Model of Party branches in commune, ward, and town offices: "Party work" must serve "the people's needs".

(Baonghean)After more than 5 years of implementing Guidance No. 10-HD/BTCTU dated October 10, 2007, of the Central Organization Committee on the establishment of Party branches in commune, ward, and town offices in the province, alongside the positive results, this model has also revealed limitations and shortcomings that need to be addressed…

Close monitoring, thorough evaluation

In fact, in our province, even before the policy on establishing Party branches in commune, ward, and town offices was implemented in 2007, based on practical needs, some units under the Vinh City Party Committee had already implemented this model and maintained it relatively effectively. For example, the Party branch of Le Loi ward office was established in October 1996 and has maintained it to this day. In an interview with us, Comrade Nguyen Van Long - Secretary of the Ward Party Committee - said: “Establishing Party branches in offices has many benefits, such as making it easier to implement, assign tasks, and supervise inspections; increasing the responsibility of Party members in their work due to regular supervision; and making the annual evaluation of Party members' performance more accurate because Party members work in the same office, thus having a clear understanding of each person's task performance. This allows for the timely detection and prevention of negative behaviors and violations by officials, Party members, and civil servants in communes and wards.”

In fact, from its establishment to the present day, the Party Branch of Le Loi Ward has effectively played its role as a political nucleus, demonstrating both leadership and unity within the highest-ranking local agency. For example, in the areas of administrative reform and building a civilized and cultured workplace, Party members in the branch are exemplary individuals who directly implement and supervise these initiatives, yielding practical results and building trust among the people in these "servants of the people."

In Hung Hoa, the commune's Party branch, established in 2011 with 25 members, now has 29. As an insider, Party branch secretary Tran Cao Cuong (Deputy Chairman of the Commune People's Committee) stated: "Participating in the commune's Party branch provides young Party members with opportunities to learn from the experience and management skills of senior leaders. The spirit of criticism and self-criticism is also higher because there is no need to be hesitant or deferential as when participating with older Party members in the neighborhood Party branches." Here, although Regulation 76 stipulates that Party members should participate in activities in their residential areas twice a year, the Party branch committee assigns Party members from the commune's Party branch to attend monthly meetings with the neighborhood Party branches to gather information, provide direct feedback, and offer advice to promptly resolve concerns and problems at the grassroots level.

To date, Vinh City has established Party branches in all 25 wards and communes, with only one branch, Nghi Kim commune, having been dissolved due to ineffective operation. Comrade Nguyen Van Duyet, Deputy Head of the City Party Committee's Organization Department, stated: "Compared to Party branches in neighborhoods and villages, the Party branches in wards and communes have developed and implemented working regulations more thoroughly, seriously, and specifically. Some units maintain good practices in assigning cadres to oversee and monitor residential areas, helping key commune and ward officials to promptly grasp the thoughts and feelings of Party members and the masses at the grassroots level, the pressing issues in the locality, and emerging problems that need to be resolved."

Comrade Duyet also argued that the model of Party branches in commune and ward offices addresses the difficulties in arranging Party activities for Party members who are grassroots officials and civil servants not from the local area or who have been seconded, transferred, or assigned from other places. If the mechanism of regular rotation of officials to grassroots levels, as in Vinh City, is implemented without Party branches in the offices, it would be difficult for both officials and Party members, as well as for the Party committees in evaluating and assessing officials…

Despite being a mountainous district, Quy Chau has established 12 commune and town-level Party branches. In Chau Hoi commune, the Party branch of the commune's administrative office has 13 out of 20 members in the commune's Party Committee, making it the "leading" branch among the commune's 19 branches. According to Comrade Lim Duong Sinh, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council of the commune, and secretary of the Party branch of the administrative office, the establishment and operation of the branch has overcome the situation where, during meetings at the village-level Party branches, people were too polite and gave superficial feedback. Now, the spirit of self-criticism and criticism is higher than before, and feedback is more frank. The Quy Chau District Party Committee's Organization Department assesses that the implementation of the model of commune and town-level Party branches has managed, trained, and guided Party members both in terms of Party membership and professional skills, fostering the collective strength and intelligence of the cadre and Party members, contributing to the successful implementation of grassroots political tasks.

As of the end of May 2013, the province had 143 Party branches in 480 communes, wards, and towns. Seven localities have established 100% of their commune-level Party branches, and these branches are still in operation: Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Do Luong, Thai Hoa, and Quy Chau. Generally, after their establishment, many commune-level Party branches, especially in wards, towns, and central communes, have demonstrated their pivotal role in leading and directing socio-economic development, maintaining national defense and security in their localities, serving as centers of unity, creating cohesion and synergy between the Party organization, government, Fatherland Front, and other political organizations in their localities, and setting an example in complying with the Party's guidelines, policies, and resolutions...

Party members of the Hong Son commune office branch (Do Luong district) hold regular meetings.
with village officials.

