Party building and rectification in the coming time is determined in the draft political report submitted to the 13th Congress of our Party firstly as: “Being consistent with Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's Thought”. This content is absolutely correct, and we should understand the connotation of that consistency in the following aspects:
1. Maintaining the working class nature of the Party. The working class nature of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) is a matter of principle. Ho Chi Minh applied and developed creatively Marxism-Leninism when emphasising the point of view that: The CPV must always maintain the working class nature; pay attention to admit the qualified workers, and at the same time, attract people from other classes to the Party when they accept the Party's platform, voluntarily abide by the Party Charter, and prove to be qualified for being a party member. Maintaining the working class nature means that the CPV does not dissolve into the nation but represents the pioneer of the working class and at the same time is the vanguard, faithfully representing the interests of the working people and the entire nation. Therefore, the Party's social basis is the great national unity block, the core is worker-peasant-intellectual alliance, led by the working class of which the vanguard being the Communist Party of Vietnam. With such working class nature and with the social basis expressed in such great solidarity, our Party has combined the national strength with the power of the times throughout its operation. This is one of the most prominent features in the history of the Vietnamese revolution led by the Party, becoming a valuable lesson in Party building that needs to be promoted in the next revolutionary period.
2. Strictly complying with the principles of Party building. According to Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's Thought, the Communist Party is a strict organisation, fighting for the lofty goal of liberating people with a good society. Therefore, it is necessary to consistently apply and develop creatively Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's Thought on Party building on the following principles:
Democratic centralism. This is the basic principle in the organisation and operations of the Party. K. Marx, F. Angels, especially V.I. Lenin focused on building the Communist Party following this principle. Ho Chi Minh considered centralism and democracy within the Party as a unity and closely related to each other: centralism is based on democracy; democracy must end with centralism. He emphasised that we must make all party members express their opinions in the Party, which is to arouse the sense of responsibility and activeness of all party members. When discussion is finished and all opinions are expressed, then come centralism i.e. unanimity and unified actions.
Collective leadership, individual responsibility. To emphasise this feature, two things should be avoided in the operations of the ruling Party: authoritarianism and indecisiveness. The ruling Party must dare to take responsibility for the destiny of the Fatherland, the interests of the people and the entire nation on the basis of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's Thought with its political zeal and high intellectual level.
Self-criticism and criticism. It is necessary to regularly educate the whole Party of the spirit of self-criticism and criticism to make the Party always pure and strong in accordance with new principles of Party building of V.I. Lenin and Ho Chi Minh which consider self-criticism and criticism as the Party's development rule. The goal of self-criticism and criticism is to make the good in each person, in each organisation blossom like spring flowers and minimise the bad ones. To that end, there should be the right and appropriate method basing on “comradeship and mutual affection”.
Solidarity and unity in the Party. Only when there is solidarity and unity within the Party, can there be solidarity and unification among the entire nation. The Party is united on the basis of having a common goal expressed in the right platform and path. The Party must have discipline, even “iron discipline”, which means that all party members must comply with the Charter and strictly abide by the Party's resolutions and regulations. In the event that the Party is in power, its members must also be exemplary and strictly observe the laws of the State.
Operating within the framework of the Constitution and laws. All cadres and party members are obliged to respect and strictly observe the law in the conditions of the ruling Party. Thus, in building a rule of law state in Vietnam, the Constitution and law have the power to regulate all social relations, and the Constitution and law have contained the spirit and contents of the lines, views and policies of the Party. The issue of building the rule of law State in Vietnam is therefore the expression of the Party's leadership. The Party is the nucleus of the political system and the leader of that system, especially the State.
