Located in the key economic zone of southern Vietnam, with a coastline stretching 120km and serving as a crucial transit area linking the entire Mekong Delta region, Tien Giang Province is not only a cultural and political hub but also holds significant strategic military and national defence importance. Over recent years, in response to the increasing demands of local defence and military work, the Provincial Military Party Committee and the Provincial Military Command, have proactively advised the Provincial Party Committee on enhancing the leadership and combat strength of Party committees and organisations at all levels. A particular focus has been placed on strengthening the capabilities of grassroots military Party cells. Currently, 100% of military Party cells in the province have established cell committees, with district-level military cadres participating in their meetings. This has resulted in improved regularity and quality of leadership resolutions. In 2023 alone, these military Party cells advised local Party committees and authorities on elevating combat readiness, surpassing recruitment targets, and achieving 100% completion in militia training, with over 80% of participants achieving good or excellent ratings (an increase of 0.35%). The proportion of Party members within the militia reached nearly 32% (a rise of 6.31%), and the proportion within the reserve force stood at 15.11% (up 0.92% compared to the annual average). These developments have provided favourable conditions for the province to enhance leadership capacity, effectively counteract the plots and tactics of hostile forces, and proactively address natural disasters and epidemics, contribute to poverty alleviation, engage in public mobilisation work, and strengthen the “people’s heart-and-mind posture.” Consequently, this has ensured political stability, public order, and social safety within the province.

To achieve the aforementioned results, the Provincial Military Party Committee has prioritised strengthening the leadership and guidance of Party committees, as well as the advisory and supervisory roles of military agencies at all levels in the organisation and operations of grassroots military Party cells. Accordingly, district-level military agencies (including those in cities and towns) have proactively advised local Party committees to thoroughly grasp the superiors’ resolutions, regulations, and guidelines concerning the organisation and activities of commune-level military Party cells, leading to a fundamental shift in the perception of Party committees and organisations at all levels regarding the building of robust grassroots military Party cells. Consequently, each year, the Party committees and military Party cells in communes, wards, and townships have been reorganised in line with Party regulations, with increasingly enhanced leadership capabilities.

Monthly meeting of a cummune-level military party cell

To promote the directive role of military agencies at all levels in the organisation and operation of grassroots military Party cells, the Provincial Military Party Committee has instructed the Political Department to coordinate with relevant agencies to research, review, and evaluate the leadership outcomes and quality of implementation of grassroots military Party cells. This involves identifying weaknesses and shortcomings to serve as a basis for advising the Provincial Military Party Committee, the Provincial Military Command, on proposing policies and solutions to renovate and improve the leadership capabilities of military Party cells across the province. For district-level military agencies, there is a requirement to collaborate with commune-level Party committees to educate and raise awareness among the cadres and Party members of military Party cells about the necessity, role, functions, tasks, powers, and working relationships of the secretaries, deputy secretaries, and committee members of commune-level military Party cells. Additionally, cadres experienced in Party building work are dispatched to directly guide the organisation and operations of military Party cells in communes, wards, and townsships. Training and refresher courses are held for the secretaries, deputy secretaries, and committee members of military Party cells, focusing on their functions, tasks, operational routines, drafting leadership resolutions, and developing working regulations for Party committees and cells. These courses also cover the regulations for resolving relationships between military Party cells and commune-level Party committees, military Party committees, and higher-level political agencies, ensuring strict adherence to the rules. Concurrently, efforts to enhance inspection and supervision are intensified to promptly identify and address emerging issues, particularly those related to the composition of Party committees and the membership of Party cells, effectively overcoming limitations and shortcomings, and thereby contributing to the improved leadership capacity and combat effectiveness of grassroots military Party cells.

A fundamental principle and the cornerstone for grassroots military Party cells to enhance their leadership capacity and combat effectiveness, thereby successfully fulfilling their assigned tasks, is to excel in planning, training, and nurturing Party members for the cells, particularly focusing on Party committee members, deputy secretaries, and secretaries and consistently consolidate and strengthen the Party committees and cells to ensure they are adequately staffed with high-quality personnel. To achieve this, the Provincial Military Party Committee has prioritised leadership and directive measures, ensuring that district, city, and town military commands closely collaborate with local Party committees and authorities to review and prepare personnel for key positions within commune-level military commands. This approach combines in-situ training and intensive training at military and civilian educational institutions. Party members are also encouraged to engage in self-study and self-improvement to meet the criteria for appointment such as commune-level military command chief and deputy political commissar. As a result, over 90% of secretaries and deputy secretaries of grassroots military Party cells have received training in Party work and local military operations. All commune-level military command chiefs possess intermediate military and political qualifications, participate in local Party committees, are trusted as deputy secretaries of military Party cells, and are well-equipped to perform their duties effectively. Localities actively and proactively engage in developing new Party members, particularly young individuals with military knowledge and strong political awareness, to strengthen the quantity and quality of Party members within military Party cells, thereby significantly enhancing the operational quality of commune-level military Party cells.

