Democracy in the Party: 'Nucleus' for democracy in society

According to experts, expanding internal democracy within the Party is the core and exemplary model for implementing democracy in society.

In his Testament, President Ho Chi Minh advised: "In the Party, practicing broad democracy, regularly and seriously practicing self-criticism and criticism is the best way to consolidate and develop the solidarity and unity of the Party."

Inheriting and implementing Ho Chi Minh's thought, our Party through the Congress periods, especially since the renovation up to now, has increasingly carried out the role of democracy, paid attention to practicing democracy, considered democracy as both a goal and a driving force for socio-economic development. In 30 years of carrying out the comprehensive renovation of the country, in terms of practicing democracy, our country has achieved many important results.

Comprehensive thinking on promoting democracy

The 12th Party Congress advocated “continuing to promote socialist democracy, ensuring that all state power belongs to the people. Democracy must be fully and seriously implemented in all areas of social life. Ensuring that people participate in all stages of the decision-making process related to the interests and lives of the people”.

12th Party Congress

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Vy, Communist Magazine, this is truly our Party's comprehensive thinking on promoting democracy and practicing socialist democracy. The 12th Congress also emphasized the task of institutionalizing and implementing well the motto "people know, people discuss, people do, people inspect". At the same time, it affirmed that to implement democracy in society, it is necessary to first ensure the promotion of democracy within the Party as the core to fully promote democracy in society.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Duc, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, said that as the only political party that comprehensively leads society, the Communist Party of Vietnam plays a particularly important role in the country's democracy. Democracy within the Party is the premise and condition for democracy in society.

“How can the Party’s leadership mechanism, the Party’s operating institutions and all Party activities… truly achieve the democratic process? If democracy within the Party is still limited and flawed, democracy in society will inevitably be weak, even truncated. And the ultimate consequence of this is to limit the country’s development level. This is a difficult and complicated issue that requires continued in-depth discussion and research. Promoting democracy must go hand in hand with strengthening the rule of law, promoting civic responsibility, maintaining discipline and promoting social ethics,” Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Van Duc emphasized.

Expanding internal democracy along with democratizing all aspects of social life is a practical way to fight against the infiltration of bureaucracy into our Party and State, is the most effective remedy against the risk of political, ideological and ethical degradation of the ruling Party, and preserve the good revolutionary nature of our Party and State. Dr. Nguyen Thi Vy, Communist Magazine, believes that expanding internal democracy within the ruling Party is the core, an exemplary model for implementing democracy in society. Of course, on the basis of promoting the people's mastery and expanding socialist democracy, internal democracy within the Party becomes more vital, reflecting practical activities and concentrating the nation's intelligence, thereby strengthening the Party. In today's era, globalization and knowledge economy, conditions for widespread and rapid access to information, the knowledge level of cadres and Party members, and the rising intellectual level of society, the need to expand democracy is increasing.

Practicing Democracy in the Party: How?

According to Associate Professor Dr. Pham Van Duc, in order to practice democracy in the Party and society, the Party needs to continue to innovate in both theoretical and ideological work, as well as in the work of organizing cadres, inspection work and leadership methods in the direction of further expanding democracy, while effectively overcoming the limitations and shortcomings that the Party has encountered. “Along with that, what must the Party do to demonstrate its determination to fight and win in the struggle to clean up the Party and fight against corruption and waste? This is extremely important, not only related to strengthening the people's trust in the Party, but also directly related to the fate and survival of the Party as the only leading and ruling Party.”

According to Associate Professor Dr. Pham Van Duc, to practice democracy in the Party and society, it is also necessary to improve ethics in the Party, improve the intellectual level of the Party and attract many talented people to the Party to strengthen the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party in the current new context and situation.

Prof. Dr. Le Huu Nghia, former member of the Party Central Committee and former Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, said that in order to promote socialist democracy and the strength of national unity, it is necessary to eliminate privileges and benefits, fight against degradation, corruption and bureaucracy. “To restore and strengthen people's trust in the Party and the State, to gain people's support and actively implement the renovation policy, the Party and the State must promptly and effectively resolve pressing issues of the people. It is necessary to create conditions and mechanisms for people to contribute ideas to build the Party and the State, for people to inspect and supervise cadres and party members, especially in the fight against corruption and waste, and for people to perform the role of supervising and criticizing the policies and guidelines of the Party and the State through social organizations”.

According to Professor Dr. Le Huu Nghia, there must be forms and mechanisms to strongly promote socialist democracy, ensuring that all state power belongs to the people, and that the people are truly the subjects of political power and state power. All guidelines, policies and laws of the State must originate from the aspirations, rights and legitimate interests of the people, and the people must participate in giving opinions in every stage of the process from decision making to implementation.

According to VOV