Party Congresses at all levels in Nghe An in the context of Covid-19: Prioritizing protecting public health

Postpone the congress

Selected to hold a model congress, according to the plan approved by the Provincial Party Committee, the Con Cuong District Party Committee will organize the congress and complete it in March 2020. However, the organization of the congress could not be carried out as planned. The objective reason that no one could have foreseen was the extremely complicated developments of the acute respiratory infection pandemic caused by the new strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus, also known as Covid-19.

Panoramic view of Con Cuong town. Photo: Contributor

The rapid spread and risks of the Covid-19 epidemic have affected all areas of social life. After the Government declared a state of emergency, Nghe An province also issued policies and directions to prevent and control the spread of the epidemic in the community. One of the measures directed by the Party Committee and authorities at all levels in Nghe An is not to organize large gatherings if not really necessary; continuously adjust the school schedule for all levels... To ensure the health of all classes of people and at the same time implement the direction of the Central Government and the province, many localities in the area were also forced to temporarily suspend meetings and postpone the time of the Party Congress.

It can be said that at this time, local Party committees must simultaneously carry out two essential tasks: Mobilizing the entire political system to fight the Covid-19 epidemic and urging grassroots Party cells and Party committees to focus on organizing Party congresses according to objective requirements.

In the spirit of the direction of the superior Party Committee, Con Cuong District Party Committee has used many solutions to strongly propagate to each cadre, party member and people while simultaneously carrying out two seemingly unrelated tasks. According to comrade Nguyen Dinh Hung - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of Con Cuong District Party Committee, in addition to the impact of the epidemic, the local Party Committee also resolved a few problems during the process of holding the grassroots Party Congress. That is the work of perfecting personnel, arranging the organization of the new term, the requirement is to ensure harmony and compliance with regulations on structure such as: age, gender, proportion of ethnic minorities, inheritance... By the end of January 2020, all 210 Party cells under the grassroots Party Committee in Con Cuong district had completed the congress.

Con Cuong district leaders visit a high-quality melon growing model in Chi Khe commune. Photo: Ba Hau

“It can be seen that, up to this point, after 210 grassroots party cells and party cells and party committees directly under the District Party Committee have completed their congresses, there have been no petitions. This can be said to be one of the successes. With the initiative of the District Party Committee Standing Committee as well as the entire political system, the Covid-19 epidemic has not had much impact on the organization of party congresses at all levels in Con Cuong. If there is any impact, it is only a slight delay compared to the original plan, although the health of the people and the community must be put first."

Con Cuong District Party Secretary Nguyen Dinh Hung

It is known that with the determination to overcome difficulties, Con Cuong district will complete the District Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term before April 10 this year.

Prioritize protecting people's health

In Ky Son district, on the basis of Directive No. 35-CT/TW dated May 30, 2019 of the Politburo and Plan No. 207-KH/HU dated October 1, 2019 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, the Ky Son District Party Committee Standing Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 1335-CV/HU dated October 30, 2019 directing the organization of congresses of party cells under the grassroots party committees for the 2020-2025 term.

However, this important political activity has been more or less disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ky Son, with its characteristic highland border area, has a natural area of ​​209,484 hectares and a border with Laos of 203,409 km. Along with crossing the border with Laos, in recent years many people in Ky Son district have participated in the labor market in countries such as Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and there have been many cases of secretly participating in the labor market in China. The management of local household registration has therefore become more complicated. Meanwhile, the epicenter of the Covid-19 epidemic occurred in Wuhan (China), so concerns related to epidemiological work have become clearer. This is also one of the reasons affecting the organization of Party congresses at all levels in Ky Son.

Border guards and communal police forces in Ky Son coordinate border patrol. Photo: File

However, with the initiative and positivity from the beginning, the Standing Committee of Ky Son District Party Committee has given specific instructions to the People's Committee, the Fatherland Front, departments, branches, organizations, and functional forces to review each Party cell and village. Focusing highly on the work of preventing and fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, promoting propaganda activities, raising people's awareness in protecting their health, along with guiding Party cells under the grassroots Party Committee to closely follow the regulations of the higher-level Party Committee to prepare urgent contents to organize the congress. Up to this point, 320/320 party cells under 27 grassroots party committees in Ky Son district have successfully organized congresses for the 2020 - 2022 term. The congresses of party cells elected 973 party cell committee members, of which 319 were elected party cell secretaries (the Party Cell of Muong Long Boarding Ethnic Minority Secondary School under Muong Long Commune Party Committee elected a vacant position as party cell secretary); 300 deputy party cell secretaries.

Comrade Vi Hoe - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Ky Son District Party Committee said that the experience drawn from the recent grassroots party congresses shows that the "pre-stage" stage is the most important, on the basis of firmly grasping Directive No. 35 of the Politburo, the provincial notices, and the district's plans, the tighter and better the preparation, the more successful it will be. Thanks to the careful preparation for both "fronts", the grassroots party congress in Ky Son district was successful. Some notable statistics: 13 newly elected party cell secretaries are between the ages of 18 and 30; 54 party cell secretaries are between the ages of 31 and 35. Regarding ethnic composition: 70 party cell secretaries are Thai; 89 are Mong; 80 are Khmu; There are 41 female Party cell secretaries, accounting for 12.81% (20.34% of female Party members are elected to the Party cell committee). In addition, in the 2020 - 2022 term, 18 Party cells have implemented the policy of Party cell secretaries being concurrently village and block heads.

Tang Phan village of Mong people in Na Ngoi commune (Ky Son). Photo: Ho Phuong

Regarding the grassroots party committees, Secretary of the Ky Son District Party Committee Vi Hoe said that the district has selected three party committees to hold model congresses this March. The Party Committee of the residential block will hold the congress on March 20; the Party Committee of Muong Long commune will hold the congress on March 24; and the Party Committee of Huu Kiem commune will hold the congress on March 26. Starting from April and May, the remaining grassroots party committees will hold mass congresses and it is expected that in July, Ky Son district will hold the District Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term.

“In the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, the District Party Committee has proactively taken all solutions and proposed specific plans. Based on the development of the epidemic and the direction of the province, the district will make every effort to best meet the requirements, the biggest priority is still to ensure the health of the community.”

Secretary of Ky Son District Party Committee Vi Hoe