Army Party Organization, along with the whole Party, is stepping up the implementation of the Central Resolution (12th tenure) on enhancing Party building and rectification; preventing and repelling the degrading of political ideology, ethics and lifestyle as well as the manifestations of intra-party “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. This is a deep and enlarged campaign, aiming to bring the Resolution into life and to enhance the quality of cadres and party members and building a politically, ideologically, organizationally and morally strong Army Party Organization.

Senior Lieutenant General Luong Cuong delivering speech at a conference on studying and implementing the Central Resolution No.4 (12th tenure) (photo: VNA)

During its process of leading the whole Army to implement assigned tasks, the Army Party Organization has attached great importance to building politically, ideologically, organizationally and morally strong party committees and affiliated party organizations as well as enhancing their leadership capability and combat strength. This is the decisive factor ensuring our Army be a loyal, credible political and fighting force of the Party, the State and the people, and the core force for building the all-people’s national defence, the all-people’s national defence posture in association with the people’s security posture, firmly safeguarding national independence, sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity, maintaining political stability and peaceful environment for the country’s construction and development.

In its 5 years of implementing the Central Resolution No.4 (11th tenure) on Party building and the 11th Politburo’s Directive on studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example, the Army Party Organization has seriously and responsibly implemented and followed directions and guidance of the Politburo and the CPV Secretariat, and flexibly applied their contents into its real situation. As a result, it has contributed to preventing and repelling the degradation in political ideology, ethics, and lifestyle of a number of cadres and party members. The practice of the principle of democratic centralism, collective leadership, individual accountability, and the implementation of working and leadership regulations have experienced considerable changes. The quality of cadre staff has improved. The work of inspection, supervision and practice of the Party’s discipline have been strengthened. Almost all of cadres and party members of the Army have strong political will and pure ethics and lifestyle, being steadfast in Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought and the goal of national independence and socialism, and absolutely loyal to the Party’s leadership.

However, there exist limitations in the Army’s work of building Party and training its cadres and party members. Notably, political and ideological education of several party committees has not been active, flexible and persuasive yet. A small number of cadres and party members, including commanders and leaders, have not been exemplary yet, even violated discipline; the implementation of the democratic centralism principle of several party committees and cells has not been thorough. The work of inspection and supervision has not been conducted regularly and timely.

The cause of national renovation, construction, and protection, as well as the Army building is now experiencing opportunities, advantages, difficulties and challenges. To successfully implement the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, the 4th Plenary of the 12th Central Party Committee issued the Resolution on enhancing Party building and rectification, preventing and curbing the degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle as well as the signs of intra-party “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. This is a Resolution specialized on Party building and the Party’s first central task in its 12th tenure. It proves the Party’s great determination, huge effort, and ideological consistence in the utmost importance of the Party building and rectification, focusing on combating, preventing and pushing back degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle as well as manifestations of intra-party “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. As for the Army Party Organization, implementing the Central Resolution No.4 (12th tenure) is a good opportunity to build a really pure and strong Army Party Organization and enhance its leadership capability and combat strength.

Following the direction of the Politburo, the CPV Secretariat, and the Central Military Commission, party committees at levels have fulfilled the task of self-criticism and criticism and supplemented the content of task review under the spirit of the Central Resolution No.4 (12th tenure), the Politburo’s Directive No.5 and the Central Military Commission Standing Committee’s Directive No.87.

To effectively implement the Central Resolution No.4 (12th tenure), in the time ahead, party committees and organizations within the Army should take measures as follows:

First, continuing to raise awareness and responsibility of party committees and organizations over the implementation of the Resolution. Over the past time, the Army Party Organization has held courses for its cadres and party members to study the Resolution at all levels, which has helped them understand the necessity of the Resolution, clarify the risks, fully realize the manifestations, and propose proper measures to prevent and curb the degrading of political ideology, ethics and lifestyle as well as the manifestations of intra-party “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”, ensuring the Army be exemplary in studying and implementing the Central Resolution No.4 (12th tenure) on Party building and rectification. The Army Party Organization has focused on grasping the basic viewpoints on Party building and rectification as well as the focal points, bringing about the consistency in awareness and action, raising awareness and responsibility for the implementation of the Resolution.

