Promoting the role and responsibility of retired party members
(Baonghean) - Despite their old age, many party members who are retired cadres are still active in the work of "carrying prison and communal goods", becoming exemplary "locomotives" in the villages, continuing to contribute their intelligence and experience to the people and the Party, and successfully completing local political tasks.
Fulfilling the Party's duties, fulfilling the people's duties
Comrade Duong Cong Hoi - a retired military officer in Block 5, Hung Nguyen town (Hung Nguyen district) has 11 years of experience as the block's Party cell secretary. Before that, he had worked for decades in the commune's veteran association, as the head of the war veterans' association, the block's Red Cross association... Before comrade Hoi became the secretary, the Block 5 Party cell had a phenomenon of internal disunity. "Although I am old, for the honor of the hamlet, for the responsibility of a party member, when the superior party committee assigned me a task and the people trusted me, I stood up to take on the common work," comrade Hoi shared.
The first thing that Party Cell Secretary Duong Cong Hoi did was to "take control" of the mass organizations and 11 inter-family groups in the block, building internal solidarity. From there, he revived all movements, bringing the hamlet to become one of the leading units of Hung Nguyen town. Currently, Block 5 Party Cell has 20 party members, including 5 retired party members who are core members in local activities.
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| Party cell secretary of Block 5, Hung Nguyen Town, Duong Cong Hoi, discussed the exemplary behavior of retired party members at their place of residence. Photo: Gia Huy |
Comrade Nguyen Quoc Tung in Block 13, Hung Nguyen town, is nearly 50 years old in the Party this year. He has experience in Party work in the army, so when he was trusted by the Party Committee and the people, he happily took on the task of "leading" the block. Up to now, Comrade Tung has been the block leader and then the block party cell secretary for 16 years, in every position he has fulfilled his tasks well. Block 13 has 163 households, 630 people. The party cell has 60 party members, of which only 4 comrades are not retired. This is both an advantage and a difficulty for the party cell secretary. Because the majority of retired party members are people with high theoretical knowledge and social understanding, it requires the head of the party cell to have intelligence, prestige, and impartiality.
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Comrade Tung determined that it is necessary to always "match words with actions", the issued resolutions must be implemented thoroughly, clearly assigning people and tasks to have specific and objective assessments. Implementing the motto "close to the people", Party cell block 13 assigned each party member to be in charge of 5 families to promptly grasp information and handle conflicts within the family and between neighbors. Combining the experience and prestige of retired party members with the health, dynamism and enthusiasm of young party members is also one of Comrade Tung's methods. Therefore, he himself always tries to help and accompany young party members such as block leader, Deputy Secretary of Party cell Luu Duc Thang (born in 1980) to foster and train the next generation... Overall assessment, block 13 has always completed its tasks excellently every year, the party cell has achieved clean and strong status for many consecutive years.
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| Party members in Son Hai commune (Quynh Luu) propagate the law to sailors before going to sea. Photo: Archive |
According to the Party Secretary of Hung Nguyen town, comrade Nguyen Van Hao: In the current situation of "old bamboo but young shoots have not yet grown", it is difficult to develop new party members, especially from the young labor force in the hamlet as at present, retired party members are the ones who "take the lead" in shouldering the work of the hamlet and village. In the area, there are 17 rural party cells with 640 party members, of which retired party members account for 2/3. They are all people who have experienced many fields and working environments, have strong political will, and experience working in Party agencies, government, Fatherland Front and mass organizations. Therefore, when returning to their localities, with their experience, prestige and exemplary behavior, retired party members have helped local Party committees and authorities consolidate the political system at the grassroots level. At the same time, they shoulder the responsibility of training and finding young successor cadres for the hamlet and village. Among the 17 block party cells in Hung Nguyen town, 8 block party cell secretaries are retired party members, and 3 block party members are block leaders and cell secretaries.
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| Party members give their opinions at the Party cell meeting of Trung Yen Block, Hung Dung Ward, Vinh City. Photo courtesy |
Vinh City is home to a large number of retired party members (the entire city has 23,000 party members, of which retired party members account for over 75%). Most retired party members strictly follow the assignment of tasks by the Party cell and Party branch, and strictly implement the Party's lifestyle regime.
Talking about the role of retired party members in building the political system of villages, comrade Vo Viet Thanh - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Vinh City Party Committee affirmed: This is a reliable support for the Party organization at the grassroots level, and at the same time is the core force, contributing many enthusiastic opinions to build programs, plans, projects for socio-economic development, ensuring national defense - security and building the political system at the grassroots level. Many comrades have participated in the Party cell for many years, serving as Party cell secretaries, deputy secretaries; block leaders, heads, deputy heads of branches and mass organizations at the grassroots level.
