"People" will be history!
Just one more day, from July 1, 2025, the administrative units of provinces and centrally-run cities, including: Districts, towns, and cities, will officially cease operations. Allow me to call those administrative entities at the district, town, and city levels with the term full of respect and love: "People"...
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Khanh Dan• June 29, 2025
Just one more day, from July 1, 2025, administrative units of provinces and centrally run cities, including districts, towns, and cities, will officially cease operations.
Allow me to refer to these administrative entities with the respectful and loving term "people".
The local State administrative system has been transformed, simplified from three levels to two: province and commune, ward, and special zone. This is a major step, demonstrating the strategic vision and strong determination of the Party and State in the process of institutional innovation, streamlining the apparatus, enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, and operational efficiency, reducing budget expenditures to develop more strongly and serve the people better.
That policy is correct, in line with the people's wishes, and logically ensures the development trend of a modern administration. Cadres, party members and people have high consensus, believe in the success of this revolution (as General Secretary To Lam said), and that the new model will open a period of faster and stronger development for the country, closer to the people in the mission of serving. However, amid the bustling atmosphere of a new journey, there will be quiet moments passing in the minds of those who have been closely attached to the district level.
There will be someone sitting silently today on a chair at the desk that is all too familiar, next to the window of the agency headquarters, where in just a few hours the historical role of the district level will come to an end. I remember the words of the General Secretary, the gist of which is that, when it is called a revolution, of course there will be profound changes, some things will no longer exist and we understand that as sacrifice. The sacrifice here is not only the rights and interests of the cadres but also the retreat of the image of the person - because the person will go down in history.
There is something like a wind that will pass through the corridors still warm with human breath, where the familiar footsteps will soon be silent in the coming months and years. From the District Party Committee Office to the Citizen Reception Room of the District People's Committee, from the Economic and Infrastructure Department to the Hall of the Department of Education and Training... everywhere is imbued with memories, reminiscences of a challenging but also brilliant time, imprinted with proud milestones. How many cadres have passed through these places, leaving behind their youth, intelligence, faith and even silent dreams of changing their homeland.
The district level - although only the "middle level" in the 3-level administrative system - throughout history, the role of "people" has never been obscure. Since the days when the country was still immersed in the flames of war, the district revolutionary government has been the place to transfer orders from the Central to the grassroots, to organize logistics, to mobilize young people to go to war, and to take care of the lives of people in the rear areas. During those fierce years, district-level cadres were both leaders and soldiers, sometimes they were postmen, sometimes they were "blood" people who kept the lifeblood of an entire countryside alive...
When the country enters peacetime, the district level is the place to lead, direct, and implement policies and guidelines from higher levels to the grassroots level and is the place to serve the people in all aspects of social life. From building new rural areas, developing infrastructure, education, health care, hunger eradication, poverty reduction, cultural preservation to administrative reform - all go through the hands of organization and management of the district-level cadres. Each paved road, each school built, each medical station formed, each poor commune rising to become a well-off commune - all bear the sweat and dedication of the quiet people here. The district level is also the address to train, practice, and test cadres for the cause of building the homeland and the country. The district level is the place to build, ensure defense zones, protect the peace of people's lives and is the fulcrum of the great national unity bloc throughout its history.
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It can be affirmed that, over the past nearly 80 years, without the district level, major policies would have been difficult to reach every corner of the grassroots in a complete and effective manner. Without the district level, the road between policy and practice would have been more bumpy. The district level is a durable bridge between theory and life, between policies and the people.
And for nearly 80 years, since the country gained independence, the district level has played a pivotal role in keeping the government apparatus operating promptly, continuously and stably. Science, engineering and technology today develop rapidly and strongly like a storm. To the point that if in the past people could not imagine a mobile phone, today saying “the world is flat” would be easily laughed at because it is still backward. Those achievements allow people to simplify procedures and processes, optimize operations and increase the operational efficiency of the administrative apparatus, help overcome all obstacles of real space, continuously increase labor productivity and then machines and technology do things that humans cannot do… The change in the model of State administrative management is inevitable.
We understand that the district level plays the role of an intermediate level of the local administrative system that has fulfilled its historical mission. However, the farewell to the district level inevitably makes those who have been attached to it feel sad. They understand that this is an inevitable development step, a necessary transformation, giving way to a streamlined, modern model. But emotions cannot be suppressed - how can one not feel sad and heartbroken when looking back at the walls that once hung Uncle Ho's pictures with work schedules, local maps, where many emergency meetings took place during the storm and flood season, or the solemn times of organizing the admission of new party members, rewarding cadres who are dedicated to their work, etc. There will no longer be the familiar words "going to Con Cuong district", "going to Vinh city" or "going to Dien Chau district", they will only exist in poems, songs of the past and in the subconscious of generations who have accompanied the years and months of history. We understand, the people understand and share this very human feeling!
Some officials have asked to retire before retirement age, some have been transferred to provincial agencies, others are preparing to return to their communes to continue working... And certainly many people cannot avoid the feeling of nostalgia, sadness, and a bit of disappointment. Don't be quick to assume that they regret their power or status. They are nostalgic for a time gone by - a historical period in which they contributed in a small but responsible and dedicated way. They miss their old colleagues, miss the meetings with retired officials of the agency every time Tet comes, Spring comes, miss the image of people coming to the district office when they need support, miss the working sessions until late at night, the inspection trips to remote areas full of wind and dust but full of laughter. The image of the District Chairman, although sometimes hot-tempered, even scolding, the accountant of the Committee Office, although sometimes frowning when approving expenses... have all now become priceless memories. And deep down, they are also proud.
Proud to have been present in a glorious period of "people". Proud that my efforts, no matter how small, have contributed to creating the foundation for a new future, a more modern, more effective, and more people-oriented administrative model.
We see the "sacrifice" of "people" not as an end, but as a rebirth - a necessary transition for the entire political system from the Central to the grassroots to operate faster and more flexibly in the era of digital transformation and comprehensive integration.
On July 1, there will no longer be the names “District People’s Committee…”, “District Party Committee…”, “District Internal Affairs Department…”, “District Party Committee Organization Board…” on administrative signs. But in the memories of millions of people, especially those who have lived, studied and worked in their hometowns, the image of the district-level political system will remain forever. It is the place associated with the meetings, conferences of cadres, civil servants and public employees at the beginning of the year, the summaries of professional work, the personal classification at the end of each year, the afternoons playing volleyball and badminton after work on the sports field filled with the carefree laughter of the mountain people… It is the place that witnesses the gradual changes in people’s lives, where cadres work hard regardless of sun, rain, holidays, for the goal: Serving the people.
We will remember, be grateful and cherish what "he" has contributed over the past decades. It is not a formal "intermediate level", but a pillar that has fulfilled its historical mission. And today, having completed his mission, he bids us farewell in the posture and image of a Guardian Angel, leaving behind a rich, methodical, and well-organized administrative legacy - a valuable foundation for the 2-level administrative model to continue to move forward. An old journey has ended, a new horizon has opened. Those who used to be district-level officials will continue to contribute, will continue to accompany the people in new positions, in the new model. They bring with them not only experience, but also memories - beautiful, warm, affectionate, profound and proud memories.
Thank you "the man" and his team of cadres for their contributions throughout history and for their high consensus with this revolution initiated and led by the Party to help the country rise up!
"People" leave to blend into the People!
