Party work and political work within the Vietnam People’s Army constitute the Party’s leadership over the core forces responsible for safeguarding the Fatherland and serve as the consistent guiding thread for all activities of the Army and the determinant of the maturity and development of the Army. Over the years, especially since the 2022-2025 tenure, under the leadership and direction of the Party, particularly the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and the General Political Department, party work and political work have been mapped out in accordance with the practical situation, requirements, and tasks. They have been actively and comprehensively implemented with focus, numerous innovations and breakthroughs in terms of content, forms, and methods. This contributes to the accomplishment of the political tasks of agencies, units, and the entire Army. The system of political agencies and cadres at all levels has been cemented to facilitate the implementation of party work and political work. Emphasis has been placed on decentralisation during the close, scientific, and in-depth implementation; the combination of ideological work with organisation and cadre work and policy work, emulation and commendation to bring into play the synergy of organisations and forces in performing tasks such as combat readiness, training, exercises, the building of regularity, full compliance of discipline, the prevention of natural disasters and diseases, search-and-rescue operations, etc. to firmly safeguard the sovereignty over the borders, seas, and islands and promptly respond to non-traditional security challenges.

Particularly, in line with the restructuring of forces and the building of an “agile, compact, mighty” and modernised Army, party work and political work have been actively, uniformly, and effectively executed at all levels. Proactive coordination with Central committees, ministries, branches and local party committees and authorities has been conducted throughout the implementation of military-defence tasks and the building of all-people national defence and “people’s heart and mind” posture. The focus has been also put on building defensive areas and enhancing the overall quality and combat power of the armed forces. The struggle on the ideological and theoretical front has always been emphasised to counteract distorted and inaccurate allegations and misperceptions. This contributes to protecting the Party’s ideological foundation, foiling the schemes of “peaceful evolution” and “de-politicisation” of the Army conducted by hostile forces, and containing any manifestations of ideological, ethical, and lifestyle degradation and the “self-transformation” or “self-evolution” among cadres. As a result, a substantial majority of cadres and soldiers possess solid political zeal and unwavering commitment to Marxism and Leninism, Ho Chi Minh ideology, the goal for national independence and socialism, and absolute confidence in the Party’s leadership, thereby readily accepting and accomplishing all assigned tasks.

Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Gau checks legal education work at Battalion 4, Brigade 270, Military Region 5 (Photo credit: qdnd.vn)

In the forthcoming time, although peace and cooperation remain the dominant trend, it is anticipated that the global and regional situation will be complicated and unpredictable, which will impinge on all nations. As for Vietnam, besides opportunities and advantages, there exist multiple difficulties and challenges. Hostile forces are accelerating their subversive activities in all fields, especially the Army as their main target. Tasks concerning military, national defence, the building of the Army, and the protection of the Fatherland have set out more demanding requirements, especially in the context of restructuring forces and the building of an “agile, compact, and mighty” Army that requires new approaches to ideological work, organisation, policies, etc. Therefore, it is required that all agencies and units strengthen unity and solidarity and concentrate on comprehensive leadership and direction of all working aspects. In particular, enhancing the quality, effect, and effectiveness of party work and political work in all tasks is of paramount significance and needs implementing through multiple appropriate measures to lay a foundation for the accomplishment of all assigned tasks.

First, heightening the awareness and responsibility of organisations and forces toward the significance and roles of party work and political work in all tasks; intensifying the leadership and direction of party committees and organisations at all levels for this pivotal activity. Throughout 80 years of construction, fight, maturity, and victory of our Army, it can be affirmed that party work and political work constitute the “soul and mainstay” of the Vietnam People’s Army; wherever there is a military unit, there exists party work and political work. However, in actuality, several organisations and units at various levels have not thoroughly grasped the significance and roles of party work and political work; therefore, their roles and responsibilities have been not fully exerted during the task implementation. As a result, agencies and units are required to inspect meeting activities of party, command, and mass organisations; the organisation of political education at units and party work and political work in all tasks, etc. to heighten the awareness and responsibility of forces toward the significance and roles of party work and political work in general and all tasks in particular. This indispensable principle is a fundamental task of party committees, political commissars, commanders, and political agencies. This is also the responsibility of all organisations, forces, cadres, and party members with party organisations and political cadres at all levels at the core.

