Affirming the Party's sole leadership role.

(Baonghean)At the 30th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 1960), President Ho Chi Minh said: "Our Party originates from the people and serves the people; the Party inherits and embodies the best and most refined qualities of the people, and throughout thousands of years of history, the Vietnamese people have clearly demonstrated these noble qualities: fervent patriotism, solidarity, strong will to strive, diligence, perseverance, intelligence, courage, bravery, and also great humanity."

With the victories achieved over the past 80 years and from the rich practical experience of the revolution, at the 11th National Party Congress, our Party drew five major lessons, including a lesson closely related to the blood-and-flesh bond between the Party and the people: "The revolutionary cause belongs to the people, is carried out by the people, and is for the people. It is the people who create historical victories. All activities of the Party must stem from the legitimate interests and aspirations of the people. The strength of the Party lies in its close bond with the people" and the lesson "The correct leadership of the Party is the primary factor determining the victory of the Vietnamese revolution. The Party has no other interests than serving the Fatherland and serving the people...".

Article 4 of the draft amendment to the 1992 Constitution, which addresses the necessary leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam, affirms that the Party is the leading force of the State and society, and also affirms that the Communist Party of Vietnam is the sole leading force of the State and society. This affirms the unique leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam, countering the distortions of hostile forces seeking to erase Article 4 from the Constitution. Therefore, the phrase "solely" should be added to Point 1 of Article 4.

"Building the nation goes hand in hand with defending the nation" is the law of our nation's existence and development, manifested in two strategically important tasks that are organically linked: building socialism and firmly defending the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam. In its Party Congresses, the Party has consistently affirmed and directed the close integration of these two strategic tasks. The achievements our people have gained in the cause of nation-building are always linked to the achievements in the cause of defending the Fatherland, and defending the Fatherland is a sacred duty and a noble right of every citizen. Article 48 (of the recently published draft amendment to the 1992 Constitution) is based on Article 77 of the 1992 Constitution, which states: "Protecting the Fatherland is a sacred duty and a noble right of citizens. Citizens must perform military service and participate in building national defense," and adds "the performance of civilian service as an alternative to military service as prescribed by law." This is a new issue, added by the Drafting Committee for the amendment to the 1992 Constitution.

And, currently we are implementing Joint Circular 175/2011/TTLT-BQP-BGDĐT dated September 13, 2011, on guiding the implementation of some provisions of Government Decree No. 38/2007/ND-CP dated March 15, 2007, on temporary postponement and exemption from military conscription in peacetime for male citizens of conscription age (guiding the implementation of Clauses 4, 9, 10, 11, Article 13 of Government Decree 38/2007/ND-CP and applicable to male citizens who are students, master's and doctoral trainees and equivalents...). There have been cases where citizens want to temporarily postpone military service because they have received an "admission notice" upon being accepted into colleges and universities... with the aim of avoiding military service...

On the other hand, in reality, in our country over the past few years, according to the report of the National Assembly's Committee on National Defense and Security, the number of citizens enlisting in the military annually accounts for only about 0.12% of the total population and 5.87% of the total number of male citizens of conscription age from 18 to 25 years old.

It is essential to have a legal basis for civilian service as an alternative to military service to ensure fairness and social equity. The provisions in the draft amendment to the 1992 Constitution are unclear and could lead to misunderstandings, such as the interpretation that citizens who cannot perform military service or in cases stipulated by law have the right to substitute it with civilian service.

Therefore, it should be added: In cases where military service is not performed, there is a right to substitute it with civilian service;

And Article 48 of the draft amendment to the 1992 Constitution can be expressed as follows: "Protecting the Fatherland is a sacred duty and a noble right of citizens. Citizens must perform military service and participate in building national defense. In cases where military service is not performed, they have the right to substitute it with civilian service. The performance of civilian service as a substitute for military service shall be prescribed by law."

Minh Thien (Provincial Military Command)