Building comprehensively strong, exemplary offices and units is one of the central tasks of the entire army. It is also the focus led and directed by the Party Committee and commanders of the Political Bureau of the General Staff, through various synchronised and appropriate solutions to enhance the capacity for consultation, direction, guidance, and organisation of the implementation of the Party and political work within the strategic office of the Ministry of National Defence to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation.

The Political Bureau of the General Staff Department of the Vietnam People’s Army (previously known as the Political Work Board, General Staff Department) was established on 8 June 1948 in the context when the Party, people, and entire army’s resistance war and national construction entered a challenging and resolute phase. Meanwhile, the organisational structure was not yet complete, and there were still many material shortages. However, despite all these challenges, the generations of cadres, employees, and soldiers of the Bureau have always been united, determined, and committed to excellently fulfiling all assigned tasks to establish a glorious tradition of “Loyalty, Devotion - Proactive, Creative - Unity, Discipline - Integrity, Sincerity”, and have received numerous prestigious rewards from the State. It can be affirmed that over the past 75 years, in all conditions and circumstances, especially in the face of complex developments in the international, regional, and domestic situations, the Bureau has consistently grasped the situation, proactively provided consultation for the Party Committee and commanders of the General Staff in leading and directing the Party committees and commanders of agencies and units to comprehensively, synchronously, and effectively implement the Party and political work within the General Staff.

Currently, in response to the high demands of Army construction, national defence consolidation, protection of the Fatherland, and development of the General Staff Department, the Bureau must actively and proactively innovate thinking and methods in implementing the Party and political work to contribute to building a clean and typically strong Party Committee and a comprehensively strong, “exemplary and typical” General Staff - Agency of the Ministry of National Defence, excellently fulfiling all assigned tasks. To achieve this goal, the Bureau Party Committee and commanders must focus on effectively implementing the following main contents:

Firstly, to focus on making the Bureau Party Committee pure and strong in terms of politics, thoughts, ethics, organisation, and personnel to be truly exemplary, united, and highly unified. This is an important factor that determines the results of the tasks performed by agencies and units in general, and the Bureau, in particular. With that awareness, the Bureau Party Committee and commanders require the Party commissioners and committees at all levels to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement the resolutions and directives of the Party and the Central Military Commission on party building, particularly the 4^th Central Resolution (the 13^th Tenure) on strengthening the building and rectification of the Party and the political system; Resolution No.21-NQ/TW dated 16 June 2022, of the Party Central Committee (the 13^th Tenure) on strengthening the consolidation and development of Party grassroots organisations and improving the quality of the Party members in the new period; Resolution No.847-NQ/QUTW, dated 28 December 2021, of the Central Military Commission on promoting the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” and resolutely countering individualism in the new situation, and so on; continue to promote the innovation of leadership styles and methods, especially in the process of developing and implementing resolutions in a focused, thorough, synchronised, determined, and effective manner; maintain strict discipline and improve the quality of the Party activities at the committee and cell levels, especially in specialised activities; strictly adhere to the principles of the Party organisation and activities; and regularly review to timely amend and supplement and implement strict regulations on work procedures and leadership in critical areas. Along with that, it is also required to regularly reinforce, consolidate, nurture, and enhance comprehensive leadership capabilities and combat power of the Party committees and cells, especially the capabilities of planning, guiding, and organising the Party and political work in tasks; pay attention to the management, education, and training of the Party members; strictly implement the Regulations on the modeling responsibilities of cadres and the Party members, regulations on the Party members’ forbidden deeds, and Regulation No.213-QD/TW, dated 2 January 2020, of the Politburo (the 12^th Tenure) on the responsibility of in-service Party members maintaining ties with the local Party organisations and communities; innovate and improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the Party inspection, supervision, and discipline; actively grasp the situation, struggle against manifestations of ideological, moral, and lifestyle degradation, “self-transformation,” and “self-evolution,” and take strict actions against the Party organisations and members who violate regulations to ensure fairness, accuracy, and timeliness; conduct thorough evaluations and ratings of the quality of party organisations and members; and strive for each year to have 100% of the Party committees, organisations, and members complete their tasks or above; of which, over 95% achieve good or excellent results.