Second, enhancing leadership and direction over the implementation of the Resolution. Grasping the spirit of the Central Resolution No.4 (12th tenure), the Politburo’s Plan No.4-KH/TW, dated 16/11/2016, the Resolution of the 10th Army Party Congress, the Action Plan of the Central Military Commission, 2015-2020 tenure, the Central Military Commission has worked out a plan to implement the Central Resolution No.4. This is an important foundation for the synchronous and comprehensive implementation of the Resolution. Thus, party committees and organizations in the Army should adhere to the Directive and Plan of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission as well as the guidance of superior functional organs to lead and direct the task of studying and grasping the Resolution, and to map out the plan for implementation in their units and organs. Moreover, party committees and organizations should require cadres and party members to write commitment on preserving political ideology, ethics and lifestyle, and combating “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”; seriously implement the Regulations on political education at levels; effectively carry out the Project “Innovating political education of units in the new period”; bring into play the outcomes of criticism and self-criticism; resolutely overcome weaknesses in the work of building cadre and party member staff to make them politically strong, moral, responsible and really exemplary; strengthen the work of intra-party political protection; closely manage relationships within organs and units; grasp and effectively implement the Project on the Vietnam People’s Army Force and Organization Adjustment until 2021 and beyond; and further innovate, rearrange, and privatize Army enterprises to enhance their business efficiency.

Third, supplementing and completing legal normative documents and regulations to prevent the signs of degradation, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”.  In order that the Central Resolution No.4 brings about practical outcomes, in addition to political and ideological education, party committees and organizations should supplement and complete legal normative documents to prevent and deal with cadres and party members’ signs of degradation, “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” as well as their violations of State law and Army discipline. In short term, it is necessary to check and supplement the system of documents prescribing functions, tasks and jurisdiction of organs and units; stepping up military administration reform, particularly organizational structure and administrative procedure reform, to prevent and combat negative phenomena and wastefulness. It is important to amend and supplement regulations on discipline management to achieve unity between Party discipline and Army discipline; regulations on practising thrift, combating wastefulness, negative phenomena, and building up civilized lifestyle. Party committees and organizations should complete regulations on management of cadres and party members, appropriately assigning tasks and successfully carrying out the work of planning, appointing and rotating cadres.

Fourth, strengthening the work of inspection, supervision and Party discipline practice. Party committees should supplement the task of inspecting and supervising the implementation of the Central Resolution No.4, the Directive No.5, and the Directive No.87 to their plan and the inspection commissions’ plan. Moreover, it is necessary to concretize regulations on dealing with collectives and individuals’ degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle as well as the manifestations of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. Party committees and organizations should actively enhance the quality and the effectiveness of inspection and supervision, focusing on inspecting party organizations and members with manifestations of violating the Party’s discipline and State’s law, while leading and directing the work of investigating, prosecuting, and judging cases relating to corruption, wastefulness, degradation, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. It is important to improve the quality of inspection organs and their staff at levels so that they are capable enough to fulfil all assigned tasks.

Fifth, bringing into play combined strength in the implementation of the Resolution. In this regard, it requires the involvement of organizations and forces with highly political responsibility and determination. First and foremost, Army press agencies should open special columns on Party building and rectification, timely disseminate the results of the Resolution implementation, typical examples, and “good people doing good deeds” examples, while actively combating to prevent and repel the degradation in political ideology, ethics, lifestyle; the manifestations of “self-evolution”, “self-transformation”; the hostile forces’ and acts of sabotage against the Party, the regime as well as their plots to “depoliticize” and “denationalize” our Army. Also, Army press agencies should work with the Public Security and functional forces to timely detect and resolutely struggle against organizations, individuals and opportunists taking advantage of democracy and human rights to distort the facts and publish wrongful and adversarial documents. Besides, it is necessary to promote the role of mass organizations and Soldiers’ Councils. Units and organs should successfully implement the Regulations on Grass-Roots Level Democracy; maintain dialogue mechanism between commanders and cadres, soldiers to address difficulties and consider recommendations. It is also important to promote emulation movements and campaigns, particularly the Campaign “Promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, improving troops’ material and spiritual life; harmoniously manage relationships; build up healthy military cultural environment, and create favourable conditions to cultivate political ideology, ethics and lifestyle of cadres, party members, and the masses.

With the results achieved, the ultimate determination and responsibility of party committees and organizations at levels, and the exemplification and self-awareness of cadres and party members, it is believed that the Army Party Organization’s implementation of the Central Resolution No.4 (12th tenure) on Party building and rectification will bring about practical outcomes, make it really politically and ideologically strong and morally pure, directly contribute to enhancing its leadership capability and combat strength in the cause of building the Army, strengthening national defence, and firmly safeguarding the Homeland.

Senior Lieutenant General Luong Cuong, Member of the CPV Secretariat and the Central Military Commission Standing Committee, General Director of the General Department of Politics, VPA