To ensure stability in organisational structure, the Provincial Military Party Committee coordinates with district, city, and town Party committees to thoroughly implement and adhere to the superiors’ directives and guidelines, especially Central Organisation Commission’s Guidance No.35-HD/BTCTW, dated 15 October 2009, on “Organisation and Operation of Commune, Ward, and Town Military Party Cells” (now updated to Guidance No.24-HD/BTCTW, dated 20 September 2023). Consequently, local Party committees regularly focus on consolidating and strengthening military Party committees and cells, ensuring they are appropriately structured and adequately staffed as per regulations. Efforts to train and improve the quality of secretaries, deputy secretaries, and Party committee members are intensified, fostering individuals with solid political acumen, comprehensive qualities, and effective working methods, especially in concretising and implementing the Party’s policies, resolutions, and directives on military and defence matters. This also includes leadership and management of militia and reserve forces, building clean and strong military Party cells in conjunction with developing robust and exemplary commune-level military commands.

In order to make significant strides in improving the leadership capacity and combat effectiveness of grassroots military Party cells, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Military Party Committee implemented Plan No.87-KH/ĐUQS, dated 14 January 2021, concerning the “Pilot Model of Assigning District, City, and Town Military Cadres to Oversee Commune, Ward, and Town Military Party Cell Meetings.” After a year of pilot implementation at the Cai Lay Town Military Command, the quality and effectiveness of military and defence work at the grassroots level saw notable improvements, receiving high praise from local Party committees and authorities. This success provided a critical foundation for the Provincial Military Party Committee to advise the Provincial Party Committee on issuing Official Document No.2210-CV/TU, dated 20 May 2023, on “Implementing the Assignment of District-Level Military Cadres to Oversee Commune-Level Military Party Cell Meetings,” and issuing Regulation No. 432-QC/ĐU, dated 31 March 2023, of the Provincial Military Party Committee on “Operations of District, City, and Town Military Command Officials Overseeing Commune, Ward, and Town Military Party Cell Meetings” for uniform and synchronised implementation. To ensure effectiveness, the Provincial Military Party Committee requires Party committees and commanders to select cadres with knowledge, competence, a firm grasp of tasks, and practical experience. These cadres are directed to inform and guide the commune, ward, and town military Party cells on pertinent issues, ensuring thorough understanding and implementation. Assigned cadres are responsible for attending Party cell meetings and overseeing military command activities at the commune, ward, and town levels, accurately capturing the situation, exchanging information, providing feedback, and promptly reporting any difficulties and obstacles at the grassroots level to the district, city, and town military Party committees for appropriate leadership and coordination in resolution. In localities with numerous commune-level units but insufficient cadres to oversee them, Party committees and commanders are encouraged to pilot the model in selected military Party cells before expanding to others upon stabilisation. Through the implementation of this pilot model, the awareness, responsibility, and capacity of district-level military cadres, especially those directly overseeing commune-level units, have significantly improved. They proactively and actively study, fully understand policies, military and defence tasks, and Party-building work, and confidently exchange and provide feedback in Party cell leadership and guidance. They also promptly convey difficulties and obstacles from the grassroots to higher-level Party committees and military commands for corrective actions. Consequently, the leadership capacity and combat effectiveness of military Party committees and cells have continuously improved, effectively advising local Party committees and authorities on military and defence tasks. They excel in combat readiness, training, drills, and political and ideological education for various groups. The annual recruitment process is conducted rigorously and systematically, meeting and exceeding targets, with 26% of candidates being accepted into military schools (an increase of 2.1%), successfully fulfilling military and defence tasks.

The solutions to enhance the leadership capacity of grassroots military Party cells over the past years have provided profound lessons, creating breakthroughs in the quality and effectiveness of local military and defence tasks, forming a foundation for Tien Giang Province’s rapid and sustainable socio-economic development.

Senior Colonel MAI VAN HOA, Commissar of the Provincial Military Command