Intensified the drive of learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style in combination with the building of a strong and pure Party has been a focus in the work of the Party Committee and Command of the 4^th Naval Region recently. The results of the work have contributed to the improvement in quality of cadres, Party members and efforts towards a strong and pure Party Committee as well as the success of all missions of the Region.

957 Bridage's troops in break time

The Naval Region 4 is assigned to manage the waters and islands of strategic importance of our nation, especially the Spratly Islands, where there are always potential complex and unpredictable situations. Therefore, to bring their missions to success, the naval cadres must not only be politically stable and qualified in virtue, competence and working style but also be knowledgeable about maritime law and relevant international laws. They must also be independent in executing their tasks; sensitive in identifying and determined, persistent as well as not passive and surprised in dealing with various situations at sea to firmly defend our sovereignty over and peaceful environment in the waters and islands of our nation. Towards this end, the Command of the Region has comprehensively implemented multiple measures of leadership, including the implementation of Directive 05-CT/TW of the Politburo (term 12^th), Directive 87-CT/QUTW of the Standing Board of Central Military Commission on intensifying the learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style in combination with Party building. To well implement directives, instructions and plans of the leaders of upper levels, and taking account of the functions and missions of the Region as well as the practical situation, the Region’s Party Committee focuses on educating its Party members, officers and soldiers on the importance of the documents, and at the same time, drafts its plans to carry out the Directive 05-CT/TW and Directive 87-CT-QUTW of the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission in connection with the Party building and rectification required by the Resolution No.4 of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure) in the way that is practical and detailed.  The plans emphasize the elements of awareness, though, organization and ethnics in order that their conduct will be successful. Party executive committees, political commissars and commanders at all levels need to employ various leadership measures to help their cadres and party members understand that the Directive No.05 and the Party building directed by the Resolution No.4 of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure) share the same objective, which is to substantially improve the quality of Party organs, cadres and party members. Good implementation of Directive No.05 would be an important solution for the problems remained in party building, especially the degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle, and the internal “self-transformation” and “self-evolution”. On the other hand, good Party building will create favorable environment for the Directive No.05 to be brought into reality, and for the cadres and party members to learn and follow Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style. Therefore, the Region’s Party Committee and Command have required the two tasks to be integrated in every activities of the Party Committee, thereby contributing to helping its organs to be stronger in terms of politics, ideology, apparatus and ethics. This measure has also enhanced the awareness of the cadres and party members of the key role of Party building and the Party’s leadership over Military as well as the political core role of Party organs in each agency and unit. Thanks to the right conscience, the enhanced responsibilities of each person in the implementation of the Directive No.05 and efforts towards strong and pure Party organizations, and the seamless improvement of leadership and struggling ability, the Region’s leaders have accomplished their designated tasks.

To intensify the learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style in close connection with the effective Party building, the Region’s Party Committee gives great efforts to build strong Party Committees at all levels to help them be able to lead their units to success in executing their tasks in new circumstances. The Region’s Party Committee regularly review the apparatus, personnel, the quality of members of Party executive committees and key cadres of organs from Region to subordinate units, flotillas, ships and islands. The results of these activities serve as the base for personnel arrangement and appointment and the consolidation of the Party executive committees at all levels. The latter is always conducted in close connection with key cadre planning, especially in newly established forces or units. With complete understanding of criteria of members of Party committees and to strictly follow the principles of personnel appointment, the Region’s Party Committee designates qualified cadres to be  the secretaries, deputy secretaries or members of Party committees and key cadres of the units. The ones who have good personalities, abilities, practical experience and are dynamic, creative, responsible and prestigious are preferred to be promoted. All issues related to personnel appointment are openly discussed and collectively decided with due competence. The assessment of the personalities and abilities of key cadres and members of Party committees at all levels is always based on their efforts towards better morality and lifestyle as required by the Directive No.05 and the Resolution No.4 of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure), which stated 27 forms of the degradation of political ideology, morality and lifestyle. In 2017, the Region’s Party Committee consolidated 25 Party organs and appointed 639 members of Party committees at all levels in the way that was in line with Party’s principles and regulations. The organs and members of Party committees have proved themselves in leading their units to learn and follow Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle. The leadership of Party organs over the execution of their units’ tasks, especially unscheduled ones, and the handling of complicated situations at sea has been effective and in accordance with the principles. The relations between Party committees and commanders, and the internal solidarity and unity are remained in good conditions; the consensus among party organs and units and the democracy at low level units have been well utilized.

