Lesson 1: Formality in daily life, deference in comments

(Baonghean) -Regulation 76 of the Politburo dated June 15, 2000 “On Party members working in agencies, enterprises, and public service units regularly maintaining contact with Party cells and grassroots Party committees and exemplary in fulfilling their civic duties at their place of residence” is an important policy, helping Party committees at all levels improve the effectiveness and quality of Party member management, and strengthen the relationship between cadres and the people. However, the results of implementing this policy in the past have not been really effective…

Vinh City currently has over 12,000 party members operating under Regulation 76 in 25 ward and commune party committees (commonly known as "party members 76"). In recent times, a number of party committees and party cells in residential areas have maintained the activities according to Regulation 76 quite well; creating conditions for party members to be close to the people, overcoming manifestations of bureaucracy, distance from the people, lack of responsibility for the work of the people in the residential area, better performing the tasks of party members; contributing to strengthening the connection between the Party and the people. Many "Party Groups 76" in hamlets and neighborhoods have promoted the spirit of responsibility to the community, taking the lead in local movements, especially in cultural, sports and physical training activities, environmental protection, building roads, building cultural houses in hamlets and neighborhoods, contributing to the purchase of equipment and cultural institutions at the grassroots level, etc.

However, in some places, the implementation of this policy has not been really effective in the past, notably the regular meetings in the middle and end of the year are still formalistic and of low quality. The main content is to listen to local Party committees report on the implementation of local tasks; publicize some local policies, call for contributions to support local social and charitable activities, and there are not many constructive contributions from Party members. The evaluation of Party members currently working, reminding of cases of lack of exemplary behavior by families and Party members themselves is not substantial and objective.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duyet - Deputy Head of the Vinh City Party Committee's Organization Board, said: Absence or attending meetings perfunctorily is a fairly common phenomenon in regular meetings at local grassroots party cells. There are some cases where party members do not strictly comply with Regulation 76, but the block party committee "respects" them and still gives them "good" comments, so the agency's party committee does not know about it, and they are still "qualified party members who have fulfilled their duties well" at their workplace. This invisibly covers up the shortcomings of party members, especially in the current situation, when a significant number of party members still show signs of being distant from the people.

A meeting at the Party cell of hamlet 24, Nghi Phu commune, Vinh city. Photo: Thanh Le

The Party cell of block 23 of Hung Binh ward is assessed to have implemented Regulation 76 of the Politburo quite well. The entire cell has 99 party members working on residential activities, periodically twice a year, but according to Mr. Truong Hai Chau - Secretary of the cell, although the Party Committee of the block has chosen to organize activities on Sundays, sending invitations to the place, the number of party members participating in the activities is only about 50% - 70%.

In the 2012 “Party Member 76” monitoring book of the Party cell, it is specifically recorded that in the first meeting, 51 Party members participated, 24 of whom took leave with permission; in the second meeting, 43 Party members participated, 27 of whom took leave with permission. However, according to Secretary Chau, “regarding the year-end evaluation, it is not possible to give good comments, because they are all children in the neighborhood, and we see each other when we go in and out, so we are also considerate. In some cases, people even wrote in advance on the comment form and brought it to the Party cell secretary for signature...”.

Similarly, block 17 has the largest number of party members working and living in Hung Binh ward (about 200 people) with all administrative, military, police, and provincial-level officials. According to Mr. Nguyen Tat Ly - Party cell secretary of the block, the regulation is to organize meetings twice a year, but usually only once at the end of the year with about 70% of party members participating. Party members mainly come to listen to the block committee report on the situation, but there are opinions to contribute in every meeting, but there are not many truly enthusiastic opinions. A meeting has only about 2-3 opinions. Many families with 2-3 party members only send 1 person to attend...

Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh Loan - Secretary of the Party Committee of Hung Binh Ward said that because the number of "Party members 76" is large (1,395 comrades), the Party Committee of the ward can only base on the introduction letter from the agency when transferring and the comments of the Party cell secretaries of the hamlet to stamp, but cannot control whether the comments about the Party members living in the place of residence are true or not. That reality does not only exist in Vinh City but also exists in many localities today.

