Party Charter (adopted by the 1st National Congress of the Party)

The Indochinese Communist Party, the sole vanguard of the proletariat, fought to win over the majority of the proletarian masses, led the working peasants and all other working masses, commanded them to carry out anti-imperialist and agrarian revolution (planning for Indochina to be completely independent, for the peasants to have land, and for the ethnic minorities to be liberated), established the Soviet government of workers, peasants and soldiers, in order to prepare conditions for the struggle to realize the dictatorship of the proletariat, and build socialism, which is the first period of communism according to the program of the Communist International.

Charter of the Indochinese Communist Party

I- Name: Indochinese Communist Party (branch of the Communist International).

II- Party's principles

1. The Indochinese Communist Party, the sole vanguard of the proletariat, fights to win over the majority of the proletarian masses, leads the working peasants and all other working masses, commands them to carry out anti-imperialist and agrarian revolution (planning for Indochina to be completely independent, for the peasants to have land, for the ethnic minorities to be liberated), establish a Soviet government of workers, peasants and soldiers, in order to prepare conditions for the struggle to realize the dictatorship of the proletariat, to build socialism, which is the first period of communism according to the program of the Communist International.

The Communist Party is the supreme form of the proletariat, the most enlightened and resolutely fighting part of the proletariat, with iron discipline, unity in organization, thought and action, absolutely not compromising with factional tendencies, reformist tendencies, narrow-minded nationalism, sectarianism and tendencies contrary to the program of the Party and of the Communist International.

III- Party members

2.Conditions for joining the Party:regardless of gender, regardless of ethnicity, whoever:

a) Be 23 years of age or older,

b) Recognizing the Program of the Communist International, the Program of Action and the Party's Statute,

c) Comply with and implement all resolutions of the Communist International and of the Party,

d) Working in a grassroots organization of the Party,

e) Regularly pay party fees and have someone introduce you to join the Party.

3.How to introduce:

a) By individuals joining the Party.

b) When a new party member joins the Party, he/she must be accepted by the entire Party cell at a conference and approved by the next higher authority.

4.Conditions for joining the Party:

a) Urban and rural workers who want to join the Party must have two Party members introduce them, be recognized by the Party cell, and then approved by the next higher authority.

b) Farmers, laborers and small-scale artisans must have two party members who have been party members for at least three months to introduce them, have them recognized by the party cell, and then have their superiors approve.

c) Intellectuals and small businessmen must have two Party members with at least six months of experience to introduce them, be recognized by the Party cell, and then approved by the next higher authority.

d) Regular party members of other parties must have three party members with at least six months of experience to introduce them, be recognized by the party cell, and approved by the provincial party committee.

d) Persons in charge or departments of other parties or political organizations wishing to join the Communist Party must be approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, after purging all non-thoroughly communist elements.

e) Communist Youth Union members who want to join the Communist Party must be introduced by the Youth Union branch for recognition by the Party branch.

g) Party members must undergo a probationary period: workers two months, peasants and urban poor four months, intellectuals and other elements six months, former leaders of other parties one year. Probationary party members have the right to discuss and make proposals, but do not have the right to vote and are not appointed to leadership bodies. Other tasks and duties are the same for probationary party members and official party members. After the probationary period, if they have fulfilled their responsibilities, the Party cell will declare them official party members; but if they do not meet the requirements to become official party members, they will be considered for a probationary period.

h) The person introducing must know the residence and workplace of the person he/she is introducing; if the introduction is not truthful, the person introducing must take responsibility and be punished up to and including being expelled from the Party.

Attention:

a) Soldiers joining the Party are subject to conditions of introduction based on their social status.

b) In secret circumstances and in special situations, superior party committee members have the right to recruit new party members without having to go through the party cell.

c) Before introducing a person to the Party, it is necessary to investigate that person very carefully and assign them a trial job.