On the foundation of the unanimous consensus, party organisations and presiding cadres at all levels must strengthen their leadership and direction to ensure the constant, politically oriented, high-quality, and effective implementation of party work and political work. Leadership resolutions compiled by party committees and organisations must accurately reflect the actual situation to put forward appropriate policies and measures as well as integrate cadres’ responsibility with the results of leading, directing, and organising the implementation. Political commissars and cadres at all levels must heighten their sense of responsibility and proactively exchange with commanders to direct their functional agencies to formulate plans and seriously perform them. Political agencies at all levels must fulfil their roles in advising, guiding, supervising, and inspecting to bring into play the synergy of organisations and forces and fully thwart misconceptions and any manifestations of trivialising this pivotal activity.

Second, adhering to the practical situation and continuing to renovate the content, forms, and methods in accordance with different subjects to accomplish all tasks. For successful implementation of the measures, it is required that party committees and commanders at all levels keep abreast of the ideological situations and activities of cadres and soldiers, social life, global and regional situations, the requirements, tasks, and issues that impinge the building of politically strong Army, etc. Accordingly, emphasis must be put on determining the contents, forms, and methods for appropriate implementation in accordance with subjects and tasks; closely combining ideological work with organisational, cadres, and policy work while protecting the internal political system; attaching emulation with commendation and duplication of typical model and good people, good deeds, thereby directly contributing to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of party work and political work as well as representing the competencies of party committees, political commissars, commanders, political cadres, and political agencies at all levels. In the current context, it is necessary to intensify party work and political work and thoroughly solve all issues to victoriously realise Resolution No. 05-NQ/TW issued on 17 January 2022 by the Politburo (13^th tenure), Resolution No. 230-NQ/QUTW issued on 02 April 2022 by the Central Military Commission on the restructuring of the Vietnam People’s Army in the 2021-2030 period and beyond; the building of revolutionary, regular, agile, and gradually modernised Army with several military arms, services, and forces advancing to modernity. By 2025, the building of an agile, compact, and mighty Army will have been perfected, which will lay a solid foundation to strive for the building of a revolutionary, regular, agile, and modernised People’s Army in terms of political stances, ideology, organisation, and cadres. The focus must be placed on good implementation of combat readiness, training, the building of regularity, and full compliance with the discipline; the prevention of natural disasters and search-and-rescue operations; military-defence work in localities to select and call up for military service; participation in UN Peacekeeping force, etc.

Third, regularly training to enhance the competence in conducting party work and political work for political commissars and cadres at all levels, especially at grass-roots levels. Party committees, agencies, and units must evaluate and keep abreast of the quality of political cadres to put forward appropriate methods of training; combine education and training with the actual assessment to foster comprehensive, in-depth, and competence in applying forms and methods of conducting party work and political work in accordance with assigned positions and duties. The focus must be placed on promoting the awareness and application of Marxism–Leninism, Ho Chi Minh ideology, and the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines in executing military-defence tasks, building the Army and safeguarding the Fatherland. Importance must be attached to fostering comprehensive knowledge, particularly on social sciences and humanities, military art; developing proficiency in educating and mobilising the masses; employing a close and meticulous working style with the principle of combining theory with practice, and linking theory with reality.  Attention must be paid to forging skills concerning ideological work, especially a sharp mind to grasp, forecast, manage, evaluate, classify, orient, and solve ideological issues in military activities in general, and training and disciplinary compliance in particular. Simultaneously, it is necessary to train all service members to ensure a thorough understanding and successful implementation of all duties as well as the relationships between political commissars and leaders of political office; grasp the functions, tasks, and relationships among political agencies at all levels in the Army; promote a spirit of daring to think, speak, and act, taking responsibility, daring to innovate and confront difficulties and challenges, and daring to act for mutual benefits.

