Dialogue to combat bureaucracy, authoritarianism, and alienation from the people.

Fifty years have passed since our beloved Uncle Ho departed to the eternal realm. Along with his Last Will and Testament for the country, on July 21, 1969, Uncle Ho wrote and sent his last letter to the Executive Committee of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee with 19 instances of the word "people." This is considered his Last Will and Testament specifically for his homeland before his departure. Of the four major tasks Uncle Ho instructed, two were for the people: (1) Actively implement democracy with the people more; (2) Take utmost care of the people's lives, and this is also the great task of those working in the Front in Uncle Ho's homeland.

The principle of consultation and democratic implementation has been widely promoted by the Party Committee and people of Nghe An.

Bearing in mind President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, the principle of consultation and democratic implementation is considered the "universal key," and has been widely promoted by the Party Committee and people of Nghe An. The Fatherland Front at all levels and its member organizations have actively coordinated, implemented, and guided the application of democratic regulations, linking them with social supervision and criticism, and contributing to the building of the Party and the government. Many widespread patriotic emulation movements and practical campaigns have attracted large numbers of people from all walks of life, aiming to successfully accomplish political tasks and improve the people's lives.

Leaders of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee discuss Fatherland Front work with officials of the district Fatherland Front. Photo: MH

The Fatherland Front has actively mobilized the people to participate in building and implementing the Regulations on Democracy at the grassroots level, promoting the right to direct ownership in local affairs; In particular, from 2017 to the present, the Nghe An Provincial Fatherland Front Committee has directly guided the Fatherland Front at the grassroots level to coordinate the organization of nearly 1,900 dialogue conferences between the Chairmen of the People's Councils and the Chairmen of the People's Committees at the commune level with the people, twice a year (with over 200,000 people participating, and nearly 26,000 opinions expressed in the dialogue).

There are many methods to approach and resolve people's problems, either indirectly (such as the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and regulations, social justice management, and propaganda) or directly (such as voter outreach; meetings with citizens by heads of Party committees and government; procedures for handling petitions, complaints, and denunciations; Party committees at all levels attending village and hamlet Party branch meetings; and activities of mass organizations). However, real life is always dynamic and diverse, but also complex, and there are always conflicts involving individuals, groups, or organizations that need to be resolved. Therefore, it is necessary to consistently adhere to the principle of "doing everything that benefits the people and avoiding everything that harms them," ensuring the legitimate and lawful aspirations of the people.

Dialogue is one of the methods for approaching and resolving people's problems. (Photo: MH)

It can be affirmed that dialogue is a very effective form; it is a high step in implementing democracy at the grassroots level.

In addition to the above forms, it can be affirmed that dialogue is a very effective form; it is a high step in implementing democracy at the grassroots level, thereby helping Party committees and authorities directly understand the thoughts, aspirations, and opinions of the people, promptly resolving difficulties and complex issues arising among the people from their very beginnings, thereby reducing the number of complaints and denunciations from citizens at the grassroots level.

In Nghe An, this result is clearly shown through 2 contents: (1) Regarding complaints and denunciations: If in the period 2014 - 2017, receiving citizens increased by 18.4% - 20.5%, then in 2018 it decreased to 4.8% and receiving complaints decreased from 5.3% to 2.7%; (2) Regarding the Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI): In 2016, it ranked 36th/63, then in 2018, it ranked 4th/63 provinces and cities; in which, many contents directly related to the people have been significantly improved, namely: People's participation at the grassroots level; openness and transparency; accountability to the people; control of corruption in the public sector; public administrative procedures; provision of public services.

Despite significant achievements, complaints and denunciations still occur in some areas, with unfounded complaints and denunciations remaining at a high rate, especially in the fields of land management, land clearance, and social policies; Nghe An province's PAPI index remains unstable (ranked 27th in 2014; 22nd in 2015; 36th in 2016; 36th in 2017; and 4th in 2018).

Forum for Listening to the Voices of the Front Committee of Quynh Luu District.

