The Election of deputies to the 15^th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure is a major political event of our country. It is also seen as a central political task of all party members, military staff members and citizens in 2021 by the Party, the National Assembly and the Government. During this wide and spread democratic campaign, all people will select and vote for typical deputies representing their will, aspirations and right to mastery, thereby actively contributing to building, consolidating, and perfecting a Socialist Rule-of-Law State of the people, by the people, and for the people under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, meeting the requirements set by national construction and protection in the new period.

It should be noted that over the past 35 years of national renewal, Vietnam has obtained remarkable achievements in its socio-economic development, defence-security consolidation, diplomacy, and international integration; however, the Election would take place amidst the complex, unpredictable developments of the regional and global situation, strategic competitions and trade wars between major power, and disputes over sovereignty and territories. Domestically, the whole Party, people and Military are striving to well perform the dual mission of “COVID-19 combat and socio-economic development.” We have just successfully organised the 13^th National Party Congress. Meanwhile, the hostile forces have been enhancing their sabotage strategy against our Party, State, and Military.

The launch of the emulation movement on election of deputies to 15th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure

When participating in the Election of deputies to the 15^th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure, the Military will have to fulfil three central tasks as follows. (1) It shall maintain combat readiness to avoid passivity in any circumstance, cooperate with other forces in ensuring the Election’s absolute safety, and proactively respond to natural disasters and epidemics during the Election. (2) It shall maintain coordination to render its staff members and all people fully aware of the importance of the Election, the Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils, and their rights, obligations, and duties for building a pure, strong, efficient state apparatus, while encouraging all people to sufficiently take part in the Election of deputies to the 15^th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure as well as resolutely combating all distortions and sabotage schemes against the Election. (3) It shall organise the Election of deputies to the 15^th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure within itself under the Law as a role model in each area, while bringing into play the democratic rights of all soldiers and defence labourers, particularly within the units stationed in the sea, island, border, isolated, remote areas.

To well perform those above-mentioned tasks so that the Election will take place safely, quickly, party committees, commanders, commissars and political offices at all levels should grasp and implement several measures as follows.

First, continue to thoroughly grasp directives and guiding documents by the Politburo, the National Assembly Standing Committee, the Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, the National Election Council, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and the General Department of Politics on the Election of deputies to the 15^th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure. Units across the Military should promote the work of legal propagation, education, and dissemination relating to election for their cadres and soldiers. They should effectively, practically carry out the mass mobilisation work in the key defence-security zones and the areas where military cadres are running for the 15^th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure. It is necessary to encourage cadres, soldiers, and the people to fulfil their rights and duties for the Election. In each voting zone of military units, all cadres, soldiers, professional service men and women, and defence labourers shall take part in the Election quickly, safely to make contributions to the success of the Election. Due attention should be paid to organising an emulation movement entitled “promoting democracy, heightening a sense of responsibility, and successfully fulfilling the task during the Election of deputies to the 15^th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure.”

Military press agencies should set up specialised pages and columns to propagate the Election, introduce candidates’ action programmes, and announce units’ election results, while closely cooperating with central and local media outlets in propagating activities of the Military and the people during the Election. Offices and units should promote the role of their Steering Board No.35 and core force in orientating public opinion and actively, proactively fighting against wrong, hostile information on the Internet and social networks undermining the national great unity block and sabotaging the Election.

Second, maintain close cooperation between forces to grasp the situation in the air, at sea, in the border, and on cyberspace as well as the sabotage strategy by the hostile forces and political opportunists so as to opportunely give advice to our Party and State and avoid passivity. Offices and units within the Military should practise the projects to protect the Election, while collaborating with other forces in ensuring safety and opportunely dealing with incidents right at grass-roots level to prevent enemies from inciting the masses to join their sabotage plan against our Election. As the Election coincides with party committees and organisations’ study of the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress, there should be specific, elaborate plans to avoid overlaps or omissions in a drastic, effective, practical manner. At the same time, offices and units should closely manage troops’ ideology, strictly maintain the military standard order building and discipline management in order to ensure their stability and prevent incidents, especially during the Election. Besides, they should enhance and effectively implement measures for COVID-19 prevention and control in the new situation, while stepping up patrols along the border and at sea to firmly protect the national sovereignty.

The signing of commitments to emulation at the Division 968

Third, offices and units should closely cooperate with party committees, authorities, unions, the Vietnam Fatherland Fronts, and the Election Commissions at all levels in receiving feedback from voters in residential areas, carefully preparing the action programmes and election campaigns under the Law, establishing voting zones and Election Teams, publishing their lists of voters under the regulations, and formulating plans and projects to closely organise the Election, particularly for the units stationed in the areas where social distancing is being implemented.

Fourth, under the Plan 97/KH-TM, dated February 9^th, 2021 by the General Staff and the Guidance 394/HD-CT, dated March 5^th, 2021 by the General Department of Politics, it is important to organise an early election for units stationed in the sea, island, border areas or tasked with maintaining combat readiness to protect the Election. Due regard should be paid to stringently implementing the regulations on internal political protection, closely screening the political quality of the forces tasked with safeguarding the Election, maintaining combat readiness, and fighting to protect depots, barracks, and secrets of the State and the Military. Moreover, it is essential to proactively cooperate with other forces in opportunely settling letters of complaint relating to military cadres as candidates to the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels.

Under the leadership and direction from the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, with a sense of political responsibility amongst military electors, the Military will undoubtedly fulfil its task to make significant contributions to the success of the Election. Staff members within the Military and all people believe that the new National Assembly will well perform its function as the highest-level representative agency and the supreme power organ of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and that the all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure will promote their role in localities to contribute to realising the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress for the sake of “wealthy people, strong nation, democracy, equality, and civilisation” towards socialism.

Sr. Lt. Gen. TRAN QUANG PHUONG

Member of the Party Central Committee

Member of the Central Military Commission

Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics