Promoting democracy reinforces great national unity bloc
Promoting socialist democracy and strength of the great national unity bloc is one of the key targets set for the next five years that is included in a draft political report for submission to the upcoming 11th National Party Congress.
The report serves as a foundation for the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), social organisations and the people to intensify their inspection of Party activities to raise the Party’s prestige.
As the 11th National Party Congress is nearing, a Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reporter interviewed Pham The Duyet, former standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Political Bureau and former President of the VFF Central Committee.
Reporter: The draft political report to be submitted to this Party Congress confirms that progress has been made towards socialist democracy and the great national unity bloc has been reinforced. What is your comment on that?
Mr. Duyet: Right from the 9th Party Congress, the Party Central Committee had focused on promoting democracy and raising national strength. I am very appreciative of the Party’s views which are rooted in people’s needs and our Party’s strength stems from the people and its efforts are directed toward all revolutionary tasks. Therefore, this issue being included in the draft political report demonstrated that the revolutionary cause is to serve the masses. However, in the context of international integration and development of the market economy, State employees’ attention and care for the people should be ascertained.
Many Party resolutions on agriculture, farmers and rural development, and promoting the great national unity bloc have been appreciated as they show the Party’s care for the people.
I am happy to see that the Party’s views on the Doi Moi (Renewal) process have been reaffirmed through different policies and actions. The State has carried out Party policies to provide care for the poor and ethnic minority areas to help them improve their living standards. As a result, the number of poor households in disadvantaged areas has dropped significantly and this has been recognised internationally.
Democracy has been promoted among the people and the National Assembly in an open and frank manner. However, there are public concerns about many social issues, especially corruption. Despite the resolution adopted at the 10th National Party Congress underlining the need to implement the task of social criticism, the VFF, organisations and people failed to do this well which affects people’s views on Party policies.
Reporter: The ineffective implementation of social criticism has been descried in the draft political report which also admits that democracy and the great national unity bloc have not been strengthened as much as expected. In your opinion, what should our Party do to deal with this issue?
Mr. Duyet: The most important thing is to help all the people to thoroughly understand Party resolutions, to institutionalize State polices and build a legal foundation for implementing the Party’s guidelines. In addition, it is essential to bring into full play people’s sovereignty so that they can express their political opinions before the Party.
Reporter: The 11th National Party Congress is approaching. What do you wish to see from this congress?
Mr. Duyet: On the threshold of the Party Congress, I wish that it will reflect intellectual capacity of the whole Party and people and select qualified members with great energy and revolutionary morality to the Party Central Committee’s Political Bureau. They will be leaders who will set bright examples for the Party Central Committee and take a great resolve to deal with weaknesses and combat corruption.
Reporter: Thank you very much.