There are many objective and subjective reasons, but the main ones are the incomplete and unstable understanding of democracy; violations of people's democratic rights, as well as the abuse of democracy to violate discipline and the law, still occur; the implementation of laws on democracy at the grassroots level lacks cohesion and coordination among agencies, units, levels, sectors, and grassroots organizations, especially in Party building, administrative reform, and the fight against corruption and waste… And the underlying reasons are: The interaction and dialogue between the heads of Party committees and government with the people in some localities and units are still superficial; not frequent or widespread at all levels and sectors; the content of dialogue lacks focus and priorities; dialogue is still equated with voter contact and citizen reception; some issues are not resolved thoroughly; The supervisory role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and political and social organizations, especially in implementing the conclusions after dialogues, has not been consistent or clearly defined.

To better implement grassroots democracy and limit mass complaints and denunciations that bypass established channels, it is necessary to strengthen dialogue, as this is the forum for people to participate and take ownership. To ensure that dialogue yields tangible and lasting results, and does not degenerate into a mere "officials making promises" movement, in addition to focusing on promoting widespread propaganda and education among all segments of the population and cadres, and continuously raising awareness of democracy and its practice at the grassroots level, the following points should be considered:

Firstly, it is essential to recognize that the implementation of grassroots democracy, closely linked to socio-economic development goals and patriotic emulation movements, is a crucial basis for organizing interactions and dialogues with the people; raising public awareness; and gradually expanding and perfecting grassroots democracy in rural areas. Improving the quality of representative democracy and expanding direct democracy are also crucial; attention should be paid to encouraging and replicating advanced models and best practices in building and implementing grassroots democracy, upholding the spirit of serving the people, and respecting the people's right to self-governance.

Through the propaganda and mobilization efforts of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its members, the movement to help each other develop the economy and reduce poverty at the grassroots level has been very practical and effective. (Photo: Mai Hoa)

Secondly, it is necessary to study and revise the Regulations on Contact and Dialogue with the People to ensure consistency within the political system and relevance to local realities. Accordingly, it is essential to clearly define and supplement the content and methods of organizing contact and dialogue; clearly define the responsibilities of the presiding officer and the individuals and groups participating in the dialogue, especially emphasizing the personal responsibility of the heads of Party committees and government agencies, and the skills of those presiding over the dialogue (i.e., making people want to speak, offer suggestions, and exchange ideas...). The effectiveness of contact and dialogue activities should be used as a criterion for evaluating the capacity and work results of individuals and organizations for annual performance ranking. This is the basis and foundation for improving the quality of contact and dialogue work in the future.

Thirdly, the Front must demonstrate its leading role, constantly innovating its methods of understanding the thoughts and aspirations of the people according to different target groups; proactively grasping the situation and synthesizing the opinions and suggestions of members and the people, especially on pressing and complex issues, to help the heads of Party committees and governments organize effective dialogues with the people. Further strengthen the role of monitoring the resolution of people's requests after dialogues; promote community-based monitoring and strengthen mediation efforts.

Fourth, continuously innovate the content and methods, and improve the quality and effectiveness of the activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels, focusing on being close to the people, oriented towards the grassroots, truly practical, effective, flexible, and closely aligned with real-life situations, with the motto "each residential group and neighborhood is a working office" for full-time Fatherland Front officials at all levels.

A delegation from the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee visited and encouraged Mr. Nguyen Van Bien, a severely wounded veteran with particularly difficult circumstances, in Anh Son town. (Photo: Duc Anh)

Implementing grassroots democracy and strengthening dialogue with the people is not only a responsibility of Party and government leaders to be close to the people, respect the people, and "listen to the feelings and breaths of the people," but also an effective way to prevent and combat bureaucracy, authoritarianism, and alienation from the people. Therefore, along with other solutions, we respectfully request the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front to strengthen supervision of the implementation of the Politburo's regulations; and at the same time, propose to the Party and State to issue a mechanism for implementing dialogue synchronously nationwide to contribute to better implementation of grassroots democracy, especially on the eve of the Party Congresses at all levels and the upcoming elections of National Assembly and People's Council representatives at all levels.