A book  exhibition at the General Staff

Secondly, to consistently focus on building a strong contingent of cadres, especially those leading at all levels. Given the position and role of the strategic advisory agency of the entire army, ensuring a contingent of cadres with the necessary qualities and capabilities is a critical and decisive factor in the quality of task completion. Recognising this, the Bureau Party Committee and commanders have strengthened the leadership and direction of the strict implementation of resolutions, directives, regulations, and provisions regarding personnel work, particularly Resolution No.245-NQ/ĐU, dated 3 July 2019, of the Party Committee of the General Staff Department - Agency of Ministry of Defence, on “Building a contingent of cadres to meet the requirements of the new situation”; and focused on building a contingent of cadres, especially leaders, commanders, and managers, with the necessary qualities and capabilities to meet the requirements of the strategic advisory agency. The Bureau Party Committee emphasises maintaining the principles of centralised democracy, effectively promoting the role of the Party committees at all levels and the responsibilities of party secretaries and commanders regarding personnel work; and upholding the modeling responsibility of cadres and the Party members with higher-ranking cadres setting higher standards, while encouraging and protecting proactive, innovative, responsible cadres who consistently strive for the common good. In the implementation, it is necessary to closely adhere to criteria and standards and strictly follow procedures when considering recruitment, mobilisation, appointment, promotion, and salary increases for cadres. Additionally, it is essential to ensure effective training and fostering and proactively review young cadres with development potential for circulation to establish a solid pool of successors; and consistently prioritise and effectively implement policies and regulations regarding cadres. Through these efforts, it is aimed to build a contingent of cadres with an adequate number, rational structure, comprehensive knowledge and capabilities, and exemplary ethical qualities and lifestyles, striving for 100% of cadres to fulfill their duties annually, with over 80% achieving good or excellent performance.

Thirdly, to make breakthroughs in enhancing the quality of advisory and proposing activities related to the Party and political work in an efficient and practical manner. Currently, given the high demands of the Party and political work in general, and those within the General Staff, in particular, the Bureau Party Committee and commanders direct the agencies to closely monitor the practical situation, requirements, and tasks to proactively conduct research and provide recommendations to the Party Committee Standing Commission and commanders of the General Staff for leadership, guidance, and instructions to strengthen political education in agencies and units and promote the Determined-to-Win Emulation movement in association with learning and following Ho Chi Minh thoughts, ethics, and style and the Drive on Promoting tradition, dedicating talent, and being worthy of the title of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”; regularly review, supplement, and strictly implement the Party and political work regulations, especially the Party discipline, organisational principles, and Party activities; emphasise the training and fostering of leadership capacity and combat readiness of the Party committees and organisations at all levels; strengthen the work of Party member management, education, training, as well as inspection, supervision, and disciplinary enforcement; effectively carry out the work of internal political protection, mass mobilisation and maintain a firm grasp of the political security, order, and social safety situation in the area; strictly implement the grassroots democracy regulations; focus on building strong mass organisations; take care of policy beneficiaries; establish safe units and  strong local political foundations; maintain the strict implementation of the Party and political work plans; and strengthen management and ensure the provision of equipment and materials for the Party and political work in line with tasks, preventing losses and waste.

Finally, to make breakthroughs in regularity building, observance of state law and military discipline, and building of a comprehensively strong, “exemplary and typical” Agency. This is one of the three breakthroughs that the entire army units are currently focusing on implementing and the General Staff in general, and the Bureau, in particular, must be an exemplary leading one. To effectively implement this content, the party committee and the leadership of the Bureau Party Committee and commanders must strengthen political and ideological education; focus on reviewing and evaluating the situation and results of regularity building and law and discipline observance by departments and units to promptly develop directions and measures for leadership, rectification, and handling of any violations and strict enforcement of discipline and regulations; pay attention to consolidating and completing departments and units to ensure “sharpness, compactness, and strength” in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, by the decisions of the Ministry of National Defence; and actively innovate and improve the quality of training and fostering for cadres and soldiers. Along with strictly maintaining the regulations on command, duty, and professional conduct, the Bureau emphasises enhancing measures for the strict management of the ideological situation and social relationships of the soldiers; promptly identifying and resolving emerging issues and problems; resolutely handling those who are negligent in their duties and fail to stay exemplary or let incidents incur directly related to leadership, management, and command responsibilities; promote the role of organisations and forces in enhancing military administrative reform, implementation of e-government applications, and strict enforcement of regulations on security, confidentiality, network security, absolutely preventing any leakage or disclosure of classified information and materials; and take annual results of discipline observance as one of the important criteria for evaluating and assessing collective and individual quality, as well as competition and rewards.

Promoting the 75-year tradition, the cadres, soldiers, and employees of the Political Bureau under the General Staff will continue to strengthen the building of a comprehensively strong, “exemplary and typical” Agency, establishing a solid foundation and framework to fulfill their assigned functions and tasks in the new situation.

Major General CHU VAN DOAN, Director of Political Bureau, General Staff