49 years of implementing Uncle Ho's Testament: Must keep the Party truly clean

In President Ho Chi Minh's historic Testament, his first instruction was about the Party. That was also the issue he was concerned about throughout his revolutionary career. He clearly stated that the Party's highest goal was to fight for independence, freedom, and prosperity for the people, but at the same time, he also predicted that after the South was completely liberated, new circumstances would appear with new, unpredictable dangers, so the first thing the Party had to do was to rectify itself.

Remembering Uncle Ho's advice, in the context of the whole country implementing the Central Resolution 4 of the 11th and 12th terms on Party building and rectification, we can appreciate even more his far-sighted vision.

In his Testament, talking about the Party, President Ho Chi Minh had many concerns, because of the role and importance of the Party in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

What Uncle Ho said about the Party focused on three major issues: Unity; serious self-criticism and criticism; and the imbuing of revolutionary ethics. These are the three most important issues that determine the survival of the Party.

Regarding the issue of solidarity within the Party, President Ho Chi Minh advised: "Comrades from the Central Committee to the Party cells must preserve solidarity and unanimity within the Party as they preserve the pupil of their eye."

Associate Professor, Doctor Doan Thi Chin - Head of the Department of Ho Chi Minh Thought, Academy of Journalism and Communication said: According to President Ho Chi Minh's concept, solidarity within the Party must be demonstrated through thought and action; within the Party there cannot be a situation of "Drums beating in one direction, trumpets blowing in the other"; the Party's organizational and operational principles must be strictly implemented, making the Party truly clean and strong.

Associate Professor, Doctor Doan Thi Chin said: “With his own shining example, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed the class sentiment and comradeship within the Party, considering it an important factor for solidarity within the Party. He required “The Party must have comradely love for each other”. In his Testament, Ho Chi Minh emphasized the ethical factor when the Party became the ruling Party. According to him, the ruling Party is a major turning point in Party activities. The ruling Party has the mission of leading the class and the nation to successfully build a new society - socialism. To fulfill that mission, our Party must “be ethical and civilized”.

President Ho Chi Minh once advised: “Comrades from the Central Committee to the Party cells need to preserve the unity and solidarity of the Party as they preserve the apple of their eye. Within the Party, practicing broad democracy, regularly and seriously self-criticizing and criticizing is the best way to consolidate and develop the unity and solidarity of the Party.”

Solidarity, practicing democracy, and self-criticism within the Party are very important issues, related to the fighting strength and survival of the entire Party, especially in the conditions of the Party being in power. Professor, Doctor Mach Quang Thang - Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics said: The entire 1,000-word testament was carefully considered in every sentence and every word, but in just over 3 short, concise lines to talk about the ruling Party, Uncle Ho used the word "truth" to emphasize: "Every Party member and cadre must truly imbue revolutionary ethics, truly be thrifty, honest, impartial and selfless. We must keep our Party truly clean, must be worthy of being a leader, a truly loyal servant of the people." That is enough to understand that Uncle Ho paid special attention to the issue of ethics within the Party, especially when the Party is in a position of power.

“After Uncle Ho passed away, the Politburo and the Secretariat issued a series of Directives related to the issue of Party building and Party rectification to implement Uncle Ho's Testament, but those directives and documents were not commensurate with Uncle Ho's wishes in the issue of Party rectification. Regarding the issue of Party building, we are still striving a lot to realize the wishes and desires of President Ho Chi Minh stated in his Testament,” said Professor, Dr. Mach Quang Thang.

Following his advice, over the past 50 years, the Party has united, organized and led our people to enthusiastically fight from one victory to another. However, the new context has also posed many challenges and difficulties for the Party. Following President Ho Chi Minh's precious Testament, the Party has issued Resolution 4 of the 11th and 12th Central Committees, and corruption is now being gradually curbed.

With the drastic direction, speeding up the investigation, prosecution, and strict and timely trial of many particularly serious and complicated corruption and economic cases, there are no forbidden zones, no exceptions, no privileges, regardless of who the person is. Thereby, strengthening trust and enhancing discipline and order among cadres and party members, creating a positive effect, spreading strongly in society.

To make the Party truly clean, according to Mr. Nguyen Tuc - Member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, it is necessary to promote self-criticism and criticism within the Party according to the instructions in President Ho Chi Minh's Testament. This should be considered a long-term task that must be done persistently and continuously so that the Party is worthy of the people's trust.

Mr. Nguyen Tuc emphasized: “Self-renewal and Party rectification are issues that both theory and practice are raising, requiring more urgent implementation than ever. To implement Uncle Ho's Testament, I think the most important thing in the Party is to review Party building in accordance with the spirit of Resolution 04 of the Central Committee on a number of urgent issues of Party building. We must seriously review from top to bottom, bottom to top so as not to disappoint Uncle Ho's wishes.”

Remembering Uncle Ho's advice - We must keep the Party truly clean, the people are looking forward to the effectiveness of the Party's renovation and rectification. To meet the people's expectations, Party building and rectification must be carried out in many aspects, but first of all, it is the cultivation and training of each cadre and Party member; promoting self-criticism and criticism within the Party according to Uncle Ho's advice.

On the occasion of the 49th anniversary of Uncle Ho's passing, reviewing his first instructions in his Will is an opportunity for each cadre, party member, and party organization to reflect on themselves; strive to build an increasingly clean Party, and lead the great national unity bloc to "build a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic, and prosperous Vietnam" as his last wish before passing away./.