For nearly 80 years, the establishment and development of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) with its great achievements have affirmed the revolutionary and scientific nature of Ho Chi Minh’s thought on a new type of government in Vietnam. However, hostile forces have continuously sought ways to distort and twist this ideology, denying his contributions on this issue. This is a dark intention, a shameless and reactionary narrative that must be exposed and refuted.

The new type of government in Vietnam according to Ho Chi Minh’s thought – from theory to practice

Ho Chi Minh’s thought on a new type of government is a system of arguments concerning the nature, characteristics, and requirements of building a government that serves the legitimate interests and aspirations of the people, in direct contrast to the state model of a ruling minority. Driven by the desire to find a way to save the country, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc turned to Marxism-Leninism, deeply absorbing the view that “government power is the fundamental issue of every social revolution”, however, for him, the most important issue was the nature of that government power. Through extensive research into various state models at that time, especially bourgeois states in the U.S., France, etc., he realised that although bourgeois states were progressive compared to feudal autocracies, in essence, they still only replaced the rule of one exploiting class with another. Only after studying the socialist government in the Soviet Union did he conclude: “After expelling the French and Japanese imperialists, we will establish a people’s government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, with the red flag and five-pointed yellow star as the national flag. This government will be elected by the National Assembly and will carry out its duties...”. He also made it clear that “Our country is a democratic country, all benefits belong to the people, all power belongs to the people, and governments from the local to the central levels are elected by the people”. This means that all benefits, power, and resources belong to the people, and the responsibility to build the government lies with the entire people. In practice, immediately after the success of the August Revolution, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born. President Ho Chi Minh promptly directed the organisation of general elections, the establishment of a legal system, and especially the drafting of a Constitution to ensure that our government was democratic and governed by the rule of law. The new type of government in Vietnam, according to Ho Chi Minh’s thought, bears the nature of the working class, led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, operating under the principle of democratic centralism, reflecting a strong unity between the working-class nature and the deeply rooted people’s and national characteristics.

Ho Chi Minh’s thought on a new type of government in Vietnam has served as the direct theoretical foundation and a guiding thread throughout the process of building our government from its inception until now. Under the leadership of the Party, headed by President Ho Chi Minh, along with the unity, trust, and support of the people, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was established and continuously completed, truly becoming a new type of government – a socialist rule of law government. Especially after nearly 40 years of pursuing comprehensive national renovation, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has further improved and made new strides in its development. It has genuinely become a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, contributing to great achievements of historical significance and enhancing Vietnam’s international prestige and standing. This clearly reaffirms and demonstrates the immense value of Ho Chi Minh’s thought on building a new type of government in Vietnam.

One law making session of the National Assembly deputies (Photo: VNA)

Recognising and struggling against distorted narratives

With dark ambitions and sinister plot, hostile forces have employed various sophisticated tactics, often under the guise of “historical research”, to distort and deny the value of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, with the distortion of the ideas about a new type of government being one of their primary focuses.

Firstly, they distort and argue that: “Ho Chi Minh did not adhere to the worker-peasant-soldier state model chosen by the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1930, but instead selected the “republic” model of France, which is not a proletarian dictatorship”. This rhetoric clearly reveals a sinister plot aimed at distorting and denying the contributions of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh in establishing a new type of government in the country. We know that, in the process of seeking a path to national liberation, Ho Chi Minh carefully studied various state models around the world and outlined the “worker-peasant-soldier government” – a proletarian dictatorship state. At the 8th Party Central Committee Conference (May 1941), he proposed the model of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with the goals of “independence - freedom – happiness”, laying the foundation for uniting forces and implementing the people’s democratic rights. Under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Party of Vietnam, the revolution succeeded, ensuring the establishment of a proletarian dictatorship state. Ho Chi Minh drafted and, on behalf of the Provisional Government, read the “Declaration of Independence”, announcing to the world the birth of a new Vietnam, named the “Democratic Republic of Vietnam” – a free, independent nation. In this government, the people are the true masters, with all power, strength, and interests belonging to the people. Thus, the choice and naming of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, transitioning from a worker-peasant-soldier government to a government representing the unity of the entire people, was a wise decision by President Ho Chi Minh and our Party, in line with the unique characteristics and aspirations of the Vietnamese nation. In essence, it remains a proletarian dictatorship state, not a “French-style model” as hostile forces falsely claim and propagate.

