More than 500 party members from agencies, wards and communes in Vinh City attended activities at the grassroots level and the initial results were effective.

Close to the base

From June 2019 to present, after the Party Cell of the Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Fatherland Front and mass organizations of Nghi Phu commune (Vinh city) was dissolved, 31 party members here were assigned to participate in party activities in 5 hamlet party cells. This is one of the tasks carried out according to Conclusion No. 134 - KL/TU of the Provincial Party Standing Committee (dated March 5, 2019) to improve the quality of party cell activities in the locality, while improving the quality of promulgating policies and resolutions associated with effectively implementing the political tasks set forth by the party cell.

Party member Nguyen Thanh Hai - Deputy Head of the Urban Order Management Team of Nghi Phu Commune, Secretary of Party Cell of Hamlet 5, and Hamlet Chief visited a poor family in the area. Photo: Nguyen Son

What is different from other wards and communes in the city is that all party members of Nghi Phu commune agency participate in party activities in areas other than their place of residence. Due to the characteristics of the party member structure in the localities, out of a total of 23 hamlet party cells in the commune, 5 hamlets have increased party members.

That contributed to the Party Committee of the commune consolidating the Party cells in the religious areas, strengthening the strength of the grassroots Party organization and eliminating 1 hamlet without Party cells. Also because of that special nature, 31 Party members who are cadres and civil servants of Nghi Phu commune were assigned to 5 hamlets and had to invest more effort, intelligence and time to be more closely involved in the work of the hamlets.

Party member Nguyen Thanh Hai - Deputy Head of the Urban Order Management Team of Nghi Phu commune, lives in hamlet 17 but along with 6 other party members was assigned to participate in Party activities in hamlet 5 Party cell, an area where more than 85% of the population are Catholics.

Because Party activities are in a different residential area, Mr. Hai has to invest more time with the Executive Committee and mass organizations of Hamlet 5 to grasp the reality and discuss solutions to carry out the assigned tasks.

After a period of operation, in the recent Party Congress, Comrade Hai was elected by the Party members as Party Cell Secretary. Thus, Hai's responsibility became even heavier. However, with a pioneering spirit and appropriate time arrangement, in addition to completing professional tasks, Hai closely coordinated with the Executive Committee and mass organizations in the hamlet to increase meetings and exchanges with the people, jointly organize and carry out many emulation movements, and actively participate in social security work.

Assessing that companionship, Mr. Nguyen Van Nam - Hamlet Chief 5 said: “The process of Mr. Hai coming to strengthen the hamlet and becoming the Party Cell Secretary has supported me a lot. There are things related to implementing policies, guidelines and implementing movements that are implemented more smoothly than before. We also regularly discuss how to achieve the highest efficiency in the assigned work…”.

A corner of Ben Thuy ward (Vinh city). Photo: Nguyen Son

As for party member Phan Thi Tuyet - Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Ben Thuy Ward, after the Party cell of the ward office was dissolved, she was assigned to work at the residential Party cell of block 13, where she had more advantages in grasping information and performing assigned party member tasks. During her activities at the block Party cell, Ms. Tuyet, together with the Party cell, executive committee, Fatherland Front and other organizations, regularly stayed close to the grassroots, increased meetings with local residents, and actively participated in local movements.

According to Ms. Tuyet, when becoming a party member of the local party cell, in addition to performing well as a ward association officer, she must complete other tasks assigned by the party cell as well as strengthen ties with mass organizations in the block to contribute to building an increasingly stronger block. Ms. Tuyet is one of 28 party members who are cadres and civil servants of Ben Thuy ward assigned to work in 15 blocks in the ward.

According to the assessment of comrade Nguyen Van Chinh - Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Organization Committee of Vinh City Party Committee, implementing the policy of the Provincial Party Committee, since June 2019, Vinh City Party Committee has completed the dissolution of 25 Party cells in ward and commune agencies and increased 519 Party members to work in blocks and hamlets. Depending on the reality, each ward and commune has ways to assign the appropriate number of Party members to blocks and hamlets to promote efficiency.

Step by step to overcome the problem

Through the practical assessment of the strengthening of ward and commune party members in Party activities in the block and hamlet party cells, it is shown that, besides the positive results, there are issues that need to be gradually overcome. Typically, the assignment of party members to participate in activities "outside the line" of their place of residence requires each ward and commune cadre to overcome the pressure of both professional work, party work and block and hamlet work.

Party cell secretary of hamlet 5, Nghi Phu commune (Vinh city) discusses with local people about environmental issues in the area. Photo: Nguyen Son

Specifically, in Nghi Phu commune, all party members who are cadres and civil servants of the commune participate in party activities in areas other than their residence. In particular, strengthening the party cell and developing party members in religious areas is a very big task. For example, in the Party cell of hamlet 4, there are currently 10 party members but 9 have been strengthened, while in the area since 2008 until now, no party members have been developed in religious areas.

Discussing further on this issue, comrade Nguyen Thi Thuy - Secretary of Nghi Phu Commune Party Committee said: "Obviously, the difficulties in developing party members in special areas require a long-term roadmap. Therefore, the Commune Party Committee regularly encourages party members to promote their roles and responsibilities, strengthen their grasp of the grassroots, actively coordinate with mass organizations to accompany the people in movements and activities, thereby discovering outstanding mass factors to introduce to the Party".

Another problem is that some Party Committees of communes and wards are confused when developing Party members for cadres and civil servants who are working in the People's Council, People's Committee, Fatherland Front and mass organizations of communes and wards. Typically, in Ben Thuy ward, there are currently 6 cadres and civil servants who can be trained and admitted to the Party, but the Party Committee of the ward is wondering how to do it.

Because, according to comrade Nguyen Thanh Hung - Secretary of the Ben Thuy Ward Party Committee, these cadres are working in organizations and unions in the ward; while the Party cell in the ward has been dissolved, the work of training, introducing Party candidates to study, and admitting them to the Party is a difficult problem at present.

A meeting of the Party cell of block 7, Ben Thuy ward (Vinh city). Photo: Nguyen Son

Recognizing the above-mentioned shortcomings, the Vinh City Party Committee Standing Committee has included them in the monthly meeting to discuss solutions. Through the discussion, Comrade Nguyen Van Chinh - Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Vinh City Party Committee's Organization Committee said: "The increase in Party members participating in Party activities in the block and hamlet Party cells is assessed to have many positive changes, enhancing the leadership and timely direction of the Party Committee to the Party cell.

Regarding the above-mentioned shortcomings, Vinh City Party Committee is consulting the experiences of some localities to make appropriate adjustments. Regarding the development of party cadres, the masses in wards and communes can also send them to the blocks and hamlets for monitoring, training, introduction, and admission according to the Party's regulations...".