5.Party member's duties:

a) Be disciplined, keep secrets, enthusiastically participate in political activities within the Party and in the country; implement resolutions of the Communist International, the Party and the Party's leadership bodies.

b) Must improve one's own political level, must study Marxism-Leninism and all important Party resolutions and political and organizational issues, must explain to the masses without Party membership the resolutions of the Party and the Communist International.

c) Each Party member is required to join mass organizations under the Party's direction to increase the Party's political influence and organizational power among the masses.

d) Must enter the mass organizations organized and commanded by the nationalist reformists and reactionaries to fight daily politically and organizationally, to destroy the influence of those leaders, and to win over the working masses to their side.

d) Must always participate in organizing and leading the masses to fight, defend their rights, enthusiastically propagate and popularize anti-imperialist and land-based revolutionary strategies and communist theory among the working masses.

e) Must organize new party members.

f) Party members from one place to another must have their local leadership agency introduce them to the new Party Committee they are going to and must work in that Party Committee.

g) When a Party member from one country goes to another country, the Central Committee of the Party in his/her country must decide and introduce him/her to the Central Committee of the Party in the other country to work.

The following types of people need to be expelled from the Party:

a) Openly or secretly intentionally helping the reformist nationalists, the Trotskyites and other reactionary political organizations that the Communist International and the Party recognize as hostile to communism, who oppose and sabotage the Indochinese revolution.

b) Sabotaging the Party's iron discipline (in any form) can sabotage the Party and persecute the masses.

c) Secret agents, provocateurs, half-baked revolutionaries, traitors, speculators, debauchees and those whose actions are unjust and harm the name of the Party.

IV- Party organization (structure)

6. The Indochinese Communist Party is a completely secret organization to the enemy. The task of the Party's secret organizations is to take the development of work among the masses as the center, to liaise in secret, semi-public and public work, and to guarantee the Party's leadership in revolutionary movements of the masses.

7. The organizational principle of the Party is democratic centralism, which means:

a)Party's steering bodiesFrom the highest to the lowest level, all are elected by the congress of delegates and the entire conference of that department.

b) The Party's leadership bodies must regularly report their work to Party committees and higher-level bodies.

c) Party members have the right to discuss Party issues within their own Party committees before those issues are resolved. But after a resolution is made, the minority submits to the majority; resolutions of the Communist International, the Party or the governing body must be implemented by lower-level Party committees. Even if a group of Party members or a few localities are dissatisfied with those resolutions, they have the right to complain to the higher body up to the Communist International, but while the higher body has not yet made a decision, they must still implement them as before.

8. The Party's construction is based on industry and region. A Party organization covering many regions is higher than the Party organizations within the regions.

9. All Party committees are free to decide their own local issues, but these issues absolutely cannot conflict with the resolutions of the Communist International and the higher organs of the Party.

10. The highest body in the Party Committee at all levels is the entire conference, conference delegates, and congress delegates (regular or extraordinary) of those levels, electing the committee members of their level, which is the executive body and directs the daily work of the Party Committee.

Attention:

a) In secret working conditions, if agreed by the higher Party organs, the lower-level committee members can be appointed, that is, not elected by the conference delegates of the corresponding Party organization, or the election can be combined with the appointment, that is, a part of the committee members are elected by the conference delegates, and the other part are appointed.

b) Due to the secret nature of the work, the committee members may not be elected by the conference delegates, but may be established by the superior agency selecting the most enthusiastic members from the Party cell, from the Trade Union's Party groups, and from mass organizations.

11.The Party's organizational system is as follows:

a) All Indochina delegates to the Congress: central;

b) The whole region's conference delegates: the regional committee;

c) Provinces, large cities, especially conference delegates: provinces, large cities, special committees;

d) Prefecture, district, prefecture, county, city, and conference delegate area: prefecture, district, prefecture, county, city, and regional party committee;

d) General delegates of the conference: General Committee;

e) Conference cell: secretary, executive committee.