For example, in the Party Committee of Quan Hanh Town (Nghi Loc) - where there are 50 agencies and units located in the area, when asked about the number of "Party members 76", Mr. Nguyen Huy Tung - Secretary of the Party Committee of the town, said: Some agencies and units introduce Party members to activities at their place of residence, but they do not notify about job transfers or retirements, so the number of "Party members 76" fluctuates frequently, so it is not known exactly. According to Mr. Tung, the organization of Party activities at the place of residence in 10 village Party cells is mostly only held once a year after Tet, the number of Party members participating is only about 70% at most...

According to some ward party cell secretaries, there has never been any assessment or survey on the implementation of Regulation 76 at the grassroots level. No one knows where things are done well, and no one knows where things are not done well, so the quality of life is not high, mainly depending on the responsibility of the local party committee and the spirit and awareness of party members.

Comrade Dau Van Thanh - Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Board assessed: The work of party members in residential activities is currently still mainly formal. The awareness of party members participating in residential activities is not high (in some places, only 45-50% of the number of participants, the highest is only about 80%), and the participation in contributing constructive ideas is still limited. Mainly, they attend to listen to reports on the situation of the block and residential area. Some places do not closely monitor the introduction and reception of party members; comments, assessments, and inspections of party members' performance of their civic duties at their residential area are not regular and orderly. The year-end comments of the residential party committee on "party member 76" are still respectful, emotional, and general.

Through practical research, we found that the reason is that many party committees at the places where party members work and where they reside have not clearly understood the purpose, requirements, and content of Regulation 76, have not directed the serious and regular implementation of inspections and urging of party committees at all levels to implement and attach importance to the annual preliminary, summary, comment, and evaluation of party members' quality. Some localities still underestimate the participation in contributing intellectual and intellectual resources, but "heavily" focus on financial and material contributions, thus limiting the participation of "party members 76" in general movements. The coordination relationship between the party committees at the places where party members work and the places where party members reside in managing and inspecting party members in performing party member duties, civic duties, and implementing things party members are not allowed to do, etc. is still inadequate, with the phenomenon of "contracting" to the party committees at the places of residence.

In addition, a number of party members, because they have not fully understood the purpose and meaning of this policy, believe that this is a form of coercion and compulsion, so they have not voluntarily implemented it. Therefore, at the end of each year, party members who are working and living in their residential areas bring fruits to the house of the party cell secretary of the hamlet to ask to fill out a review form. Justifying this action, a banking official working in Dien Chau (living in Vinh City) said: “Up to now, at the end of the year, the agency has never asked party members to submit a review form at their residential area, so I have never attended any activities. Last year, there was a review of the 4th Central Committee and saw the request to submit a review form. I was so desperate that I had to go to the house of the party cell secretary of the hamlet to ask for a review, and submit it together with the party member review to complete the documents and procedures…”.

That also reflects the current reality that many local party organizations receive too many working party members for activities, and only organize activities 1-2 times a year, so the grassroots party committee cannot monitor them all. The party cell secretary of the hamlet does not even remember the faces of the party members participating in activities at their place of residence, so at the end of the year, he does not know how to comment other than the three words "Good". The content of the activities is still poor, not focusing on the main points. In some rural areas, the number of working party members who are introduced is very small, so the activities are also difficult, most of them have to be paired with local party cells. The contents of Regulation 76 have therefore not been fully implemented. In addition, some party cell secretaries of hamlet blocks have reported that the current comment form is inconsistent, general, lacking in specificity, and in some places, it is even just a matter of ticking the multiplication sign like a multiple choice ballot. "This makes it difficult for the local Party Committee to make comments about "Party member 76" and makes the comments not objective and comprehensive" - ​​Mr. Vo Ngoc Cuong - Secretary of Party Cell Block 10, Truong Thi Ward (Vinh City) expressed...

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Khanh Ly