3. Creatively applying and developing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's Thought in the specific conditions of the renovation in the new revolutionary period. Vietnam is facing great opportunities and challenges, and great risks of development. That situation requires that our Party grasp opportunities, overcome challenges, risks; has leadership capacity, high power, strong political zeal, and a clear thinking. If the ruling Party is degraded and corrupted, and the Party fails to overcome and repel the situation in which a number of cadres and party members deteriorate in political thought, morality and lifestyle; “self-transformation”, “self-evolution”, then it will lose its legitimacy in leading the political system and the whole society. Therefore, the Party must regularly and actively conduct party building and rectification; apply creatively Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's Thought on Party building in specific conditions of each place and each period.
To enhance the ruling capacity, it is required that the Party accurately grasps the situation in order to work out the right path and policy in the conditions of a socialist-oriented market economy and international integration. The Party's ruling capacity is a combination of qualifications, ability and political zeal to deal with requirements and tasks set by the country's situation in order to achieve development goals. In order to set out the appropriate path and policy, the Party must firmly grasp the situation in all aspects both at home and abroad; avoid conservatism and inertia in the making of the Party's lines and policies. If conservative, and fail to supplement, develop principles, lines and policies when the domestic and international situation changes, the Party will not be worthy of a pioneer, dynamic and creative party, a subject initiating comprehensive national renewal which has brought about fast and strong progresses and great and historic achievements to Vietnam over the past 35 years of renovation. Here, the making of policies is of particular importance as "a miss is as good as a mile". It is necessary to have careful consideration on the basis of scientific research of political theory and strong political zeal; combine science with the actual situation of the country and the world to set out the sound direction and policy. If we don’t base on the foundation of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's Thought, and hastily and subjectively set out and implement the unsuitable guidelines to the country's circumstances, then we will certainly fail.
The ruling party must be pure and strong. Its leadership can’t be gained by mere proclamation but proving its strength and prestige to the entire society and recognised by the entire nation. The legitimacy of that leadership is, then, firmly grounded and no one can deny. However, the Party will lose that legitimacy if it is weakened, impure and not strong, and people's confidence in the Party is deteriorated and lost. This is illustrated by President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching that: each nation, each party and each person could be great and praised yesterday, but doesn’t necessarily remain so if it no longer be pure and fall into individualism. Therefore, the Party’s leadership always comes together with the need to innovate and self-regulate. This is why our Party has identified Party building as a key task. The key nature of that mission is reflected in the fact that the Party must improve its intelligence, leadership, and fighting capacity in the new period. The cause of national construction sets out for the Party and Vietnamese People an outstanding vision and creativity. The Party has to self-study and self-summarise the practice to propose theories for innovation, including the theory of a ruling Party in the integrated world. Sound and important policies depend on many factors, but most fundamentally, on the capacity, intelligence and quality of the cadres and party members. Therefore, it is necessary to have a contingent of cadres and party members with strong political zeal, intellectual height, and high sense of responsibility to the Party and the nation who are dynamic, dare to think and dare to do.
In addition, we must continue to renew the leadership method of the Party. Right policies can’t come into life if leadership methods are inappropriate. Continuing to renovate the Party's leadership method, we should base on Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's Thought, and put more emphasis on the renewal of the Party's leadership towards the State. Referring to the “ruling” of any political party is to mention that party’s leadership over the state in the first place. In society in general and the rule of law state in particular, the state is the centre of power, expressing the will and power of the people, performing internal and external functions. In the relationship with the ruling Party, it is the State and only the State that has the function and task of institutionalising the Party's policies and guidelines. Mentioning the “ruling” of the Party, it is also necessary to talk about enhancing the Party's leadership over the society through the people's socio-political organisations. In modern society, the role of social criticism is increasing, especially in the period of international integration. The Party will perform its functions and duties in the supervision, consultancy and criticism of the mass organisations; thereby, reviewing itself to supplement, develop and adjust its lines and policies and renew its leadership method over the political system and the whole society.
In order for the socialist regime in Vietnam to thrive and enhance the leadership of Communist Party of Vietnam, it is necessary to be steadfast and firmly consolidate Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's Thought on Party building.
Prof, Dr., MACH QUANG THANG