Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 08:03 (GMT+7)
Enhancing self-criticism and criticism amongst cadres and party members today

Self-criticism and criticism is our Party’s principle and law of development, aimed at strengthening party organisations’ leadership capacity and combativeness, preventing and repelling the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as the signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” amongst cadres and party members. This is a task of urgency and importance to the Party building and rectification reaffirmed by the 13th National Party Congress.

There is a fact that never have the issues on corruption, degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” amongst cadres and party members become complex like they are today. Since the issuance of the Resolutions No.4 of the 11th and 12th Party Central Committees (PCC), the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) has taken disciplinary action against tens of thousands of cadres and party members, including the senior ones, demonstrating its political resolve to cement the people’s faith in the Party, the State, and the socialist revolutionary cause.

There are both subjective and objective reasons for the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as for “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” amongst cadres and party members. Subjectively, some cadres and party members have yet to be fully aware of self-criticism and criticism or they have yet to be self-aware to admit their weaknesses and responsibility for their jobs. In some places, regulations on self-criticism and criticism have yet to be strictly maintained. “Self-criticism and criticism in several places are still in formalism, many cadres and party members fear self-criticism and criticism, and some of them are not self-aware to acknowledge their shortcomings and responsibility for their assigned task.”

Enhancing self-criticism and criticism is now a task of urgency to preventing the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” amongst cadres and party members, building a clean CPV, and improving the Party’s leadership capacity and combativeness on a par with the Homeland construction and defence. Therefore, all party organisations shall “resolutely, persistently execute the PCC’s Resolutions No.4 (11th and 12th tenure) in tandem with the study and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and lifestyle via drastic, synchronous measures to prevent and repel the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as the signs of self-evolution and self-transformation from within,” while “intensifying self-criticism and criticism from central to grass-roots levels.” In order that self-criticism and criticism under the 13th National Party Congress Resolution will be effective, it is necessary to focus on several basic measures as follows.

First, conduct the work of education to raise cadres and party members’ awareness of self-criticism and criticism. To that end, all-level party organisations shall regularly educate all cadres and party members on the importance of self-criticism and criticism to the Party building and consolidate a sense of unity within the CPV. They shall uphold the principle of democratic centralism and encourage cadres and party members’ knowledge to develop and well execute party resolutions and tasks of offices and units. Due attention should be paid to seeking measures to promote party organisations, cadres, and party members’ strong points and overcome their weaknesses.

In fact, self-criticism and criticism means the settlement of conflicts within a party organisation under Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’ ideology, and the CPV’s Platform, guidelines, principles, and Charters amongst comrades with the same goal and ideal. With the revolutionary, scientific, and humanistic nature, self-criticism and criticism encourage everyone to reach out for the perfection. Hence, self-criticism and criticism must be highly principled, objective, honest, sincere, and reasonable in order to raise party organsiations’ leadership capacity and combativeness, preserve party members’ qualities, and strengthen the masses’ faith in the CPV. Currently, a section of cadres and party members do not show their vanguard, exemplary role, while the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as the signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within are still complex. As enhancing self-criticism and criticism is a matter of urgency, party committees and party cells shall educate cadres and party members on regulations and responsibilities for exercising self-criticism and criticism, particularly for fighting against the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as the signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within according to the 12th PCC’s Resolution No.4.

Second, strictly maintain regulations on exercising self-criticism and criticism. This is a very important measure and a matter of principle for a party organisation’s operation. The 13th National Party Congress has emphasised that it is vital to stringently, effectively exercise self-criticism and criticism, evaluate and rate party organisations and party members on a yearly basis. Party organisations from central to grass-roots levels shall proactively develop and seriously implement plans for exercising self-criticism and criticism, evaluating and rating their affiliates and party members. Doing so will help prevent and push back the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from each cadre and party member nowadays.

During the exercise of self-criticism and criticism, it is necessary to conduct honest and correct evaluations and avoid masking weaknesses or taking advantage of that work to undermine colleagues’ prestige. Moreover, superiors must play an exemplary role in exercising self-criticism for their subordinates to follow. Senior party committees shall proactively suggest issues of review to their affiliated collectives and individuals with the signs of degradation, “self-evolution,” and “self-transformation.” Significance should be attached to carrying out inspections to overcome shortcomings. Heads of offices and units shall heighten righteousness and public-spiritedness, create a sense of reliability and a democratic atmosphere, and avoid discord from within. Self-criticism and criticism must be exercised in all operations of party organisations and other organisations within the political system. After the exercise of criticism, it is important to take specific measures to overcome weaknesses, combine “building” with “fighting,” match words with action, and focus on handling the thorniest issues in the Party building today. Besides, due attention should be paid to multiplying and commending “good people, good deeds” examples, and criticising wrongdoings and ideological deviations amongst cadres and party members.

Third, frequently renew the contents and forms of self-criticism and criticism. The contents and forms of self-criticism and criticism must adhere to the Party’s orientations and be centred on shortcomings in the CPV’s organisation, meetings, and activities, and weaknesses in cadres and party members’ political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle. In the current situation, emphasis should be placed on preventing and combating the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as the manifestations of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” amongst a section of cadres and party members, especially leaders and managers at all levels in order to enhance the Party’s leadership capacity and combativeness, and cement the people’s faith in the CPV as a “central task of urgency.”

Self-criticism and criticism should be exercised diversely via meetings and conferences in offices, units, and residential areas. Offices, unions, and organisations shall regularly organise political activities, such as specialised political briefing and political theoretical study to raise cadres and party members’ political awareness and responsibility. Doing so will also enable them to be fully aware of their responsibility for self-criticism and criticism and make contributions to the building of a pure, strong CPV.

Fourth, encourage cadres and party members’ active, proactive role in self-criticism and criticism. This measure acts as a determinant to improving cadres and party members’ political zeal, morality, lifestyle, and working competence, method, and style, and dealing with the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle as well as the signs of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” amongst cadres and party members. Therefore, each cadre and party member shall stringently exercise self-criticism and criticism under the 12th PCC’s Resolution No.4 in line with the study and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and lifestyle, particularly Uncle Ho’s good example in self-criticism and criticism. Besides, each cadre and party member shall promote their vanguard, exemplary role and responsibility for performing their assigned task, actively improve their political zeal, morality, lifestyle, and working method and style, readily undertake and successfully fulfil all assigned missions.

Self-criticism and criticism is a principle and a law of development, while representing a regime in the Party’s meetings for cadres and party members. Therefore, each cadre and party member shall be active, proactive, and self-aware to comply with regulations on the Party’s meetings and especially on self-criticism and criticism so as to contribute to enhancing the leadership capacity and combativeness of party organisations, cadres, and party members and building a really moral, civilised CPV.

Sr. Col. PHAM THANH GIANG, PhD, Political Academy, Ministry of National Defence 

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