Difficulties in specific regions

Besides some localities where the establishment and operation of Party branches in commune, ward, and town offices have proven effective as mentioned above, the entire province still has 96 Party branches that have been established but had to be dissolved due to ineffective operation. Typical examples include Nam Dan with 16/16 branches, Quynh Luu with 26/38 branches; Nghi Loc with 24/24 branches; Thanh Chuong with 5/5 branches; Tan Ky with 22/22 branches; and Yen Thanh with 3/10 branches. Sharing the reasons for dissolving the Party branches in commune offices, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam - Deputy Secretary of the Nghi Loc District Party Committee - stated: The main reason is that this model is not suitable for the district's specific characteristics, which include 21 communes with Catholic residents and 7 coastal and near-coastal communes.

In fact, the district is currently strengthening its party membership by having cadres, civil servants, and officials from the district to the commune level participate in activities at village party branches (some special communes even have border guards assigned to reinforce them) to enhance the capacity and fighting strength of grassroots party organizations. That is also the reason why Thu Thuy is currently the only ward among the 7 units of Cua Lo Town to dissolve the model of party branches in government agencies. Mr. Nguyen Hong Son - Secretary of the Ward Party Committee said: Due to the unique characteristic of the ward having 4 out of 6 hamlets with Catholic residents, including 1 hamlet with exclusively Catholic members, the percentage of party members in the Catholic hamlet party branches is low, and some branches even consist entirely of members assigned to reinforce the commune. For example, Party branch 3 has 6 party members with no Catholic members, and Party branch 4 has 4 members, including one Catholic member who is the Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee; Party cell 6 has 4 members, and as many as 3 of them are working at the ward level… therefore, all 19 ward officials and civil servants have to participate in activities at the neighborhood party cells.

It should also be added that the reality of "old bamboo but no replacement shoots," the lack of young Party members to supplement and enhance the capacity and fighting strength of village Party branches, is also a reason why some rural localities such as Do Luong and Quynh Luu cannot establish or, if established, are dissolved. Many opinions suggest dissolving this model to strengthen Party members' participation in rural Party branches, overcoming the situation of poor content, lack of information, low quality of activities, and failure to meet the requirements in implementing Party programs and resolutions, and State policies and laws at the grassroots level.

On the other hand, according to feedback from leaders of several localities at meetings with the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department, many Party branches in commune-level agencies have failed to be effective and have revealed many limitations and weaknesses in their activities, such as being detached from the masses, reluctant to interact with the people, and hesitant to participate in activities with rural Party branches. Party branch meetings in commune-level agencies often overlap with the content of meetings of the Party Committee, government, and mass organizations of the commune or town. The resolutions drafted and issued by these Party branches are general and similar to those of the commune Party Committee, lacking practicality and specificity with the requirements, functions, and tasks.

Mr. Dao Anh Dung, Secretary of the Party Branch and Head of Hamlet 2, Hong Son Commune, Do Luong District, frankly stated: “The grassroots Party branch is where all the Party's guidelines and resolutions, the State's laws, and the local socio-economic development plans are disseminated to Party members and the people. However, current officials are concentrated at the commune level, which easily leads to detachment from the grassroots, leaving hamlet Party branches neglected, and consequently, the implementation of Party resolutions is often superficial, 형식적인 (formalistic), and ineffective…”. This is not without basis because, in reality, in some localities, especially at the commune level, the disease of “detachment from the grassroots,” and lack of inspection and supervision, is one of the main causes of serious violations in the fields of land management and use; regulations and policies…

A unified and effective solution is needed.

Through on-site investigation, it can be seen that there are currently two opposing viewpoints. One proposes discontinuing this model because it is ineffective and, on the contrary, alienates officials from the grassroots and the people, weakening village-level Party branches. The other affirms that this model is suitable and suggests continuing it, but emphasizes the need to promptly establish regulations on the functions and responsibilities of Party branches in agencies, communes, wards, and towns, along with specific guidelines on the content of Party branch meetings to avoid confusion and overlapping responsibilities during task implementation.

Mr. Nguyen My Tang, Head of the District/Department (Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department), stated: Based on the implementation in Nghe An, it can be seen that Party branches in commune, ward, and town offices should only be established in areas with sufficient conditions, where they can be effective without affecting the quality of residential area Party branches. They should not be established in special areas (religious areas, ethnic minority areas, remote areas, etc.) or areas lacking the necessary conditions. However, Mr. Tang also noted that every model has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the important thing is how each locality and unit applies it effectively, as well as the awareness of Party members among officials and civil servants when participating in activities and fulfilling their civic duties in their residential areas. Even in some mountainous areas like Ky Son, Quy Chau, and Tuong Duong, the model of Party branches in commune offices is still well-maintained in 100% of their units.

Currently, the Central Committee's directive is to maintain the practice where conditions permit and discontinue it where conditions are unfavorable. However, to ensure unified guidance, a comprehensive review and evaluation are needed, along with specific directions for implementing Directive No. 10, accompanied by a review, amendment, and supplementation of the working regulations of the Party committees to suit the conditions of each locality. Thus, the establishment and operation of Party branches in commune, ward, and town offices according to Directive No. 10-HD/BTCTU dated October 10, 2007, has revealed both positive aspects and areas needing improvement. Whether or not to establish them, whether to operate them or dissolve them, seems to depend on the actual conditions, but the most crucial point is that "Party work" must serve "the people's work," meaning the establishment and operation of the Party organization must have an effect and role on the political tasks of the grassroots level and the lives of the people.

Text and photos: Khanh Ly