Grasping and implementing the Resolution of the Party Central Committee’s 7^th Plenum (12^th tenure) on “building a contingent of cadres, particularly at strategic level with sufficient virtues and capabilities on a par with their mission” represent the political responsibility and central task of the Military Region 4 in the coming time. Doing so will contribute to building the Military Region’s contingent of cadres to meet the task requirements.

After the 7^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure) issued the Resolution 26-NQ/TW on “building a contingent of cadres, particularly at the strategic level with sufficient virtues and capabilities on a par with their mission” (hereafter the Resolution 26), the Military Region 4’s Party Executive Committee determined that it was the basis for the Military Region’s Party Committee to build a contingent of cadres comprehensively, synchronously, effectively, deeply, meeting the task requirements. At present, the task and organizational structure of the armed forces of the Military Region have had new developments requiring the promotion of the role of cadres at all levels. However, due to weaknesses of the contingent of cadres, there should be measures to improve the quality of this staff. Thus, after the issuance of the Resolution 26, the Military Region’s Party Executive Committee has held a quick briefing for heads of its offices and units to clarify the necessity, viewpoints, targets and measures to build a contingent of cadres at all levels, particularly at the strategic level set by the Resolution 26 as well as to develop the action plans/programs.

The Military Region’s Party Executive Committee has ordered party committees at all levels to both continue to implement the Central Military Commission’s Resolution 769-NQ/QUTW on “building a contingent of military cadres in the 2013-2020 period and beyond” and the Resolution of the 10^th Congress of the Military Region Party Committee and formulate the plans to introduce and implement the Resolution 26 to each party organization and member with a focus on promoting the responsibility and synergy of organizations, particularly party committees to build the Military Region’s contingent of cadres both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitatively, the Military Region strives to have sufficient regular cadres to staff its offices and units with priority given to full-strength units, those tasked with training and combat readiness as well as those stationed in remote, isolated, border, sea and island areas. The rate of reserve officers of its reserve units will be over 90%. Structurally, the Military Region will deal with the imbalance between its Northern and Southern provinces while striving to maintain the percentage of regular cadres of 80% in its Southern provinces. A contingent of command and managerial cadres must be structured properly; over 30% of these cadres are young people; cadres in charge of provincial and district level military commands must be qualified enough to be members of the party committees and people’s councils at all levels. Qualitatively, cadres must have political zeal, absolute loyalty to the Party, Homeland and people, a sense of discipline and responsibility, and creative, scientific working method. By 2020, over 75% of its cadres will hold bachelor degree while 3% of its cadres will hold postgraduate degree (key cadres at regiment level must have a bachelor degree; 100% of teachers from the Military Region’s Military School must have bachelor degree, 15% of them must have postgraduate degree). Cadres assigned to the task C and those working in units and localities bordering Laos as well as in the Team for collecting martyrs’ remains must have a good command of Lao language. On a yearly basis, 90% of its cadres must successfully fulfil their task.

To do so, the Military Region’s Party Executive Committee resolves to focus on the following points.

First, improving the quality of propagation and education on the personnel work and the building of cadres within the Military Region. It is necessary to render cadres and troops fully aware of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, the Party’s viewpoints and principles on the personnel work and the building of cadres under the spirit of the 12^th National Party Congress, considering the work of building cadres as a matter of strategic importance and a determinant to the success of the revolution, and a key to the Party building. Focuses should be placed on viewpoints, requirements, and measures set by the Resolution 26, the Central Military Commission’s Resolution 769-NQ/QUTW, the Resolution of the Party Central Committee’s 4^th Plenum (12^th tenure), and the 12^th Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW. At the same time, it is important to strictly maintain the order for Party meetings and promote the role of party committees and key cadres at all levels in propagation and education to raise awareness of the position and role of the personnel work.