Attention:

a) In a country with many provincial departments, the provincial party committee cannot direct the work tightly and quickly, then the provincial party committee can negotiate with the Central Committee to establish command committees for three or four provinces, cities, and special committees. These committees are representative delegations of the provincial party committee, these committees are only responsible to the provincial party committee and the conference delegates, the members of these committees are completely appointed by the provincial party committee, not by the provinces, cities, or special committees.

b) In any region where a regional party committee has not yet been established, the Central Committee will directly command the party committees in that region. The Central Committee can delegate authority to the party committee members in the capital (such as Hanoi, Hue, Saigon, Nam Vang, Vientiane) or to the strongest provincial party committee to temporarily take charge of commanding the party committees of the entire region.

c) In a province that does not have a provincial party committee, the regional party committee directly commands the party committees in that province; the regional party committee can authorize the city party committee (in the provincial capital) to temporarily take charge of commanding work throughout the entire province. If the provincial party committee and city party committee have not been established, and the regional party committee cannot directly command quickly and closely, the regional party committee can temporarily assign the party committees in that province to a nearby provincial party committee to command.

d) For districts, prefectures, counties, prefectures, and regions that do not have district, prefecture, county, prefecture, or region committees, the provincial party committee directly directs the party committees in those districts, prefectures, counties, counties, or regions; the provincial party committee may temporarily delegate authority to a nearby district party committee or a strong general committee to command in that district. For cantons that do not have a general committee, the district party committee directly commands the party cells in that canton, or the district party committee may delegate authority to the executive committee of the strongest village party cell in the canton or to a nearby general committee to temporarily direct the party cells in that canton.

e) In any province, district, or commune that has only one Party cell, the superior agency may authorize the Party cell's executive committee to assume the temporary title of the province, district, or general committee to be in charge of developing work throughout that province, district, or commune.

A- Party cell

12. The basic organizational basis of the Party is the industrial party cell (factory, mine, plantation, workshop, office, barracks, school, etc.). All party members working in an industrial plant must join that party cell. Other party members such as craftsmen, intellectuals, small traders, servants, etc. are organized into street party cells based on their workplace. Villages (communes) are organized into village (commune) party cells.

13. Any place with three or more party members approved by the next higher authority can organize a party cell. Any place with one or two party members must join a nearby party cell, or together with party members in one or two nearby departments, organize a party cell.

14. Special Party cells can be established under special instructions from the Central Committee.

Attention:

a) If there is a group of workers, peasants, or other toiling masses, with an enlightened class, who, on their own initiative, organize a Party cell and begin communist work among the masses, if that Party cell wants to join the Party, the city or district Party Committee will investigate them in all aspects according to the Party's Charter. If they are truly sincere in revolutionary work, the city or district Party Committee can accept them into the Party.

b) Each industry and each village (commune) organizes a party cell. Any medium-sized party cell with more than seven comrades is divided into sub-committees (from camp to hamlet); any large party cell is divided into sub-groups (from three to seven people).

15.The tasks of the Party cell are:

a) Must enthusiastically discuss the Action Program, Charter, general resolutions on political lines and propaganda documents of the Party.

b) Must provide political training for new party members and sympathetic masses to improve their political level.

c) Must publish industrial newspaper.

d) Must use party forces to participate in and organize economic and political struggles of the masses to implement the Party's resolutions and maintain leadership for the proletariat class.

d) Must assist the district, city or general committee in organizational work.

e) Must set out daily work plans for the entire Party cell, Party members and Party delegation.

16.Conference cell:

a) The entire conference of the sub-group, small branch, and small party cell opens once a week. The delegates of the conference of the large branch, medium-sized branch, and large branch (with sub-groups) open at least once a month to listen to reports from the secretaries or executive committee (or committee members), discuss instructions from superiors, set the daily work plan of the sub-group, branch, and party cell, distribute work to party members, or send delegates to open the congress of superior delegates.

17. Large Party cells elect a committee of three to five members (including official and reserve secretaries). Branches with sub-groups and medium-sized Party cells need to elect an executive committee of three to five members. Small Party cells, small sub-groups and sub-groups only need to elect one official secretary and one reserve secretary. The official and reserve secretaries must be approved by the next higher authority. The executive committees of large Party cells and sub-groups and the official and reserve secretaries of small Party cells, small sub-groups and sub-groups are re-elected every three months.

18. How to distribute work in sub-groups, branches, party cells or executive committees (or committee members) such as:

a) Contribute party fees,

b) Print and distribute newspapers,

c) Party delegation commander in mass organizations.

B- Headquarters in the countryside

19. The highest organ in the headquarters is the headquarters of delegates, which holds a conference every three months to listen to and approve reports from the general committee and village party cells, set work plans, elect the general committee, and send delegates to attend conferences at higher levels (districts, prefectures, etc.).

