Part 2: When the people know, the people discuss, the people decide.
Practical experience in the administrative unit reorganization work in Nghe An province during the 2023-2025 period shows that: "The province adheres to the district, the district adheres to the commune, the commune adheres to the village, and the village adheres to the household," and it has awakened the sense of "ownership" among the people to discuss and reach a consensus on the reorganization plan.
Practical experience in the administrative unit reorganization work in Nghe An province during the 2023-2025 period shows that: "The province adheres to the district, the district adheres to the commune, the commune adheres to the village, and the village adheres to the household," and it has awakened the sense of "ownership" among the people to discuss and reach a consensus on the reorganization plan.
PV Group • August 30, 2024
The name of an administrative unit reflects historical traditions, local landmarks, the pride cultivated and built by generations of people there, and the dreams they entrust to that place. Not to mention, different localities may have different beliefs, religions, and customs.
Therefore, naming new names after mergers is a difficult, complex, and sensitive issue; if not carefully and meticulously planned, taking into account the specific situation, conditions, and circumstances of each locality, it will affect the morale of officials and citizens, easily create public resentment, and may even cause unnecessary conflicts and disputes.
Naturally, the issue of naming the new administrative units after the reorganization has always been of great interest to the public and the media. It has also been the most central issue in the process of reorganizing administrative units.
In Thanh Chuong district, the two communes of Thanh Giang and Thanh Mai will merge. The district's Steering Committee for Administrative Unit Reorganization, after studying and prioritizing historical and cultural factors, has proposed two names: Minh Trieu or Tan Dan. Similarly, the initial proposed name for the new commune formed by the merger of Thanh Hoa and Thanh Chi is Vinh Tho. However, these are only proposed options; the core issue is listening to the opinions of the people, encouraging public participation to make decisions, and implementing them effectively.
According to Trinh Van Nha, Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the Thanh Chuong District People's Committee: The district's initial plan was only a guideline, and the District Steering Committee's view is that the names of the new communes after the merger must respect the opinions of officials and people in the localities. After listening to feedback from leaders, officials, Party members, and people in the localities on the most optimal plan, Thanh Giang and Thanh Mai communes unanimously chose the new commune name Mai Giang. Meanwhile, Thanh Hoa and Thanh Chi communes finalized the new commune name Thanh Qua with high consensus from the grassroots.
The district's initial plan was merely a guideline, and the District Steering Committee's view is that the names of the new communes after the merger must respect the opinions of the officials and people of the localities.
Mr. Trinh Van Nha - Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong District
In Yen Thanh district, the proposed plan to merge Yen Thanh town and Hoa Thanh commune into a new town named Hoa Thanh has garnered support from most officials, Party members, and citizens, who believe the merger will expand the town and provide more space for development. However, the main concern for many is whether to choose the new name Hoa Thanh or retain the original name Yen Thanh town.
Faced with this reality, the Party Committee, government, Fatherland Front, and political and social organizations of the town, along with the Party Committees of the various blocks, proactively grasped public opinion and mobilized the people in a persistent, cautious, and sure manner, based on a thorough understanding of the people's thoughts and aspirations. Each mass organization was responsible for mass mobilization among its members. The heads and deputy heads of neighborhood groups were responsible for clarifying the mindset of the households in their groups… The higher levels did not “delegate” the responsibility entirely to the grassroots, but directly intervened to support and assist. The Head of the Mass Mobilization Department of the Yen Thanh District Party Committee and the Head of the Justice Department of the District People's Committee directly participated in public meetings, neighborhood group meetings, and visited households to provide people with all the necessary information.
Ms. Cao Thi Nhung, Party Secretary and Head of the Front Committee for Block 4, Yen Thanh town, said: “Initially, the people's mindset and psychology were quite tense, but thanks to focusing on mass mobilization measures and solutions, the people have basically agreed. The results of the vote to gather opinions on the merger showed a consensus rate of over 93%.”
