The role of cadres and cadre work cannot be denied.

The 3rd Central Conference, 13th term has just ended successfully. Photo: Archive

Inference, subjectivity, one-sidedness

Regarding this issue, on social networks and some Vietnamese newspapers abroad, it is rumored that the work of "perfecting leadership personnel" is still a formality; is "imposition"; is the result of a "power struggle" between "interest groups"...

Deeply digging into the weaknesses and shortcomings of the Party's cadres and cadre work in recent times, they completely deny the position and role of cadres and cadre work in the Vietnamese revolution. With a subjective, one-sided view, "sweeping" a number of cases of cadres violating Party discipline and State laws, they attribute it to the general situation of the current cadres in the Party. They believe that the weak cadres and the negative situation of "buying positions and power" are products of undemocratic, objective, and transparent cadre work,...

This issubjective arguments, one-sided and extremely dangerous. It not only denies and obscures the role and position of the cadre team and cadre work, but also causes doubts about the democracy, objectivity and transparency of cadre work, negatively impacts people's trust in the quality, qualifications and real capacity of the cadre team; causes anxiety, worry and distraction in society; negatively affects the motivation to train and strive of cadres; incites and causes division and solidarity within the Party organization, government apparatus and socio-political organization system.

Correct perception of the role of cadres and cadre work

To identify and fight against those false arguments, we first need to correctly perceive the viewpoints of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought and our Party on cadres andstaff work.

Delegates vote at the 19th Congress of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee. Photo: NN

Regarding the role of cadre work, VI Lenin pointed out very clearly: "Our organizational task is to find leaders and organizers among the masses". Discussing the role of cadres, VI Lenin mentioned many times that the victories of the October Revolution and the Soviet Union were thanks to the Bolshevik Party (Russia) building and nurturing "leaders, the elite of the proletariat". In many works, VI Lenin affirmed that cadres have a position and significance that determines the success or failure of the revolution. Therefore, if the revolution wants to succeed, the Communist Party must attach importance to the selection, training, and building of a strong enough cadre team to meet the requirements of the revolution...

Thoroughly grasping and creatively applying the basic thoughts and viewpoints of Marxism-Leninism, throughout the process of leading the revolution, our Party, headed by President Ho Chi Minh, always recognized and correctly assessed the important role and position of the cadre team and cadre work.

President Ho Chi Minh summarized very concisely and profoundly: "Cadres are the root of all work", "All successes or failures are due to good or bad cadres". Consistent with that ideology and viewpoint, our Party increasingly deeply and comprehensively perceives the role of cadres and regularly attaches importance to leading the implementation of cadre work to ensure democracy, objectivity, transparency, and putting collective interests, national interests, and ethnic interests first. Through many contents and measures, in all circumstances, our Party has built a cadre team with sufficient quantity, reasonable structure, and increasingly high quality.

Through the two resistance wars against French colonialism, gaining national independence and against American imperialism, liberating the South, and unifying the country, in the face of severe challenges, the Party's cadres have always been steadfast, absolutely loyal, and ready to sacrifice themselves for the revolutionary cause. Thanks to building and promoting the core role of cadres at all levels, our Party has aroused and gathered the combined strength of the great national unity bloc, defeated the invaders, liberated the nation, and unified the country.

In the cause of innovation, thanks to doing a good job in personnel work and promoting the exemplary pioneering role and sense of responsibility of the cadre team, our Party has led the entire people and army to successfully carry out the two strategic tasks of building and firmly defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In the context of the country's increasingly deep integration, many cadres have clearly demonstrated their dynamism, creativity, keeping up with new trends, having foreign language proficiency and the ability to apply high technology, promptly meeting the requirements of working in an international environment. The majority of Party, State and mass organization leaders at all levels have capacity, qualities and prestige.

Strategic-level cadres must have strong political will, be steadfast in Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, have innovative thinking, dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility, have the ability to plan guidelines and policies, and the capacity to lead and direct mass organizations to bring the Party's resolutions into life.

Local leaders inspect Covid-19 prevention work. Photo: PV

Faced with the complex and unpredictable developments of the world and regional situation, especially issues of traditional and non-traditional defense and security, most cadres in general and cadres in the armed forces in particular have clearly demonstrated their loyalty to the Fatherland, the Party, and the people. Especially in natural disasters, storms and floods and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, cadres at all levels from the central to the grassroots are always ready to sacrifice themselves to protect the lives, health, and property of the people.

It must be strongly affirmed that the Party's cadres and cadre work are among the decisive factors, leading the Vietnamese revolution from one victory to another. Our country has never had the potential, position and international prestige as it does today. That achievement was created by many factors, but the important role of the cadres and cadre work cannot be ignored.

Continue to affirm the role of cadres and organizational work, cadres

We do not deny that besides the basic advantages, the staff andstaff organizationOur Party still reveals limitations and weaknesses. This has been clearly pointed out by our Party in many documents.

Resolution of the 4th Conference of the 12th Central Executive Committee on strengthening Party building and rectification; preventing and repelling the degradation of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the Party, our Party clearly stated: "The work of organization, cadres and management of cadres and party members is still weak. Many cadres and party members, including leaders, have not demonstrated their pioneering and exemplary character; there are still manifestations of bureaucracy, authoritarianism, and lack of closeness to reality and the grassroots;...".

In Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated May 19, 2018 of the 7th Central Conference, 12th tenure on focusing on building a contingent of cadres at all levels, especially at the strategic level, with sufficient qualities, capacity and prestige, equal to the tasks, our Party also pointed out: "The awareness and sense of responsibility of a number of Party committees, Party organizations, leaders of agencies, units and cadres, Party members, especially the heads, regarding cadres and cadre work are not really adequate, profound and comprehensive"...

The limitations and weaknesses of the staff and staff work, if not promptly overcome, will greatly affect the people's trust. This is the responsibility of the entire Party, the entire political system and the entire people, but first of all, it is the concern, focused leadership and direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels.

Panorama of the 3rd Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee. Photo: Pham Cuong

Faced with the new requirements of the situation and tasks, our Party must continue to have a deeper, more comprehensive awareness and more clearly affirm the important role of cadres and cadre work. In particular, we must consistently implement the principle of the Party's unified, direct and comprehensive leadership of cadre work and management of cadres in the political system. Along with that, there must be a truly effective mechanism to be open, transparent and listen to and absorb the people's accurate feedback on cadres before planning, training, fostering, arranging and using them.

Public opinion agrees with the viewpoint of the Central Executive Committee and the approach expressed in the closing speech of the 3rd Central Conference (13th tenure) by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on the work of preparing cadres, which is to carry out "methodically, closely, cautiously, in accordance with the principles of centralization and democracy, creating high consensus and unity".

By synchronously and resolutely implementing many measures in accordance with that directive, we firmly believe that the limitations and weaknesses of the cadre team and cadre work will be overcome. A clean and strong cadre team is a strong and convincing rebuttal to all plots and tricks to distort the role of cadres and cadre work in order to sabotage our Party and State by hostile, reactionary and opportunistic political forces./.