20. The General Committee directs the daily work of its own branch. To carry out the daily work, it elects an official and a reserve secretary. The official and reserve secretary must be approved by the district committee. The General Committee holds a meeting once a week and re-elects the General Committee every three months.

C- District, prefecture, province, county, region

21. The highest authority of a district, prefecture, province, county, or regional committee (in an important urban area, plantation, or mine like a district) is the prefecture, county, province, or district, and the conference delegates, which convene every six months to listen to and approve the reports of the district, prefecture, province, county, and regional committees and of the headquarters, and to re-elect the district, prefecture, province, county, and regional committees; and to send delegates to open large provinces and cities, especially the conference delegates.

22. District, prefecture, province, county, and regional party committees, when necessary, must elect a Standing Committee. District, prefecture, province, county, and regional party committees without a Standing Committee shall hold a meeting once a week, and those with a Standing Committee shall hold a meeting once a month. One person shall be elected from the Standing Committee.official and reserve secretaryto lead the daily work of the district committee.Official and alternate secretariesmust be approved by the province, large city or special commission.

D- Provinces, large cities, especially ministries

23. The highest authority of a province or large city (Hai Phong, Hanoi, Vinh - Ben Thuy, Hue, Tuaran1), Saigon, Cho Lon, Nam Vang, Vientiane), especially a ministry (mining, large plantations as important as a province) usually holds a conference of delegates once every six months; listens to and approves reports from the province or large city, special committee and prefectures, districts, prefectures, counties, and regional ministries; plans the work to be carried out within its scope; re-elects the province or large city, special committee; sends delegates to hold conference of delegates at higher levels.

24. If necessary, provinces, cities, and special committees must elect standing committee members to do daily work. The Standing Committee must elect one official and one reserve secretary to lead daily work in the provinces, large cities, and special committees.

25. The secretary and director of the propaganda department of a province or large city, especially a special department, must be approved by the regional party committee.

26. Between the two congresses, the provincial, large city, and special committee is the highest body in its party committee, representing the entire provincial party committee to direct daily work, communicate with organizations, and superior party committees. The committee members of the provincial, large city, and special committee without a standing committee shall declare once a week, and those with a standing committee shall declare once a month.

D- Department

27. The highest organ of the province is the whole province's representative conference, this conference elects the province committee which is the highest organ in the province for about twice the number of province's representative conferences.

28. Conference delegates are convened by the regional committee, convened once a year, the qualifications and number of delegates are determined by the regional committee. The regional conference delegates discuss and approve the report of the regional committee, re-elect the regional committee, and send delegates to open the Party Congress.

29. The Regional Party Committee elects a Standing Committee (including official and reserve secretaries) to direct daily work, command special committees, distribute cadres and finances throughout the region, and inspect the implementation of resolutions of the conference delegates, the Regional Party Committee, and the Central Committee's directives. The secretaries and heads of the propaganda department of the region must be approved by the Central Committee. The Regional Party Committee must regularly report to the Central Committee according to the deadlines and plans set by the Central Committee. The entire Regional Party Committee meets at least once every three months.

30. The Regional Party Committee must take charge of a number of provinces, cities, and especially certain ministries, and divide the work within the Regional Party Committee such as:

a) Ministry of Propaganda, agitation and training.

b) Ministry of Finance.

c) Ministry of Organization and Transport.

Note: according to actual working conditions, several tasks can be assigned to one person. Establish specialized departments and assign comrades outside the regional committee to be in charge. The regional committee commands all work within the department; between the two regional delegates' conferences, the regional committee represents the regional party committee in communicating with other organizations and agencies, organizes the agencies of the regional party committee and commands the actions of those agencies, appoints the editor-in-chief of the regional newspaper, approves the secretaries and editors of provincial, large city, and special department newspapers. The regional committee re-elects once a year.

E- Central

31. The highest organ of the Party is the Party Congress, which convenes once every two years. Extraordinary congresses are decided by the Communist International, convened by the Central Committee on its own initiative, or requested by more than half of the previous delegates, by more than half of the regional committees, or by more than half of the Party members. An extraordinary Party Congress may be convened two months after the official Congress. An extraordinary congress, if it consists of more than half of the Party members, will have full authority to resolve issues.

