II. Great responsibility before the nation

In the spring of 1930, under the demand of history, the movement and ripe development of objective conditions, the careful preparation of subjective factors, especially the influence of leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, the Communist Party of Vietnam was founded, taking on great responsibility to the nation. Over the past 90 years, with sound guidelines and leadership, and with the trust, support and devoted help of the people, our Party has been constantly striving to fulfill the responsibilities assigned by the people, and step by step successfully fulfilled its historic mission. Just 15 years after its inception, it led our people carrying out the August Revolution successfully, and became the only party in power, leading the Vietnamese revolution. Shortly after that, the Party led our people to stand up together, unanimously win two devastating wars caused by the French colonialism and the American imperialism. Since 1975 to date, the Party has led our people to carry out the cause of renovation, national construction and defence, bringing about great achievements of historical significance, thereby affirming the Party's prestige, position and great responsibility to the Fatherland and People.

When talking about the role of the ruling party, President Ho Chi Minh emphasised that: "the ruling party" bears great responsibility before the nation and people, takes care of the nation's destiny. In order to fulfill its great responsibility to the people, he emphasised that the Party “… must be a big, strong, solid, clean, revolutionary party…. must be a wise, determined and loyal leader of the worker class, working people, and Vietnamese people… ”. Since its inception, the leadership of Communist Party has always attracted the attention of many generations of Party, State leaders and scientists. In the Document of the 10^th National Congress, our Party stipulated that: “Continue to research, summarize, and clarify the views on the Party’s leadership and ruling as the basis for renewing the leadership of the Party in a basic and comprehensive manner”. In the document of the 11^th National Congress, our Party emphasised: "Strengthening theoretical research and practice review to clarify some issues about the ruling party". In the National Construction Platform in the transitional period to socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011), our Party affirmed: “The Communist Party of Vietnam is the ruling Party, leading of the State and the society of Vietnam". Document of the 12^th National Congress of the Party emphasizes principled issues in Party building: “Enhancing the Party's ruling capacity and ensuring the Party's leadership is effective". Consistent with its viewpoints, the 13^th National Congress affirms that: "... improving the leadership capacity, ruling power, the combat power of the Party and the effectiveness and efficiency of State management".

The great responsibility, mission and role of our Party have been recognised by the nation's history. When the country was colonised, the Party's political task was to lead the people to stand up and fight to overthrow the colonial and feudal regimes, and establish a revolutionary government. When the power has been gained, in order to fulfill its great responsibility towards the people, the Party builds and uses the state government effectively, as the most powerful tool to suppress the enemy in, the foreign enemy, building the North into a great socialist rear, sending aid to the South, implements the national revolution and people's democracy. The fact shows that, the leadership of the State and the society is a great and landmark development of our Party in the revolutionary leadership process. With its ruling role, the Party has always firmly aimed at national independence and socialism; implementing "rich people, strong country, democracy, justice, civilisation", as a premise and a solid foundation for building socialism in the country of Vietnam. This is a great and unprecedented career in the nation's history, but it will be very long, difficult, and arduous, even have to accept temporary failures, have to persevere and do it over and over again in order to reap success. The Party's great responsibility, prestige and position are most evident in this point.

The 7th National Party Congress

Becoming a ruling party, the leadership model, operating conditions, scale, content and political duties of the Party have fundamentally changed; its responsibility before the Fatherland, the people and the nation have become heavier; the Party must hold accountability to the people for its decisions. Therefore, its point of view, goals, motto, scope, influence, and duties become broader and more complex. The Party's leadership models and methods have also been gradually changed to suit the requirements, tasks and actual situation. Besides, the risks and threats to the Party and to the national interests have also increased.

When holding the power, the Party stays closer to the people, and is put under the people's supervision. The Party leads the State but does not replace the State. Organisations and members of the Party must operate within the framework of the Constitution and laws. The role and responsibility of the Party are stipulated in the Constitution, ensuring its political power and mandate in the society. One of the key tasks, which are significant in determining the position, prestige and responsibility of the Party, is to affirm the Party's responsibility and authority in building the State apparatus and leading the State. It is necessary to grasp that "a ruling party" does not mean that the Party turns itself into a government, holds the government and functions as a government. That means, the Party must clearly show its stance, point of view, will and determination in the construction and leadership over the State apparatus by setting orientations, and principles for organisation, personnel, and management issues to make all activities of the State apparatus run smoothly, thereby, all Party's lines and policies are fully implemented. The content of the Party's rule is evident in its supervision over the State’s implementation of the Political Platform, undertakings, lines, resolutions and policies, ensuring political orientation and conditions for the creation and development of a socialist rule of law State.

The great responsibility of the ruling Communist Party before the nation is also reflected in the fact that the Party correctly determines the content and model of ruling in accordance with its objectives and action programs. In particular, the Party's leadership over the socio-political field clearly shows the preeminence of the Communist Party, deciding the development of other fields. This is because the planning of political goals and lines is the most important task, always a decisive factor for the Party's leadership. To do that, the Party must establish its position, preserve and constantly improve its prestige and influence; build, supplement and perfect the socio-political institutions of the country, first and foremost, the socio-political organisational structure, social operational mechanism and conditions to ensure the above-mentioned issues are implemented consistently and effectively. In particular, the relationships between the Party and the State, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations should be harmonised. By means of its rule, the Party creates favourable conditions for state agencies to operate and perform their functions and tasks in order to bring into full play the maximum effectiveness and efficiency of the contingent of cadres and public servants. The success of the Party depends on whether its leadership is democratic, legally obedient and scientific or not, and the extent to which the State becomes a State of the people, by the people, and for the people.

The Party's great responsibility to the people and the nation is also reflected in way that the Party's always proactive in renewing its ruling mode through the system of methods, forms and measures that the Party uses to impact on the State, and through the. The Party leads the State by exemplary actions of the Party members, sending elite members to the leadership positions of the political system; and through the party organisations and members operating in these organisations.

In the current period, the great responsibility of the Party is reflected in the goals that the 13^th National Congress has identified: “By 2025, Vietnam will become a developing country with a modernity-oriented industry and an above low average income. By 2030, Vietnam will become a developing country with modern industry and above average income. By 2045, Vietnam will become a developed country with high income”. From now to 2045, all the energy of the Party will be focused on the realisation of that lofty goal. That is also the reason why the Party earns the heart and mind of the people, is respected and protected wholeheartedly by the people; and why its responsibility is getting increasingly heavier.

Without a firm stand in power, the Party cannot fully implement the leadership methods and the identified goals. The ruling party does not do anything for the state, but follows the mechanism: the Party leads - the State governs – the People own (direct ownership, and indirect ownership through the state and socio-political organisations). Therefore, the Party must constantly renew itself, regulate, and improve the capacity of ruling and leading the State and the society.

(Next: III. Enhancing the Party's ruling capacity)

Major general, Assoc Prof, PhD. NGUYEN BA DUONG - Major General, PhD. DO HONG LAM