A few words about 'Party member 76'

Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh attended a meeting at the Party cell where he resides in Block 4, Truong Thi Ward (Vinh City). Illustrative photo: Quoc Son

The Party cell where I live has nearly 70 retired party members and up to 140 “party members 76”. In early July, I was invited to attend a regular Party cell meeting for resident party members. According to the schedule, the meeting started at 7:30 p.m., but by 8:00 p.m., only a few party members were present. The Party cell secretary and the head of the bloc’s Front Work Committee took turns on the loudspeaker to invite people, and after more than an hour, only about 30 party members showed up.

It was not until nearly 9pm that the meeting began. And let me add that our bloc has many “Party 76 members” holding important positions in government agencies, apparatuses at all levels and in all sectors. Among them, the most numerous are doctors, engineers, teachers, armed forces, many of whom have high academic titles and degrees.

After the Party cell secretary reported on the situation of the hamlet in the first 6 months of the year, informed about some prominent issues in the area as well as announced the contents expected to be implemented in the last 6 months of the year, the basic meeting ended. There were no comments to contribute to the Party cell - Executive Committee of the hamlet, instead there was a round of applause.

At the end of the meeting, I stayed behind to help clean up the hall. The Party cell secretary laughed as if he was about to cry: “The Party cell organizes two meetings a year for resident Party members. There are not many, but there are people who have never participated. There are families where both husband, wife, and children are “Party members 76” but no one has a representative to attend. Where is the example?”

“The Party cell organizes two meetings a year for resident Party members, which is not much, but there are people who have never participated. There are families where both husband, wife and children are “Party 76 members” but no one has a representative to attend. Where is the example?”

The story that the Party cell secretary of my block shared is probably a common reality in grassroots party organizations for a long time. Meanwhile, the place of residence is not only the place where “Party members 76” live but is actually the bond between the base and their families.

No matter what happens, big or small, in each family or household, the Party cell and the block executive committee will participate in resolving and helping.

However, many party members still believe that participating in Party activities at their place of residence is "annoying, a waste of time, and useless". This is an exemplary behavior, far from the masses, and irresponsible to the community. However, every year when giving the Party Member Comment Form to the grassroots Party cell for evaluation and submission to the agency or unit, every party member wants to have "clean and beautiful" "yearbook" lines. As for the Party cell committee, because of being considerate, the comments are not accurate. Like this, year after year, "Party member 76" gets the advantage of not strictly implementing the regulations.

According to Regulation No. 76-QD/TW of the Politburo, Party members working in agencies, enterprises, and public service units must both comply with the Party Charter's regulations on Party activities at the workplace and have the responsibility to "regularly maintain contact with the Party cell and grassroots Party committee where they reside" in order to be close to the people, contributing to strengthening the close relationship between the Party and the people; overcoming manifestations of living far from the people and lack of responsibility in the work of the people where they reside.

The task of party members in their residential areas is to "be exemplary in fulfilling their civic duties; propagate and mobilize families and people to implement the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws, social work in their residential areas, and the regulations of hamlets and residential groups.

Actively participate in meetings convened by representatives of the ward, commune or local Party Committee, and contribute opinions to the local Party Committee on local common affairs. Annually or when necessary, report to the local Party Committee on maintaining contact with the local Party organization and fulfilling one's civic duties in the locality.

Recently in Ho Chi Minh City, a rather unusual incident occurred, in which a traffic police lieutenant sued the Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh My Commune, Cu Chi District and the Head of the residential group to court and requested compensation for mental damage of 13 million VND because these people had "made bad comments" about him.

Party members of block 4, Truong Thi ward (Vinh city) attend a meeting at their residential area. Illustrative photo: Quoc Son

Previously, in a review of this traffic police lieutenant, the head of the neighborhood where he resided wrote: "Regarding his poor relationship with the people in his residential area, he did not participate in the activities of the neighborhood group, had an arrogant and overbearing attitude, and looked down on the people around him" - this review was signed and stamped by the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee.

Without going into the matter, public opinion holds that: where there is no smoke, there is no fire. If he were a role model, even if he wanted to, the neighborhood chief would not have been able to give such a harsh rebuke and have it confirmed by the Commune Chairman. The court dismissed the police lieutenant’s lawsuit, the story was closed, but its lesson for “Party member 76” was now revealed.