32.Party Congress:

a) Discuss and approve Central reports.

b) Review the Party's Program and Charter.

c) Decide on the Party's organizational strategies and policies.

d) Central Committee.

33. The Central Committee is elected by the Congress and approved by the Communist International. When any official member is vacant, a reserve member will take his place.

Attention:

a) The Central Committee, when necessary, has the right to appoint additional members to the Central Committee, but the total number of members appointed within two Congresses must not exceed 1/3 of all Central Committee members;

b) The Central Committee may send regular party members to attend the Party Congress, but such people shall not have voting rights.

34. The Central Committee elects a Standing Committee to carry out daily work. The Standing Committee elects a general and alternate general secretary to direct the work in the central organs, distribute Party cadres, and inspect the implementation of the resolutions of the Congress, the Communist International, and the Central Committee.

35. Those in the Central Committee must be assigned to be leaders and representatives of the Central Committee in the regional committees, and must also be responsible for the central work. The Central Committee appoints special ministers such as:

a) Ministry of Propaganda, agitation and training;

b) Ministry of Finance;

c) Ministry of Organization and Transport.

Attention:According to actual working conditions, the Central Committee can establish special committees such as workers, farmers, soldiers, women's movements, etc. Special work must be completely separate and must not be related to the daily work of the Party.

36. During the two Congresses, the Central Committee is the highest organ of the Party, leading the work of the entire Party, communicating with other Party committees and organizations, organizing Party agencies and directing the actions in those agencies, appointing the editorial board of the central newspaper, approving the secretaries and heads of propaganda departments of the regional committees, distributing and managing the finances of the Central Committee.

37. The Central Committee shall hold a plenary meeting of the Central Committee at least once every three months; in difficult circumstances, it shall hold a meeting at least once every six months. It shall regularly send special notices to local Party committees to inform them of its work.

38. In order for Bolshevik leadership to develop, the higher organs (from the central to the headquarters and regional departments) can often send people down to the next lower level (central to the regional committee, regional committee to the province, etc.) to inspect and direct the work of the localities. The central has the right to establish special party committees.

Attention:

a) In addition to the Party Congress and the Party delegation conferences at all levels, each Party Committee at all levels may convene cadre conferences and grand conferences of the entire Executive Committee at all levels. Each cadre conference at all levels is convened on its own initiative by the corresponding committee members, at the request of more than half of the committee members at the next lower level, or at the decision of the superior agency. The resolutions of such conferences must be approved by the corresponding committee members before they can be implemented.

b) With the consent of the superior body, the cadre conferences may replace the delegates of the equivalent conference. Under such conditions, the cadre conferences have the right to re-elect other committee members. The resolutions of the conference must be followed by the equivalent committee members and the lower-level party committees.

c) The standing committees of the Party committees at all levels must hold meetings at least once a week.

d) The duties of the alternate secretary are: 1) To assist the official secretary in daily implementation of Party resolutions; 2) To replace the official secretary when busy.

V- Democracy and party discipline

39. According to internal democracy, each Party member has the right to freely discuss Party policy within the Party cells or the whole Party; only according to internal democracy can Bolshevism self-criticism develop and the Party's iron discipline be firm. This discipline must not be mechanical, but must be conscious. But the discussion of Party policy questions must be carried out in such a way that Party cells or Party cadres are not terrorized, or that a minority of Party members force the majority to follow their opinion, or that factions are formed within the Party, causing the Party to lose its unity, causing the proletariat to split. Therefore, extensive discussion within the Party can be recognized as necessary if the following conditions are met:

a) The majority of party committees or party members recognize this necessity.

b) If there is a majority in the Central Committee in agreement on a certain issue, but the Central Committee believes that it is necessary to expand the discussion to see whether its policy is correct. Only under such conditions and keeping it secret can reactionary elements be prevented from taking advantage of internal democracy. Only under such conditions can we acknowledge that internal democracy is useful for revolutionary work and not be used by enemies to sabotage the Party and the proletariat. Discussion within the entire Party must be resolutely directed by the Central Committee. Discussion within the localities must be directed by local committee members.

