Sixth Party Congress: Determined to innovate

SIXTH PARTY CONGRESS

Time:December 15-18, 1986

Location:Hanoi, the capital city

Number of delegates attending the Congress:1,129

Number of party members in the country: nearly 1.9 million

Thirty-two international delegations attended.

The congress elected:

+ General Secretary: Comrade Nguyen Van Linh

+ Central Executive Committee: 124 full members and 49 alternate members

+ Politburo: 13 full members and 1 alternate member

+ Advisors to the Central Committee: Comrades Trường Chinh, Phạm Văn Đồng, and Lê Đức Thọ.

GENERAL CONTEXT:

- The socialist system in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe fell into serious crisis and difficulties. The national independence movement developed strongly; the non-aligned movement became a large political force with an increasingly important role.

The gap between developed capitalist countries and developing countries is widening. The increasingly severe exploitation by imperialist countries is plunging many countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America into ever greater poverty and mounting debt. The workers' movement in capitalist countries is experiencing new developments.

The scientific and technological revolution unfolded vigorously, creating a leap forward in the development of productive forces and accelerating the internationalization of productive forces.

- Domestically, we will continue building socialism, establishing a system of collective ownership, a new economy, a new culture, and a new socialist person, all while simultaneously defending the Fatherland.

However, during the first 10 years of the transition period, the old production system, the consequences of wars, and the remnants of the old regime hindered the country's development. We have not progressed much from our very low starting point. The mistakes and shortcomings made have only exacerbated the difficulties.

DETERMINATION TO INNOVATE

The Sixth National Congress marked a significant renewal of the Party's political, ideological, and organizational leadership. With the spirit of "facing the truth, assessing the truth correctly, and speaking the truth clearly," the Congress affirmed the achievements of the previous term, while also pointing out the severe difficulties facing the socio-economic situation: slow production growth; low production and investment efficiency; underutilized national resources; inefficient circulation and chaotic distribution; slow and even worsening major imbalances in the economy; slow consolidation of socialist production relations; continued hardship for the people, especially workers and civil servants; and the rise of negative social phenomena.

Overall, we have not yet achieved the general goal set by the 5th Congress, which was to fundamentally stabilize the socio-economic situation and the people's lives.

Based on a correct analysis and assessment of the country's situation, the Congress rigorously criticized its mistakes and shortcomings. Renewing its thinking, gaining a clearer understanding of the objective laws of the transitional period, inheriting the achievements and experiences of building socialism in the North and the early years after national reunification, and after much exploration and testing from practice, the Congress formulated the reform line.

The Congress determined that the Party must mature in political leadership, develop and concretize its guidelines, and propose correct solutions to new problems in the cause of building socialism and defending the Fatherland. To strengthen its fighting capacity and practical organizational capabilities, the Party must innovate in many aspects: innovation in thinking, first and foremost economic thinking; organizational innovation; innovation in the cadre; and innovation in leadership style and work methods.

The Congress decided to supplement and amend certain specific points in the Party Charter to suit the new situation.

Comprehensive reform truly reflects the will of the Party and the aspirations of the people. The implementation of the Resolution of the Sixth Party Congress was a process of experimentation, exploration, and gradual concretization, development, and organization of the major orientations. The Party and the State focused on addressing urgent economic and social issues, maintaining political stability, while simultaneously reforming various aspects of social life. The reform policies and guidelines began to yield tangible results; the economic situation and people's lives gradually improved, democratic practices in society were increasingly promoted, and people's trust in the reform process grew.

The Congress elected the Central Executive Committee, comradeNguyen Van LinhHe was elected General Secretary of the Party. Comrades:Truong Chinh, Pham Van DongandLe Duc ThoHe was assigned the responsibility of being an Advisor to the Central Executive Committee of the Party.

DOMESTIC EVENTS

- January 4, 1986: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam issued a statement on sovereignty over the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

- January 16, 1986: The 5th National Congress of Heroes and Emulation Fighters. This was the first Congress of Heroes and Emulation Fighters since the reunification of the country.

- January 24, 1986: Vietnam signed the Supplementary Treaty to the Treaty on the Delimitation of the National Border between Vietnam and Laos and the Protocol on the Demarcation and Marking of the entire Vietnam-Laos Border.

- July 10, 1986: General Secretary Le Duan passed away.

- July 14, 1986: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam held a special session and elected Comrade Truong Chinh, member of the Politburo and Chairman of the State Council, as General Secretary.

- May 25, 1987: The column "Things That Need to Be Done Immediately" by Comrade NVL (General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh) was launched in the Nhan Dan newspaper.

"Things That Need to Be Done Immediately" sparked a nationwide journalistic movement to fight against waste and corruption.

INTERNATIONAL EVENT

- January 28, 1986: The American space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff, killing the entire crew.

- February 20, 1986: Russia launched the Mir space station into space.

- February 1986: The 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

- April 26, 1986: The Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded. The disaster claimed the lives of nearly 100,000 people and forced more than 340,000 to evacuate.

- October 11-12, 1986: Summit meeting between US President R. Reagan and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Gorbachev in Reykjavik to discuss nuclear weapons.

- November 27, 1986: Senior leaders of the Soviet Union and India signed the Delhi Declaration on a world without nuclear weapons and non-aggression.

- January 27 and 28, 1987: At the plenary session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, General Secretary Gorbachev announced the policy of perestroika and glasnost.