The leadership by a Communist Party over the Military represents a fundamental principle of the working class for the building of a new-style army. The leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) over the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) has been an undeniable practice since the latter’s inception. Nevertheless, the hostile forces have put the removal of our Party’s leadership over the VPA at the forefront of their “peaceful evolution” strategy. Hence, it is necessary to remain vigilant and resolutely fight against this distortion.

With reference to the issue on the CPV’s leadership over the VPA, the hostile forces have used many artifices together with different tones and expressions. On the one hand, they have directly carried out their sabotage scheme. On the other hand, they have acted as the “insider” “for the country and the people” giving “sound advice” to us. They believe that “the VPA belongs to the nation; therefore, it does not need to be placed under the leadership of any political party or force.” They underline that imposing the CPV’s sole leadership on the VPA is “blind.” According to them, the VPA should be loyal to the national benefits and the people under the motto of “Homeland first.” More seriously, they demand the removal of the Party’s leadership over the Military, while denying the principle of the CPV’s absolute, direct leadership over the VPA. With such cunning artifices, the hostile forces fancy that our VPA will lose combat direction and goal and it will “not protect or fight against any one.” They hope that our CPV will not be able to “control” the VPA, especially in the extremely complicated situations, and it will be even become an “object of struggle” of this violence tool.

It could be said that the distortion of the CPV’s unique leadership over the VPA is just a trick; it is totally groundless, politically reactionary, and both theoretically and practically unscientific. There is a fact that the CPV has always been the sole organiser and leader of the VPA. The Military has always been subject to the Party’s leadership. Those have been two parallel clauses since our VPA’s inception. Our Military’s 8-decade history of construction, combat and development has proved that the CPV’s sole leadership over the VPA can not be seized or denied by any force. The principle of “the CPV’s leadership over the VPA” has always been consistent in the ideology of Ho Chi Minh and our Party on the building of a revolutionary Military. 

When being founded, the Vietnam Propaganda Liberation Army Team as the forerunner of the VPA organised, educated and trained by our Party, was an army with the nature of the working class and entrusted with the historical mission of the working class, people, and nation of Vietnam in the fight for national liberation under the CPV’s leadership. The ideal and goal of the CPV and the working class as well as the goal and mission of our revolution and country are also the VPA’s combat goal and ideal.

Reality has proved that thanks to the CPV’s unique leadership, our VPA has become a really loyal, reliable fighting and political force of the Party, the State and the people in the struggle for national liberation and in the Homeland construction and protection. “Our Military is invincible because it is a army of the people constructed, led and educated by our Party.” Being led, educated and trained by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, in its process of construction, combat and development, our VPA has always remained steadfastness in political stance, ideology and the goal of national independence and socialism. In cooperation with the people, our Military has achieved glorious victories, successfully conducting the August Revolution, accomplishing the national liberation revolution, defeating the French colonialists and the U.S. imperialists, fulfilling the international mission, and playing a core role in national defence consolidation and the Homeland protection. Generations of cadres and soldiers of our VPA have bravely fought enemies to build up the tradition of “a heroic Military of a heroic nation.” The image of an Army fighting for the people, serving the people, courageously, resiliently surmounting all difficulties, defeating any enemy has been clearly, vividly manifested in our VPA’s combat, work, and construction process over the past 80 years.

That historical fact proves that our Party has been the organiser of the Military and established its leadership over the VPA from the beginning. It has been a unique force deciding the revolutionary nature, combat strength and victory of the Military, while ensuring all operations of our VPA would always be in accordance with the Party’s “political path” and the military task would always be “subject to the political task” under President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings. That also profoundly expresses the uniformity between theory and practice relating to the CPV’s sole leadership over the VPA, which can not be distorted or denied by any force. Any demand for eliminating the Party’s unique leadership over the Military or any “proposal” that the VPA shall not be loyal to the country, the people, and the national interests are hypocritical only and refuted by reality of the Vietnamese revolution and the history of the VPA.

