CPV – glorious history and sustainable development

In early days of 2011, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) will hold its 11^th Congress to review 25 years of the renewal process, supplement and develop the Party’s 1991 political programme, and build a socio-economic development strategay for the 2011-2020 period in an effort to become a modern industrial country by 2020.

In the early stage of the 20^th century, as the country was still under the domination of foreign colonialists and imperialists, people lived their lives in poverty and hardship. On June 5 1911, teacher Nguyen Tat Thanh (later Ho Chi Minh) left Vietnam to find a path for national salvation. In 1930, he founded the Communist Party of Vietnam, the vanguard of the Vietnam working class.

President Ho Chi Minh and the CPV led Vietnamese revolution to great victories against the colonial and half feudal system to open a new era of independence and socialism and against the neo-colonialism to regain unification. Under the leadership of the Party, Vietnam also had initial success in its renewal process which was launched at the Party’s 6^th National Congress in 1986. The renewal process is aimed at abolishing the mechanism of bureaucratic centralism with State subsidies, restructuring the economy and the management mechanism, building a multi-sector and socialist-oriented market economy, promoting the global integration, and expanding cooperation with other countries.

With great efforts, Vietnam recovered from the domestic socio-economic crisis in 1996, the regional monetary crisis during the 1997-2000 period, and the global economic depression in 2007-2009. Over the past five years, Vietnam has overcome numerous difficulties and challenges to stabilize the macro-economy, control the inflation rate, maintain a high growth rate, and escaped its underdevelopment.

The nation’s GDP is estimated at US$106 billion, a 100 percent increase compared to 2005, with per capita income reaching about US$1,200. Vietnam went from a poor and starving country to become the world’s second biggest rice exporter with 6 million tonnes of rice exported in 2010. The process of modernization and industrialization has helped Vietnam upgrade its infrastructure. 250 industrial zones and various key economic regions are making Vietnam become a modern industrial country.

Economic development is not only the basis and condition for the achievements of social progress and equality but also helps resolve social issues and improve people’s living conditions. In addition, Vietnam always attaches great importance to developing education and training, as well as science and technology.

At the United Nation Summit in 2010, to review the implementation of its Millennial Development Goals (MDGs), Vietnam was considered one of the most successful countries which is able to achieve all of the goals by 2015.

Regarding hunger elimination and poverty alleviation, Vietnam has been very successful with various socio-economic development strategies and practical measures such as the Government’s decision 135 to help poor communes upgrade their infrastructure and decision 134 to assist poor people with production land, houses and clean water. As a result, the poverty rate fell from 58 percent in 1993 to 9 percent in 2010.

The Party also focused on dealing with issues relating to agriculture and farmers by setting up a national target programme to create new rural areas in which employment, population, healthcare service, the “Paying debts of gratitude” movement, epidemic prevention, environmental protection, and social welfare received much attention.

Since the renewal process was launched, the Party has ceaselessly tried its best to improve its political argument, reform the organizational and personnel work, learn and follow President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example, strengthen the struggle against corruption and bureaucracy, improve the effectiveness of State management, ensure political, defense and security stability, and reinforce the national unity bloc.

2010 was considered a successful year for Vietnam with a variety of major events being celebrated. The country fulfilled its mission as ASEAN Chair with organization of 16^th and 17^th ASEAN Summit, which were attended by not only ASEAN members but also important partners such as Russia and the US.

In 2009, Vietnam also fulfilled its mission as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Joining the World Trade Organisation in 2007, Vietnam is now a trustworthy friend and partner of all countries and the international community.

Communist Vietnamese people are proud of their great achievements. However, there are still shortcomings, such as the unsustainable development, the weaknesses in education and training, science and technology, culture and society, and environmental protection. Bureaucracy and corruption have not been completely eliminated and there remain shortcomings in the building of the Party.

A ruling Party should never be satisfied with what it achieved. It should admit its shortcomings and make great effort to improve itself for the development of the nation and for the benefit of the people. The eighth session of the 12^th National Assembly took place with a high sense of responsibility in an ebullient and democratic atmosphere. The Party, the Government, the National Assembly and the whole population of Vietnam will join hands to discuss and decide the nation’s issues to motivate sustainable development.