Secondly, they distort Ho Chi Minh’s ideology regarding the working-class nature of the new government in Vietnam. They cite President Ho Chi Minh’s establishment of a provisional coalition government, which included various political parties such as the Vietnam Nationalist Party, the Vietnam Revolutionary Alliance, along with the invitation of intellectuals and scholars to join the Supreme Advisory Council of the new government, to distort the claim that: “The government that Ho Chi Minh imposed on Vietnam does not possess a working-class nature but instead has bourgeois and petty-bourgeois characteristics”. It must be affirmed that, from the very beginning, the new government in Vietnam has always carried the working-class essence, unified with both the people’s and the nation’s character. When directing the drafting of the Constitution, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: “Our government is a democratic people’s government, based on the alliance of workers and peasants, led by the working class”. This means that the new government in Vietnam, led by the Communist Party, aims to guide the country toward a transition to socialism and is organised and operates based on the principle of democratic centralism, grounded in Marxist-Leninist theory. However, immediately after the establishment of our government, facing the necessity to organise a whole people’s resistance against the second French colonial invasion to defend the revolutionary achievements and the fledgling government, the strategy of uniting representatives from patriotic political parties, even “reducing the number of communist members” to form a new government, was a flexible, creative, and strategic approach. This demonstrated the vision and intelligence of President Ho Chi Minh and our Party in organising the government apparatus, suitable for the country’s circumstances at that time, aiming to unite and gather forces. This was not, as hostile forces have distorted and fabricated.

Thirdly, the denial of the rule of law in the new type of government in Vietnam according to Ho Chi Minh’s ideology. They claim that “the government that Ho Chi Minh built as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people is demagogism without legal foundation”, and argue that “it is impossible to establish a democratic government in an impoverished, underdeveloped country like Vietnam; a democratic state system only exists in developed Western countries”, etc. These arguments are essentially aimed at obscuring the theoretical and practical values of the new government model in Vietnam, initiated and led by President Ho Chi Minh. In fact, as early as 1919, in The Demands of the Annamite People sent to the French Government and colonial authorities, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc requested the issuance of a constitution, the abolition of the ruling-by-decree system, to be replaced by legal acts, asserting that “all matters must abide by the spirit of law and justice”. The idea of a constitutional government, with strong legal authority, was a prominent feature in Ho Chi Minh’s concept of building a new government in Vietnam. After the successful August Revolution, at the first session of the Provisional Government on 3 September 1945, President Ho Chi Minh identified one of the urgent tasks as drafting a democratic constitution and proposed that “the Government organise as soon as possible” a general election with universal suffrage throughout the country, so that a National Assembly and a constitutional government, elected by the people, could be established on 6 January 1946. Subsequently, the National Assembly elected a Government representing all the people. Thus, both in thought and practice, Ho Chi Minh always emphasised the legal nature and the master role of the people in the new government — a government that belongs to the people, by the people, and for the people in Vietnam. This completely refutes the arguments of hostile forces, who claim that it is a “demagogic government without legal legitimacy”.

President Ho Chi Minh was a true revolutionary, who dedicated his entire life to the people and the country and throughout his 24 years in office as President, he devoted himself to the nation, leading the Party and the people to achieve great victories. His ultimate desire was to “ensure that our country is completely independent, our people are completely free, and that every compatriot has enough food, clothing, and everyone is educated”, and that “I have absolutely no desire for fame or wealth. Now that I must shoulder the title of President, it is because the people have entrusted me, and I must do my best, just as a soldier follows the orders of the people to go to the front lines. Whenever the people allow me to retire, I will be most pleased to step down”. Regardless of the perspective from which one views it, historical reality has shown that President Ho Chi Minh has always been a shining example of absolute loyalty to the nation and deep dedication to the people, unlike the distortions spread by hostile forces.

President Ho Chi Minh left behind a great revolutionary legacy for the Party and the people, along with an invaluable ideological heritage, including his thoughts on building a new type of government. Mastering his ideas, applying and creatively developing them in the cause of national construction and defence is not only the responsibility and duty but also the honour and pride of every cadre, Party member, and the masses. This is the most practical action to refute and dismantle the distorted arguments of hostile forces, to protect the scientific and revolutionary nature of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, to firmly safeguard the Party’s ideological foundation, and to determine to building a clean and strong socialist rule of law government in Vietnam — a government that is truly of the people, by the people, and for the people, steadily advancing on the path to socialism.

Senior Colonel, Associate Prof., Dr. NGUYEN SY HOA and Senior Colonel, Dr. DAM QUANG DUC