The Region’s Party Committee directs Party committees at all levels to improve their leadership style, especially the formulation, complement and finalization of the set of working regulations and leading regulations for key tasks, which should be suitable to the functions and missions of each organs and units. That will be the base for consensus and unity, which will lead the Region to the success of every task. Following the style of Uncle Ho, Party committees at all levels pay special attention to the renovation of the contents and formulation process of their resolutions, which should be brief, practical and have focal points to remedy the weaknesses and shortcomings of their units. In their meetings and briefings, the Party cells have always proven their party nature and collective brainpower as well as highlighted criticism and self-criticism. As a result, the Party’s principles of leadership are always observed and the spirit of learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style among all Party organs as well as cadres and Party members has been improved. The education, management and training for Party members, which fit to the objectives of each Party member, are put under firm instructions of the Party Committee. Those activities aim to enhance their political steadfastness and the determination to strive for the title “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers – Naval Soldiers” in the new era; their scientific minds; strict obedience to the Party’s leadership principles; close relations with the populace and local agencies; nice and sensitive manners; and spirit of struggling for collective benefits. Cadres and Party members always have detailed approaches to their work and live simple, modest lifestyle; uphold the sense of responsibility; combat individualism; practice what they preach; say and do what resolutions have stated; avoid things that Party member must not do; and perform the responsibilities of cadres and Party members, especially leaders, commanders and managers at all levels. At the same time, they should give due efforts to correct their weaknesses to ensure Uncle Ho’s thought, morality and style can be applied to the implementation of their responsibilities and tasks.

To increase the percentage of Party members, the Region’s Party Committee pays great attention to the enrolment, following the motto: quality first, giving priority to officers, non-commissioned officers and civilian personnel. As a result, annual enrolment objectives have been always met. In 2017, 400 excellent members of the Youth Union were provided with training courses and 280 people were enrolled to the Party, thereby increasing the percentage of Party members in the Region to 43.28%. Moreover, the Region’s Party Committee well identified, trained and used good cadres as well as further improved their awareness and abilities. Besides, the Committee regularly examined, observed their units and opportunely handled any principle violation. Consequently, the cadres and Party members of the Region are enthusiastically training themselves to have better political steadfastness, determination and combat readiness, and are always ready to sacrifice themselves for the firm defence of the national sovereignty over our waters and islands.

101 Brigade's troops on marching exercise

In the combination between Directive No.05 implementation with Party building, the examination and observation of Party organs and member are specially emphasized by the Region’s Party Committee. Every year, basing on the directives, plans and instructions from higher level establishments, Party Committees at lower levels design their examination and observation plans suitable to each subject, yet focusing on the organs or units with internal problems, and the key cadres and Party members who have signs of principle violation or poor task implementation. The examination and observation aim to improve moral virtues and lifestyle of cadres and Party members; opportunely discover, stop and tackle all signs of “self-transformation”, “self-evolution”, degradation of political ideology as well as corruption and principle violations, etc. During their implementation, the Region’s Party Committee requires the close combination of examinations on and observations of organs and units with examinations on members of Party committees and key cadres; and diversification of examination on Party organs and members. At the same time, voluntary self-criticism and criticism are highlighted. Notably, the examination and observation are conducted by not only superior organs and individuals to inferior ones but also vice versa, while focusing on the forces usually on independent duties or working at sea or on islands in long periods of time, and those who are at the high risk of being lured. Once principle violation is discovered, the Region’s Party Committee will give opportune orders to examine the case and impose due punishments on the violator. With active and proactive spirit, in recent years, 100% of the objectives of the examinations and observations of the Region’s Party Committee have been fulfilled with annual 25% Party members and organs examined. Particularly in 2017, across the Party Committee, 750 Party members and 60 Party organs were subjects to specialized examinations; 57 Party organs and 742 Party members were subjects to regular examinations; and 05 Party members violating principles were imposed punishments.

The comprehensive implementation of measures to intensify the drive of learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style in connection with Party building has made positive contributions to the improvement of the quality of cadres, Party members and the building of politically, ideologically, organizationally and morally strong Party organs within the Region’s Party Committees, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of their leadership in implementing their units’ tasks.

Rear Admiral Nguyen Duc Vuong, Commissar of the Region