Sharing experiences in mass mobilization work during the reorganization of administrative units, Comrade Nguyen Cong Chuc - Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Mass Mobilization Department of Yen Thanh District Party Committee - concluded: Mass mobilization work was carried out synchronously by the Party Committee, the government, mass organizations, and each cadre and Party member. The team of neighborhood group leaders and deputy leaders, influential people in the community, and religious leaders and officials have demonstrated responsibility in disseminating information and mobilizing public support. In addition, all levels of government and functional forces have shown a firm and resolute attitude in combating extremist elements with anti-government ideologies and those causing disruption.
The process of reorganizing administrative units, from policy formulation to the unification of new names, has been guided by the Party committees and authorities, applying the mechanism of "the people know, the people discuss, the people decide" in accordance with the characteristics and situation of each locality. The implementation of administrative unit reorganization in Nghe An province shows that the various levels have not been rigid or inflexible, but have achieved a high level of consensus in most communities.
During the period 2023-2025, Hung Nguyen district will reduce 3 administrative units at the commune level, leaving 15 units (1 town and 14 communes). Accordingly, Thinh My commune will be established by merging the entire natural area and population of Hung My and Hung Thinh communes; Thong Tan commune will be established by merging the entire natural area and population of Hung Thong and Hung Tan communes; and Phuc Loi commune will be established by merging the entire natural area and population of Hung Phuc and Hung Loi communes.
The People's Committee of Hung Nguyen District has established a Steering Committee and a working group to assist the Steering Committee in gathering voter opinions on the plan for rearranging commune-level administrative units. In addition, it has issued numerous directives related to the establishment of voter opinion gathering teams in residential areas; compiling and posting lists of voters to be consulted; and providing guidance on organizing voter opinion gathering…
The Propaganda Department of the District Party Committee and the Department of Internal Affairs of the District People's Committee jointly organized thematic conferences on "Implementing the rearrangement of commune-level administrative units in the period 2023 - 2025" for the three "pairs" of communes to be merged, for all commune-level officials and civil servants, and those directly involved in village work participating in the opinion-gathering groups in the six communes subject to merger.
In each locality subject to reorganization, plans have been issued to organize voter consultations, increase the time allocated for dissemination through radio, social media, and at commune headquarters and village cultural centers regarding the plan for reorganizing commune-level administrative units; publicly post voter lists and the date for organizing voter consultations…
According to Mr. Pham Xuan Diet, Secretary of the Party Branch of Hamlet 4, Hung Thinh Commune (Hung Nguyen District): Through propaganda, mobilization, and persuasion, the people have become aware of the benefits of merging the communes. They also understand their responsibilities, obligations, and rights regarding the administrative unit reorganization process. Therefore, when conducting the consultation, out of 100 participating voters, 95.3% agreed to the commune merger plan.
According to Le Pham Hung, Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the Hung Nguyen District People's Committee: Concerns related to resolving issues concerning surplus officials, civil servants, and non-specialized personnel; and the selection of locations for the new commune headquarters after the merger have been promptly addressed by the district, creating consensus among officials, Party members, and the people. The selection of locations for the newly merged commune headquarters is based on factors such as convenient transportation access, better infrastructure, spacious grounds, and other socio-cultural elements. All of this is for the development of the newly merged units.
Some localities also facilitated the process of gathering opinions from the public by organizing the distribution of ballots and conducting surveys at home for those who were in poor health, busy with work, or unable to vote at designated polling stations due to circumstances. For example, in Quynh Luu district, across all 15 communes and towns subject to reorganization, a total of 137 voter opinion gathering teams conducted ballot distribution and surveys at each household.
After consulting with the people, representatives of the People's Councils at all levels held meetings with a high rate of consensus on the policy of rearranging administrative units. Throughout the province, only two communes had a 96% and 95.65% approval rate from participating People's Council representatives; all other communes and districts achieved 100%.
(To be continued)
