On May 15th 2016, the 12th Politburo promulgated the Directive 05-CT/TW on studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle. The Directive is a follow-up to the 11th Politburo’s Directive 03-CT/TW, aiming to accelerate the implementation of  the campaign and make it more practical in the entire Party, military and people.

A national conference on reviewing the 5-year implementation of the 11th Politburo’s Directive No.3 (photo: nhandan.com.vn)

Implementing the Politburo’s Directive No.3, on August 5th 2011, the Central Military Commission promulgated the Directive 317-CT/QUTW on “Continued acceleration of studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example”, on December 16th 2013, released the Directive 788-CT/QUTW on launching the Campaign “Promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” to realize the Directive No.3 in line with the military’s functions and tasks in the new situation.

In the 5-year implementation of the Directive No.3, cadres and troops in units all hold that studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example is a political task and regular work of individuals, organizations, organs, and units. It is also affection and tribute that cadres and troops of the Vietnam People’s Army give to beloved Uncle Ho.

The Directive No.3 has contributed to building pure, strong Military Party Committee and politically strong People’s Army which always deserve to be an absolutely loyal political and fighting force of the Party, the State and the people.

The cause of reform, building and safeguarding the Homeland and building the People's Army has opportunities, advantages and at the same time faces difficulties, challenges. Thus, the party building and cadres, party members improvement must be more focused and comprehensive. Implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, promoting results, and overcoming limitations in the implementation of the Directive No.3, on May 15th 2016, the 12th Politburo promulgated the Directive 05-CT/TW on “Continued acceleration of studying and following Ho Chi  Minh’s thought, morality, and lifestyle” (Directive No.5). This is a Directive of paramount importance to the building of the Party and building up new type of people  in current period. As for the military , thoroughly grasping and implementing the Directive No.5 will further build up and promote the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, making contributions to building comprehensively strong military, enhancing its combat strength to firmly defend the Homeland in the new situation. To effectively implement the Directive No.5, party committees, party organizations, commanders, commissars, political commissars, cadres, party members and staff in the military should thoroughly grasp and follow the points below:

First, promoting propagation to raise cadres, party members and staff’s awareness of the Directive’s importance, goals, requirements, and contents. This is an effective measure to build and reinforce ideological ground and system of social moral values whose core is for the people and the community, aiming at “Rich people, strong nation, democratic, equitable, civilized society”. Accordingly, every organization and individual would be fully aware that studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle are an urgent and long-term task. Acceleration of studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle is an important part of the Party building, making contributions to building politically, ideologically, organizationally, morally pure and strong Party, building qualified and moral cadre staff, preventing and pushing back degradation in political ideology, morality and lifestyle, preventing and combating corruption, wastefulness, bureaucracy, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Party.

Second, enhancing leadership and direction of party committees, promoting role model of key cadres in the implementation of Politburo’s Directive No.5. Party Committees should put the studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle into plans on implementing the Resolution of 12th National Party Congress and the Resolution of 10th Army Congress, and resolutions of party committees. Besides, it should be associated with the implementation of the Central Resolution No.4 (11th tenure) on Party building, the Campaign “Promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, Emulation Movement, and other campaigns.

Party committees and key cadres should be good examples as Uncle Ho said “A living example is more valuable than a hundred good speeches”. Setting example in studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle must be obligatory for everyone.

Third, continuing to complete, promulgate and implement the system of standards for studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle for each group of people. Party committees, party organizations, organs, units should continue to complete the system and encourage people to enrol in studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle in line with moral requirements set by each person’s job. Collectives and individuals’ plan on studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle must be passed by their party cell, in order to avoid bad performance.

Fourth, further building and multiplying typical examples among organs and units. It is necessary to frequently applaud and multiply typical examples in connection with political task performance of each person, organization and unit. Also, it is important to complete the system of standards for being a typical collective and example, and closely combine multiplication of typical examples in the implementation of Directive No.5 with that in the implementation of Emulation Movement and other campaigns. The media in the military and speaker staff at levels should further propagate “good people doing good deeds” examples, good experience and effective methods to implement the Politburo’s Directive No.5 to multiply and spread typical examples in each organ, unit, and the military.

Fifth, well conducting inspection and supervision over the implementation of the Directive No.5 of organs and units. Inspection and supervision must follow the guideline: supervision must be open, inspection must be focal, carrying out both regular and unexpected inspections, inspecting the implementation of the Directive No.5 and the Central Resolution No.4. Higher level supervises its cadres, party members and promotes role of the executive party committee, first and foremost the secretary of the party committee in implementing the plan on studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle.

Thoroughly grasping and seriously implementing the 12th Politburo’s Directive No.5 in the military is not only responsibility but also affection of military officers  and troops for the Party and beloved Uncle Ho. It is also the basis for building a politically strong military and a pure, strong Military Party Committee, enhancing leadership and combat strength to meet the requirements set by tasks in the new situation.

Colonel General Luong Cuong

Member of the Party Secretariat

Standing Member of the Central Military Commission

Chief of the General Political Department, VPA