Party Charter reform must strengthen Party governance, serve the people: Top leader

The top leader made the remarks while chairing the inaugural meeting of the Central Steering Committee responsible for reviewing practical experience and studying amendments to the Party Charter, in Hanoi on August 5.

He described the task as one of the most important political priorities of the 14th Party Congress term, serving preparations for amendments to the Party Platform as well as the 15th National Party Congress.

Adapting the Party Charter to new development needs

According to the top leader, revising the Party Charter is not simply a technical review of existing regulations but an opportunity for the Party to assess its practical experience, further develop its governing theory and strengthen its organisational foundation for the country's new development phase.

He noted that while the Party Charter's core principles remain valid, recent reforms have created new issues requiring further study, including organisational restructuring, the operation of Vietnam's two-tier local government model, decentralisation, power oversight and digital transformation.

The overall objective, he said, is to develop a Party Charter that is scientific, concise, practical and durable, helping build stronger Party organisations, improve institutional efficiency, clarify responsibilities, strengthen oversight of power and reinforce the Party's close relationship with the people.

Revising only what practice demands

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam stressed that any amendments should be firmly grounded in Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Party's reform policy, the goal of national independence associated with socialism, the Party's leadership role and the principle of democratic centralism.

He said the revision process must be aligned with the Resolution of the 14th Party Congress, the ongoing review of the 2011 Party Platform and research related to possible amendments to the 2013 Constitution.

According to the top leader, provisions that have been tested in practice and remain effective should be retained, while regulations that create organisational bottlenecks or leave gaps in authority and accountability should be revised.

Issues that have not yet been sufficiently tested, he added, should continue to be addressed through pilot programmes or implementing regulations rather than being incorporated directly into the Party Charter.

He also underlined the need to clearly distinguish between the Party Charter, implementing regulations and implementation guidelines, noting that the Charter should focus only on long-term principles approved by the Party Congress rather than detailed technical provisions that may require frequent adjustment.

The top leader therefore identified four priority areas for the review. The first covers fundamental issues relating to the Party, Party members, grassroots Party organisations and the Party's relationship with the people.

The remaining areas focus on the Party's organisational structure and leadership methods under the new governance model, mechanisms for inspection, supervision, discipline and oversight of power, and issues related to digital transformation, sector-specific issues and drafting techniques for the revised Charter.

Results, not the number of amendments, will define success

The top leader also called for a more practical approach to the review process, building on the results of the 15-year review of the Party Charter's implementation rather than starting from scratch.

He said research should focus on new issues arising from organisational reforms and recent institutional changes, combining broad consultation with in-depth research and drawing selectively on international experience where appropriate.

He held that consultations should be conducted through multiple rounds to ensure substantive feedback and that differing opinions should be fully documented and transparently addressed.

The Steering Committee was instructed to promptly finalise its working regulations, assign responsibilities to members, establish a drafting team and prepare reports to support the review and amendment process.

Concluding the meeting, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam urged committee members to prioritise concrete results over formalities.

The measure of success is not how many provisions are amended, but whether the Party becomes stronger, governance becomes more effective, power is better supervised and Party members serve the people more effectively, he stressed.

Top leader To Lam leads committee on Party Charter amendments

VOV.VN - Vietnam has established a central steering committee headed by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam to review practical experience and study amendments to the Communist Party of Vietnam's Charter ahead of the 15th National Party Congress.