Another decisive factor to consider is that the contingent of political cadres and commissars are required to heighten their spirit of learning autonomy and training to enhance their political qualities, ethics, lifestyles, competencies, and qualifications to meet the increasingly demanding task requirements. On the foundation of duties and tasks, each political cadre must formulate learning plans, determine objectives for striving, and measures for implementation in each phase; regularly self-evaluate, “self-inspect and self-correct” to complete themselves. It is also a must to continue the implementation of resolutions and directives of the Party Central Committee on accelerating Party building and rectification in association with learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and manners; Resolution No. 847-NQ/QUTW issued on 28 December 2021 by the Central Military Committee on bringing into play the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” and resolutely preventing individualism in the current context.

Fourth, intensifying political education; resolutely fighting against erroneous and hostile viewpoints and allegations to firmly safeguard the Party’s ideological foundation within the Army. Due to the current intensified schemes and tactics to undermine the Party, the State, and the Army, hostile forces and malicious elements stop at nothing to get what they want. They take advantage of military activities to propagandise distorted allegations, belittle the role of the Army, etc. Thus, agencies and units are required to concentrate on improving the quality of political education to enhance the political zeal and resilience of the armed forces; constantly cementing the confidence in the leadership of the Party, party committees and organisations at all levels; fostering motivation, attitudes, determination, a sense of responsibility, solidarity to surmount difficulties and readily accept and accomplish all assigned tasks. In addition, party committees, cadres, party members, and Steering Committees 35 at all levels, as well as core forces in agencies and units must heighten revolutionary vigilance and take initiative, to resolutely combat erroneous and hostile viewpoints and conspiracies, as well as thwart “peaceful evolution” and “depoliticisation” of the Army conducted by hostile forces. It is a must to maintain vigilance and a high level of morale and prevent degradation of political ideology, ethics, and lifestyles and any manifestation of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” to create political and ideological unity in each organisation and unit. This significantly contributes to safeguarding the Party's ideological foundation in the Army.

Fifth, concentrating on after-action reviews, supplementing and developing theories on party work and political work; bringing into play the synergy of organisations, forces, and means. After-action reviews are the regime of party work and political work that facilitates the identification of forces’ strengths and shortcomings in their competencies as well as deficiencies during the implementation, thereby supplementing theories and putting forward policies and measures to enhance the quality and effectiveness of party work and political work. Party committees, political commissars, commanders, and political cadres of agencies and units must rely on the actual situations, requirements, and tasks to select proper contents and organise after-action reviews so that a tight, scientific, principled approach can be ensured and slackness, underestimation, or subjective imposition, and a lack of scientific basis can be avoided. At the same time, it is necessary to bring into play the synergy of organisations and forces in units; pay attention to assurance of technical materials and financial resources; innovate and improve the quality of cultural constitutions at grassroots levels. Close coordination with Central committees, departments, and branches, local party committees and authorities, functional agencies at all levels, the Fatherland Front, and mass organisations within the grassroots political system must be conducted to mobilise all resources, materials and technical means for the implementation of party work and political work.

Continuing to renovate and enhance the quality and effectiveness of party work and political work in all tasks is currently a fundamental and imperative issue. Party committees, political commissars, commanders, political agencies and cadres at all levels must heighten their responsibility to thoroughly grasp and execute measures for the implementation of this pivotal task. This contributes to preserving and intensifying the Party’s leadership over the Army and constructing a politically strong Army to constantly enhance the overall quality and combat power to accept and accomplish all assigned tasks.

Lieutenant General NGUYEN VAN GAU, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Chief of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People’s Army