40. To maintain the unity of the Party, it is necessary to vigorously attack all attempts to form factions and splits within the Party, and to have strict discipline, which is the duty of all Party members and all Party organizations. To implement the strictest discipline within the Party and to ensure complete unity in all aspects, the Central Committee has the right to apply all disciplinary measures up to and including expulsion to deal with any breach of discipline or factionalism within the Party.

41. The resolutions of the commanding agencies must be implemented promptly and accurately: such as not implementing the resolutions of the superior agencies and if doing things that the Party recognizes as wrong, it will be dealt with as follows:

a) For party committees: criticism, dissolution;

b) For individuals: criticism, warning, temporary suspension from work, temporary or permanent expulsion;

c) For disciplinary violations, the entire Party cell conference or Party committees at all levels shall examine them. Party committee members at all levels may establish a special committee of committee members to examine Party disciplinary violations. Resolutions of such special committee members must be approved by the Party committee before they can be implemented.

42. When expelling a party member, it must be approved by the entire party cell conference and approved by a superior. When there is a resolution to expel but it has not been approved by a superior, the expelled person must be suspended from work.

43. An expelled person has the right to appeal to a higher authority, up to the highest authority.

44. Higher authorities have the right to directly expel a party member who is reactionary, but must notify the party committee of the expelled person. If a party committee sees a member of another party committee acting reactionarily, it must notify that party committee.

45. Once there is a resolution of expulsion, it must be published in the Party newspaper.

Vi- Finance

46. ​​The Party's budget must come from party dues and special donations.

47. The monthly budget of each party member is determined by the Central Committee.

48. Unemployed or poor comrades are exempted from party fees.

49. There is no reason why not paying party dues for three months is the same as leaving the Party. It will be announced at the entire Party cell conference and expelled.

50. The Party's finances must be unified from bottom to top.

VII- Party delegation

51. In trade unions, peasant associations and popular organizations or in the committees of these organizations, in conferences and councils at all levels, etc., where there are two or more Party members, a Party group is established. The task of the Party groups in these organizations is to expand the influence of the Party and to implement the Party's policies.

52. The Party delegation under the command of the Party Committee equivalent to its own resolves issues within its Party delegation; if the Party Committee and the delegation have different opinions and appeal, the next higher-level Party organization will resolve the issue; but while the appeal is pending resolution, the Party delegation must comply with the Party Committee's resolution.

53. When the Party Committee discusses issues related to the Party delegation, a representative of the Party delegation must attend the meeting. That representative has the right to discuss and vote.

54. A large Party group must appoint an executive committee including a secretary to do daily work; the executive committee and the secretary must be approved by the Party Committee. The executive committee must be responsible for the work in its Party group. The Party Committee has the right to send people to attend Party group conferences and to transfer people from the Party group, but must notify the Party group.

55. Before appointing people to do important work in party groups, the party group must negotiate with the party committee.

VIII- Communist Youth Union

56. The steering agencies, or when the Party and Communist Youth Union hold conferences from the branch to the Central Committee, must have representatives from both sides.

57. The duty of the Party delegates attending the conferences of the Youth Union is to command the work of the Communist Youth Union's agencies, to implement the Party's policies in the Youth Union. If the Youth Union's agencies implement the Party's correct path, the Party delegates have the right to make corrections and must report to the Party Committee. If the Youth Union's command agency disagrees with the Party delegates, the Youth Union agency and the Party delegates must immediately report to the Party Committee for arbitration, but before arbitration, the Youth Union agency must comply with the Party delegates' instructions, and the resolutions of the Youth Union Committee must be approved by the Party Committee.

58. The duty of the Communist Youth Union delegates to participate in Party conferences is to express to the Party the needs of the youth, to assist the Party in youth work. The delegates only have the right to discuss, but when the Party organization discusses any issue related to the youth, they have the right to vote.

59. a) This Charter replaces the old one.

b) Any amendments to this Charter shall be decided by the Party Congress or the Communist International.

March 29, 1935
Recognition at the First Congress of the Indochinese Communist Party