2011 Platform of the Communist Party of Vietnam with the trend of the times

Since its inception (in 1930) until now, for nearly three-quarters of a century, our Party has successfully led the Vietnamese revolutionary cause with three political platforms. Each platform has an important historical role in the destiny of our nation.

11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Photo: Chinhphu.vn

The first platform of the Party drafted by President Ho Chi Minh was the “Brief Platform and Brief Strategy”, which was approved by the Party Founding Conference on February 3, 1930. Afterwards, the first Central Executive Committee Conference held in Hong Kong inherited the above two documents, forming the “Party Political Platform” in October 1930.

Implementing the Platform and Theses, in 1930, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, our people successfully carried out the August Revolution of 1945, regained national independence and sovereignty, established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam), and opened a new era for our people - the era of national independence associated with a political regime in which the people are the masters of the State and society. Then, under the leadership of the Party, our people defeated the wars of aggression of the most brutal imperialists of the era, protecting the independence, freedom, and unity of the country.

After the country was unified, the country was reunited, the whole country moved towards socialism, under the leadership of the Party, once again, our people overcame the dangerous challenge. The old model of building socialism collapsed at the center of the socialist system. The political regime in the Soviet Union and the socialist countries in Eastern Europe collapsed (1989-1991). As an underdeveloped country, having just gone through 30 years of war, and being besieged and embargoed by the United States, our Party creatively applied and developed Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, carrying out the renovation process starting from the 6th Congress in 1986. At the 7th Congress, for the first time, our Party proposed a Platform for building the country in peaceful conditions. That was the "Platform for building the country in the transition period to socialism" in 1991. This was the second Platform of the Party.

Implementing the second Platform, our Party and people on the one hand persisted in the goals and principles of socialism, on the other hand transformed the model of national construction from the old model with the State of "proletarian dictatorship", "centralized bureaucratic subsidized planned economy" to the new model of socialism. Regarding the political regime, it is a regime in which "the working people are the masters"; regarding the economy, it is a "multi-sector commodity economy"... At the 11th Congress in 2011, our Party once again adjusted the 1991 Platform. The Platform for National Construction in the Transitional Period to Socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011) is the third Platform of our Party. The 2011 Platform of the Communist Party of Vietnam not only continues to affirm the path of socialism, but also includes in this document new contents in line with the major trends of the times. That is the trend of “peace, national independence, democracy, cooperation and development”, at the same time, the Platform also points out the challenges that are taking place fiercely in the world and the region. Those are “… local wars, armed conflicts,… intervention, subversion, terrorism, disputes over territory, seas, islands, resources and fierce competition for economic interests”.

Recently, on some social networks, there are individuals, even groups of people in different forms, who have included in the declarations of "independent" "associations" and "unions" (organizations not authorized by the government), written "open letters" to the leaders of the Party and State, criticizing and even distorting the Platform and policies of the Communist Party of Vietnam. They claim that: "The nearly 30-year renovation process... still maintains the totalitarian one-party regime that restrains freedom, democracy and divides the nation". They "recommend" "changing the Platform, abandoning the wrong line on building socialism, completely switching to a national and democratic line, focusing on transforming the political system from totalitarianism to democracy...".

So, what are those recommendations in theory and practice? And if we follow the path that some people recommend, what will happen to our social system, revolutionary achievements, national independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity?

First of all, in terms of theory and practice, the "recommendations" that some people have put forward are not new and unfamiliar with the reality of the renovation process of our people over the past 30 years. It cannot be denied that, over the past many years, our society has had many unresolved economic and social problems, such as the trend of rich-poor polarization that has not been prevented and pushed back. The lives of a part of the people, especially compatriots in remote areas and workers in many industrial zones, are still facing many difficulties; the state of ideological, political, moral and lifestyle degradation of a part of cadres and party members at all levels has led to a decline in people's trust. This has been openly and frankly acknowledged by our Party and solutions have been proposed to overcome in the Resolution of the 4th Central Conference (11th tenure).

However, if someone believes that the current regime is a "totalitarian one-party system that suppresses freedom, democracy and divides the nation" and recommends "changing the Platform and abandoning the wrong path of building socialism", it is not only a distortion of history, but also a serious mistake in ideology and politics. As everyone knows, the reason why Vietnam has stood firm after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US blockade and embargo, the life of the vast majority of the people has improved, and national sovereignty has been maintained is thanks to the correct political path of our Party.

In terms of ideology and politics, the fact that some people are calling for changes to the Platform means eliminating the goal of building Vietnam into a society of “… Rich people, strong country, democracy, fairness, and civilization”; eliminating the social regime where “people are the masters” with “a rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, for the people” (2011 Platform). Furthermore, this also means eliminating both human rights and civil rights recognized in the 2011 Platform, especially those stipulated in Chapter II of the 2013 Constitution.

In terms of economy, calling for the abolition of the Platform also means the abolition of: “A socialist-oriented market economy with many forms of ownership, many economic sectors, forms of business organization and forms of distribution...”. According to the general view of the international community, Vietnam's current economy is a “market economy”, especially since Vietnam became a member of the WTO.

Regarding foreign affairs and defense, calling for the abolition of the Platform also means abolishing the policy of “Independent, self-reliant, peaceful, cooperative and developmental foreign affairs; multilateralizing and diversifying relations, proactively and actively integrating into the international community…”; and abolishing the defense policy of “Firmly protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland” as determined in the 2011 Platform.

Second, if we follow the path that some people suggest: "Switch completely to a national and democratic path, focusing on transforming the political system from totalitarianism to democracy"... then what will be the scenario and consequences?

In the world, there are many models of political institutional transformation from “dictatorship” to “democracy” that have been taking place in South Asia, the Middle East-North Africa… But behind those changes are the available “scripts” of Western giants with the intention of monopolizing geopolitical power and non-renewable resources, especially oil. In reality, there has not been a single model of transformation that does not have to pay the price of riots and seemingly endless instability. The change of “socialist society” institutions to the capitalist path like the Soviet Union and Eastern European socialist countries also had to suffer the consequences.

Objectively, if Vietnam changes its system, abolishes the “Platform” and follows the path of socialism, there will be a change in the system following the Soviet reform model with the sweet melody of “reform for more socialism”. Of course, for Vietnam, there are still other hidden factors and risks, which are a topical historical issue.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the research work "Lessons on the collapse of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union" (published in Nhan Dan Newspaper) showed that one of the reasons leading to the collapse was the moral and lifestyle degradation of the Party's cadres and members, leading to ideological and political degradation.

Someone who thinks that only by changing the political regime can we protect national independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity, that is a naive illusion. Since becoming the leading force in the cause of building and protecting the country, the Communist Party of Vietnam has experienced relations with most major countries. If you think that the Communist Party of Vietnam is still "dogmatic" about ideology, still "naive" before the diplomatic language of major country politicians, that is a mistake. Vietnam believes that "partnership" and "object" relations can be converted to each other. We must stand on national interests, attached to the political regime to filter basic international relations and specific cooperative relations. Of course, the political thinking of the Communist Party of Vietnam is still sharpened based on recent political events.

Our Party leaders have repeatedly affirmed that they will protect national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity by all possible means, in accordance with international law. Vietnam does not exclude any political, economic, or military relations with any country, if it brings benefits to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Thus, the Communist Party of Vietnam, with its 2011 Platform, is the only political force that has all the conditions in terms of ideology and politics; the ability to unite the nation and international solidarity, as well as the capacity for strategic thinking to build and protect the Fatherland, and protect the revolutionary achievements of our Party and people.

According to QĐND