The Party’s sole leadership over the Military and the VPA’s loyalty to the CPV and the country as well as its piety to the people represent a consistent viewpoint of President Ho Chi Minh and our Party on the building of the VPA. “Our Military shall be absolutely loyal to the Homeland, the people, the revolution, and the Party.” President Ho Chi Minh regularly reminded us that “it is necessary to enhance the Party’s leadership within the Military.” Only by the CPV’s unique leadership will our VPA be a sharp violence tool that is not only loyal to the Party and the country, but also pious to the people and the national benefits in a inseparable relationship. The Military’s loyalty to the Party means its loyalty to the country and its piety to the people and the national interests. The VPA’s loyalty to the country and its piety to the people also include its loyalty to the Party. The dialectical relationship between the Military’s loyalty to the Party and the VPA’s loyalty to the country and the people lies in our Military’s nature and represents its strength created by the CPV’s sole leadership only. Therefore, it can not be said that our VPA “should be only loyal to and protect the people and the Homeland, without loyalty to the Party.” The Military is tasked with protecting the Homeland, the people, and the national benefits. However, only a Army of the people, by the people, and for the people under the unique leadership of the CPV could remain really loyal and fulfil its duty of loyalty. At the same time, only that trait could enable the Military’s loyalty to the Party, the State, the socialist regime, the Homeland, and the people to be included in a uniformed, inseparable relationship.

In the new situation, to preserve and strengthen the CPV’s sole leadership over the VPA, it is important to well implement several fundamental measures as follows.

First, remain steadfastness in the principle of the CPV’s absolute, direct leadership over the VPA. The Party’s leadership over the Military will be a determinant to the building of a revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern VPA. However, the building of the Military shall be placed under the Party’s absolute, direct leadership and ensure the CPV’s unique leadership over the VPA. This dialectical relationship shall be well managed in the process of building the Military and maintaining the Party’s leadership over the VPA.

Second, keep effectively executing the 12^th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No.4 on the Party building and rectification in tandem with the 13^th Politburo’s Conclusion, dated May 18^th, 2021 on continuing to implement the 12^th Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW and the Central Military Commission Standing Board’s Directive 87-CT/QUTW on the study and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle as well as the Campaign entitled “promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new period. It is essential to raise the quality and effectiveness of the party and political work during missions. Under the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress, it is vital to step up and complete adjustments in the Military’s organisational structure in a compact, strong manner by 2025; by 2030, several services and forces shall reach modernity; by 2030, the entire VPA shall be modernised. Besides, it is necessary to well implement policies for the VPA and its Rear, carry out the work of internal political protection, and prevent and combat “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within.

Third, enhance the Party building and rectification under the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress, “continue to build and rectify the Party comprehensively, improve the Party’s working class nature, renew the Party’s leadership method, strengthen the Party’s leadership and ruling capacity,” and make the Party capable of leading the national renewal, national defence consolidation, Military build-up, and Homeland protection. Emphasis should be placed on building an “exemplarily, typically” pure and strong Military Party Organisation to meet the expectations of the entire Party, people and VPA. “Due regard should be paid to building a politically, ideologically, morally and organisationally increasingly strong Military Party Organisation, enhancing the leadership capacity and combativeness of all-level party committees and organisations within the VPA, and promoting cadres and party members’ vanguard, pioneer role across the Military and the society.”

Fourth, proactively, actively fight to foil the hostile forces’ artifices and plots of sabotaging the CPV, “depoliticising” the VPA, and removing the Party’s leadership over the Military. Moreover, it is vital to cement the people’s faith in the Party, consolidate the close-knit bond between the CPV and the people, and build up the people’s determination to fulfil the cause of national renewal, construction and protection under the Party’s leadership. Doing so will help provide a politico-ideological and social foundation for enhancing the CPV’s leadership over the Military build-up, defence-security consolidation, and Homeland protection; at the same time, that will make contributions to refuting the hostile forces’ distortions of the Party’s leadership over the Military.

Associate Prof. NGUYEN MANH HUONG, PhD

NGUYEN HUU CAN^*, MA
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* Political Academy, Ministry of National Defence