Second, focusing on dealing with the matter of quantity of cadres, adjusting the organizational structure, improving the quality of cadres, ensuring the proper quantity and structure and high quality of the Military Region’s pool of cadres. Party committees at all levels should stringently implement the Central Military Commission’s Directive 697-CT/QUTW on dealing with the issue of quantity of cadres, and develop the plans to settle this issue. Graduate officers must be assigned to training and combat readiness units, not dispatched to offices. It is vital to maintain the number of platoon commanders and cultivate those who successfully fulfil their assigned tasks and have capabilities for further development. At the same time, it is necessary to dispatch cadres from units with abundant staff to those with shortage of cadres and among offices, units, and localities; to prepare human resources for the Military Region’s Southern provinces and adjust the structure of cadres from ethnic minorities in localities. Following the Decision 2152/QĐ-BQP by the Ministry of National Defence, it will send military doctors to grass-roots military health establishments with sufficient quantity and good quality to ensure medical examination and treatment for troops and locals. Cadres who extent their military service must be closely considered under higher echelons’ regulations and units’ condition. Cadres with limited capability, responsibility and task performance and discipline violations should be discharged from the military if they make no progress. Annually, party committees should develop plans for cadre training in accordance with the units’ task requirements and demands. Importance should be attached to improving the quality of campaign and tactical-level and postgraduate cadres; to dealing with the issues related to “generations” of cadres. Priority should be given to young cadres with good abilities and morality as well as those who successfully fulfil the task and held commanding positions at junior levels. Besides, it is necessary to enhance high-level theoretical training for cadres who are planned to join local party committees.

Party committees at all levels should prepare and well implement the work of command and managerial cadre planning to ensure continuous, solid inheritance. Every post must have various sources and ages, 1/3 of which must be young cadres who can hold the post for more than 2 terms. Significance should be attached to reviewing and supplementing the personnel planning in the mid-tenure of 2015-2020 and preparing human resources for the 2020-2025 tenure and beyond. Key cadres must be young enough to join the full tenure of the party congresses at all levels. Heads of local military commands must be qualified enough to join local party committees and people’s councils. Appointment and re-appointment of cadres must be based on the personnel planning and put store by criteria in accordance with the regulations in a procedural, open, democratic manner. The appointed command and managerial cadres must experience the key positions at junior levels and have the age appropriate to the position. As for reserve officers, it is important to strictly maintain the order for registration, management and use of this staff on a regular, scientific, uniform basis; to build and implement the plan to train reserve officers to improve the quality of this staff; to actively mobilize local budgets in organizing the training courses under the Project “Building the Military Region’s contingent of reserve officers to meet the task requirement in the new situation”. Party committees should align the work of cadre education and management with the work of internal political protection, inspection and supervision, and facilitate cadres’ self-study, self-improvement and self-correction according to the Party Central Committee’s 4^th Plenum’s Resolution (12^th tenure) and the Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW, resolutely fight and repulse the signs of “self-evolution” and self-transformation” among cadres.

Third, continuing to complete and well implement the policy work for cadres. Addition to well implementing the current policies, the Military Region’s Party Committee and High Command should cooperate with local party committees and authorities in adopting the housing policies for cadres. Due regard should be given to cadres in extremely difficult condition, cadres with infertile or fatal diseases, and those who are invalids and martyrs’ sons/daughters. The Military Region should direct offices and units to employ proper policies to make cadres keep their mind on their work and unit.

Fourth, concentrating on building strong personnel offices at all levels. Party committees, commissars and commanders must pay due attention to consolidating the contingent of cadres in charge of the personnel work both quantitatively and qualitatively. Cadres who are recruited to personnel offices must have political zeal, morality, good working method, and sufficient prestige among party committees and organizations, cadres, party members and the masses.

Fifth, strengthening leadership over the personnel work and the building of cadres. Party committees should stringently implement regulations, procedures and principles concerning the personnel work and the building of cadres, particularly the principles of democratic centralism and party committee’s uniform leadership over the personnel work and management of cadres at each level. Regulations on leading the personnel work must be regularly reviewed, supplemented and perfected while commissars and commanders are directly responsible for managing their junior cadres. At the same time, it is essential to implement the regulations by the Party, the Central Military Commission and the Military Region’s Party Executive Committee on the authority to approve and identify the work of personnel planning as well as steps and stages of this work. Moreover, it is important to carry out reviews on the personnel work and resolutely fight against the signs of negativity, partiality, and group interest in this work.

Adopting the above-mentioned measures, the Military Region 4’s Party Committee will translate the Resolution 26 into life soon, contributing to building a contingent of both “red” and “expert” cadres within the Military Region as the core in building pure, strong Military Region Party Committee and making the armed forces of the Military Region revolutionary, regular, seasoned, gradually modern to successfully fulfil the military and defence missions in the area.

Maj. Gen. Tran Vo Dung, Secretary of the Military Region 4’s Party Committee

Commissar of the Military Region 4