of the 13th Party Central Committee. (Photo: VGP)
General Secretary and President To Lam speaks at the Conference to deploy the Resolution of the 10th session of the 13th Party Central Committee. (Photo: VGP)
The innovation of the Party's leadership method is closely linked to building and perfecting the socialist rule-of-law State of the people, by the people, for the people; streamlining the organisation of the operating apparatus, with efficiency and effectiveness; with digital transformation; with innovation to improve the quality of cadre work and cadre contingent; with economic development and the prevention of corruption, wastefulness, negativity, etc.
The seven solutions proposed by General Secretary To Lam are closely linked to each other, one content is the premise for the other and vice versa.
The seven solutions proposed by General Secretary To Lam are closely linked together, one content is the premise for the other and vice versa, so they must be implemented synchronously, creating mutual promotion without any single “cut-off”. When analysing and deepening the General Secretary’s viewpoint on building and perfecting the socialist rule-of-law state, experts and scientists said that, in principle, based on the Party's Platform and guidelines, closely following reality, the building of laws must both ensure the State's management requirements and encourage innovation and creativity, unleash all resources for development, and at the same time, tighten discipline, resolutely fight corruption, waste, negativity, and group interests, thereby creating a breakthrough for the country’s development in the new era.
To innovate the Party's leadership and ruling method, it is crucial to innovate and improve the quality of cadre work and the pool of cadre, especially those in strategic-level positions.
To innovate the Party's leadership and ruling method, it is crucial to innovate and improve the quality of cadre work and the pool of cadre, especially those in strategic-level positions. According to President Ho Chi Minh, cadres are the “root” of all work, and every success or failure is attributed to good or bad cadres. They are not only the ones who plan and propose policies and guidelines, but also the ones who realise those policies and guidelines.
Therefore, to confidently enter the new era, improving the quality of cadres is more important than ever. Cadres must have comprehensive qualities, from patriotism and loyalty to the Party, the Fatherland and the people, to innovative thinking, vision and the ability to solve practical problems, dare to think, dare to do, and dare to take responsibility.
General Secretary, President To Lam with delegates and participants at a training course to update knowledge and skills for planned personnel who are being groomed for membership of the 14th Party Central Committee. (Photo: VNA)
General Secretary, President To Lam with delegates and participants at a training course to update knowledge and skills for planned personnel who are being groomed for membership of the 14th Party Central Committee. (Photo: VNA)
While focusing on discovering, training and fostering to build a team of cadres with sufficient virtue, talent and working conditions, attention should also be attached to supporting cadres with enthusiasm to contribute their talents to the country, and resolutely screening and removing from work positions those who are not qualified enough. Party congresses at all levels and the 14th Party Congress are the best opportunities to implement these requirements, resolutely not appointing into new Party committees those who do not meet the conditions or standards.
A pool of high-quality cadres is the best foundation to organise a lean, strong, effective, and efficient apparatus. Although the streamlining of the organisational apparatus has been directed by the Party through the issuance of many resolutions, directives and conclusions, the implementation of these documents has still been modest and have not met the requirements of the tasks. Currently, 70% of the budget is spent to support the apparatus. Several ministries and branches still take on local tasks, leading to the existence of a request-grant mechanism, which can easily give rise to corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena.
A pool of high-quality cadres is the best foundation to organise a lean, strong, effective, and efficient apparatus.
This is also a cause of wastefulness and significant reduction in human resources. If it is not resolved, it will not only be a burden on the budget but, together with the waste of public investment and public assets, will be a huge obstacle, slowing down the process and missing the development goals set for the new era.
The issue mentioned drew significant attention from Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who personally chaired the Central Steering Committee for evaluating the implementation of Resolution No.18, dated October 25, 2017, of the 12th Party Central Committee, addressing the continued innovation and streamlining of the political system's organisational apparatus for more effective and efficient operation. The goal is to have agencies that carry out multiple tasks, each assigned to one lead agency responsible for its execution. The Party General Secretary also stressed the need for a synchronised approach to streamline organisational structures while restructuring the workforce to ensure that personnel have the necessary qualities, capabilities, and adequate staffing levels to fulfil their duties.
A synchronised approach is needed to streamline organisational structures while restructuring the workforce to ensure that personnel have the necessary qualities, capabilities, and adequate staffing levels to fulfil their duties.
To achieve this, a focus on building a legal framework for digital development is essential. This includes creating breakthrough mechanisms to attract talent, developing strategies to cultivate human resources with the knowledge, skills, and innovative thinking required for a digital economy, and creating a comprehensive digital society and fully digitising state management activities.
Each solution holds its own significance, but together, they form a pathway to stability and overall breakthrough development for the nation in this new era. Economic development remains the central task of the new era-building effort. The reforms in the Party’s leadership methods and the state's management mechanisms, along with the push for digital transformation, aim to create an open environment and favourable conditions to attract investment, stimulate production, and mobilise domestic and international resources. This will drive the country’s socio-economic development. The Party leader has called for a stronger breakthrough in development mechanisms, particularly addressing institutional bottlenecks, focusing on the people and businesses, and promoting science and technology development to ensure coordinated economic, cultural, and social development progress.
As the 13th National Party Congress term nears its end, and the 14th National Party Congress is set to take place on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the Party's founding, the country and its people will celebrate the Party, the spring festival, and the nation’s remarkable transformation. Though challenges remain, the message from the Party’s leader about the national ambition will provide renewed determination and drive for the people, opening up all avenues for progress and realising the aspiration to build a prosperous and happy nation.
Published: November 25, 2024
Design: NGOC DIEP
Photos: VNA, VGP, VOV, NDO, Pinterest
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