'To have a strong Party, you need good Party branches.'

(Baonghean) - Enhancing the leadership capacity and fighting strength of grassroots Party organizations has been identified by the Cua Lo Town Party Committee as one of the key tasks to focus on leading and directing the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 5th Cua Lo Town Party Congress, term 2015 - 2020.

Basic practice

The Party cell of Block 13, Nghi Huong Ward (Cua Lo Town) has 30 members. Despite the large number of members, the cell is currently facing significant personnel difficulties. More than a year ago, the former Party cell secretary fell ill with a serious disease and had to retire from Party activities. However, the cell has not yet found a replacement because most of the members are elderly, and the younger members are working far away. The Nghi Huong Ward Party Committee had to "reinforce" the block's Party cell with the Chairman of the Ward's Veterans Association as its Party cell secretary.

“Party members in the branch are elderly, their work is directly related to the people, and coupled with a reluctance to confront issues, no one is enthusiastic about the ‘position’ of a block leader,” confided Comrade Dang Van Can, Secretary of the Party Branch of Block 13, Nghi Huong Ward. This situation is not unique to Block 13; other blocks in Nghi Huong Ward share the same plight: “the old trees are dying, but the new shoots haven’t yet sprouted.”

Similar to Nghi Tan ward, the Party branches in residential areas are also facing the reality of an aging Party member population and difficulties in recruiting young members due to the local youth's unique characteristics: most are engaged in fishing, while those who remain at home have limited education and capabilities, and lack ambition. In particular, in some specific areas, the ward Party Committee has to assign Party members from various agencies and units to participate in Party branch activities.

A meeting of the Community Culture Club - Hieu Hap Block Party Branch, Nghi Thu Ward (Cua Lo Town). Photo: Thanh Le

Meanwhile, in the government sector, some units have transformed their professional model into enterprises, such as the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Guest House II, the City Party Committee Guest House, etc., and the grassroots Party organizations are still facing many difficulties in leadership and guidance, especially in leading professional tasks.

For example, the Party branch of Van Xuan University of Technology, although directly under the Cua Lo Town Party Committee, operates in Vinh City, making management difficult. Furthermore, Party branches in private enterprises have not received adequate attention and have not effectively promoted Party organization within businesses. All of these issues require the Town Party Committee to continue strengthening, consolidating, and improving the quality of operation of these types of Party branches.

In reality, over the past period, Party committees at all levels in Cua Lo town have implemented many policies and measures to consolidate and improve the quality of grassroots Party organizations, in conjunction with improving the quality of the political system. As a result, many grassroots Party organizations have made significant progress and played a pivotal role at the local level. However, given the requirements and tasks of the current period, the quality and leadership capacity of some grassroots Party organizations in the town still face many shortcomings and difficulties.

In some areas, Party branches still have limitations in political and ideological education, inspection, supervision, and management of Party members; the leadership methods and content of activities in some Party branches are still hesitant, self-criticism and criticism are limited; activities in some Party branches under the city Party committee are heavily focused on professional matters and lack thematic discussions. The work of developing Party members has not been given due importance, especially in Party branches in special areas...

One of the reasons for the limited capacity of Party branches, especially at the grassroots level, is that many Party members violate Party discipline, diminishing the prestige of Party members and Party organizations among the people. During the 2010-2015 term, the Cua Lo Town Party Committee disciplined 101 comrades for violations of public service ethics and the Party Charter. For example, the Cua Lo Town Party Committee recently issued a decision to dismiss the Party Branch Secretary, Chairman and Director of the Nghe An Trade Union Tourism and Trade Company Limited for violating financial principles. This further diminishes the prestige of Party members and Party organizations among the people.

Bringing about a qualitative transformation.

Given the above situation, enhancing the leadership capacity and fighting strength of grassroots Party organizations in Cua Lo town is identified as a key and important issue in Cua Lo's current Party building work. To continue creating a strong transformation in Party building work, the Cua Lo Town Party Committee issued the Project "Enhancing the leadership capacity and fighting strength of grassroots Party organizations in the period 2016 - 2020". This project focuses on consolidating and improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength, creating a clear qualitative transformation in the quality of various types of grassroots Party organizations. This task is implemented by Party committees in accordance with the practical situation of each locality and unit.

In Nghi Huong ward, for example, to strengthen the personnel of the Party branches in residential areas, "the Party Committee focuses on directing and guiding the Party branches to cultivate and train potential Party members. It organizes training courses on Party committee skills for the Party branches and strengthens professional guidance for this team."

At the same time, the Party Committee directed ward officials to closely monitor the local area and not delegate tasks entirely to the grassroots. The entire political system is involved in resolving pressing issues at the grassroots level, clarifying ideology, and building trust among officials, Party members, and the people," shared Comrade Tran Minh Luong, Secretary of the Nghi Huong Ward Party Committee.

In Nghi Tan Ward Party Committee, to develop the ward in all aspects, the Party Committee pays special attention to improving the leadership capacity of the residential area Party branches because the effectiveness of policies and guidelines depends significantly on the contributions of the neighborhood and hamlet officials, who are closest to the people. Therefore, the Party Committee established a Current Affairs - Law Club to effectively carry out propaganda work and guide public opinion among officials, Party members, and the people.

“Nghi Tan’s innovative approach to improving the quality of Party branch meetings in residential areas is for the Party Committee to organize rotating model Party branch meetings with the participation of members of the Ward Party Committee Standing Committee and the secretaries of Party branches in other residential areas. Through these meetings, the Ward Party Committee Secretary will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the meeting so that other Party branch secretaries can learn, exchange, and draw experience in organizing their own Party branch meetings,” shared Comrade Hoang Thi Hai Yen, Secretary of the Nghi Tan Ward Party Committee.

In a conversation with us, Comrade Le Minh Long, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Cua Lo Town Party Committee, stated: “In reality, over the past period, Party committees at all levels in Cua Lo town have implemented many policies and measures to consolidate and improve the quality of grassroots Party organizations, linked with improving the quality of the political system. As a result, many grassroots Party organizations have undergone significant changes and have effectively played their pivotal role at the local level. However, given the requirements and tasks of the current period, the quality and leadership capacity of some grassroots Party organizations in the town still face many shortcomings and difficulties.”

Recognizing that "a strong Party must have good Party branches, and good Party branches are due to good Party members," the Party Committee of the town will continue to implement comprehensive measures in line with Resolution No. 4 of the Central Committee (12th Congress) to improve the quality of Party grassroots activities, especially in special areas and enterprises and agencies with unique characteristics. Accordingly, the Town Party Committee will focus on leading the reform and strengthening of political and ideological education and the leadership methods of Party committees and grassroots Party organizations; improving the quality of Party cadres and members, doing a good job of Party development; strengthening guidance, inspection, and supervision, and tightening the evaluation and ranking process.

Simultaneously, we must leverage the role of the government, the Fatherland Front, and mass organizations within the political system to participate in building grassroots Party organizations, mobilizing the entire political system to decisively implement the Resolution of the 5th Party Congress of Cua Lo town, term 2015-2020, and soon develop Cua Lo into a type 2 urban area, a growth pole and spearhead of the province.”

Thanh Le