In Hung Binh ward, there are 1,390 party members, 89% of whom are retirees, living in 17 block party cells. 100% of the retired party members are block party cell secretaries, of which the oldest person is 68 years old this year. Most of them are retired senior police and military officers, enthusiastic, responsible, and dedicated to Party and people's work.Like comrade Ho Sy Ha, 62 years old in block 22, was trusted to be the Party cell secretary for the third term. In addition, comrade Ha is also the Deputy of the Legal Department of the Ward People's Council, participating in the People's Jury. Block 22, Hung Binh Ward has 95% of cadres, civil servants, and armed forces, comrade Ha has proactively and effectively run the Party cell. "Party cell activities should be concise, go straight to the core issues and each meeting must provide new information, attracting the attention of Party members. This requires the Party Committee to be diligent in searching for and accessing new information..." - comrade Ha shared.
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“The block leader must dare to think, dare to do, closely monitor each household to select the core members for the movements and grasp information to promptly handle arising situations, and do a good job of mass mobilization to keep the block peaceful,” comrade Ngai confided. Thanks to the cadres who are close to the people, from 5 poor households to now, there is only 1 near-poor household left in the block. The block and the Party cell have been continuously ranked excellent for many years. In 2017, Block Leader Nguyen Hong Ngai and the collective of cadres and people of Block 17, Ha Huy Tap Ward were awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.
In many localities, retired party members have been and are exemplary "locomotives" in the hamlet blocks, such as Thanh Chuong district, where 225/2,855 retired party members are secretaries and hamlet leaders. Many retired female party members are also secretaries and block leaders trusted by the Party and loved by the people. Such as comrade Hoang Thi Ly - Secretary of the Mai Hac De block Party Cell, Nam Dan town (Nam Dan district); comrade Sam Thi Lan - Ban Kieng 1, Chau Binh mountainous commune (Quy Chau). When asked about their experience in "fulfilling the Party's work and fulfilling the people's work", they all humbly shared: There is no secret other than all policies and strategies originating from the interests of the people; promoting democracy, so that people know, people discuss, people inspect, people supervise...
"Tall tree, big shade"
It can be said that the retired party members are considered a "valuable asset" at the grassroots level. Many Party committees and Party cells regularly encourage and seek opinions, intelligence and experience from retired party members to work side by side with young party members to perform well the tasks of the locality. Comrade Hoang Thi Thanh Loan, born in 1981, Party Secretary of Hung Binh Ward said: "As a young cadre, I often seek opinions, learn from experiences, and seek help and support from the "big trees" who are the older retired party members in the ward."
Many of them are retired party members with a deep understanding of political theory and professional expertise, actively participate in union activities, enthusiastically speak at branch and local party conferences, and contribute many enthusiastic ideas to build programs, plans, and projects for socio-economic development, build the grassroots political system, build new rural areas, and civilized urban areas.
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| Officials of the Provincial Party Committee's Organizing Committee and Thanh Chuong District Party Committee visited Mr. Nguyen Danh Du, an exemplary retired party member in Thanh Linh commune (Thanh Chuong). Photo: Gia Huy |
Some older comrades, who have difficulty moving around, still participate in Party and village activities, such as comrade Phan Binh, 93 years old, nearly 70 years in the Party, participated in two resistance wars against the French and the Americans, was awarded the First Class Resistance Medal, and currently resides in hamlet 4, Hung Loi commune (Hung Nguyen). Comrade Phan Binh confided: "As long as I have some strength, I will still participate in Party activities. Because that is both the right and responsibility of a Party member before the Party and the people." Secretary of the Party Committee of Hung Loi commune, Phan Thi Tho, said: Comrade Phan Binh is an exemplary Party member. Although the couple is living in an old level 4 house built decades ago, in 2013, when the local government intended to support the family in building a house under the policy for meritorious people, comrade Phan Binh refused, giving it to someone else with more difficulties.
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As for comrade Phan Sy Ly, 85 years old, 60 years old in the Party, in block 22, Hung Binh ward (Vinh city), "Serious participation in Party activities is to set an example for children and grandchildren, for the younger generation of Party members". Not only being exemplary in implementing the Party Charter, the State's policies and guidelines, and local regulations, comrade Phan Sy Ly also actively participates in studying resolutions, listening to news, selecting official information, updating new policies and guidelines to disseminate to Party members in the Party cell. He also has many practical contributions in building resolutions of the Party Committee of the ward and Party cell, thereby contributing to consolidating a strong political system and developing the local socio-economic situation. Or in Thanh Chuong district, there is comrade Nguyen Danh Du, 93 years old, 72 years old in the Party, in Son village, Thanh Linh commune, who is a shining example at the grassroots level of exemplary behavior and sense of responsibility of a Party member towards the people and the Party...
It can be said that the contributions of retired party members, regardless of their level, have been affirming the role and position of "locomotive", of "tall tree, big shade" in the family and society. They have in common that they are all imbued with the idea of "taking the people as the root", and always put the responsibility and prestige of party members first, so they are loved by the Party and trusted by the people, thereby devoting themselves to creating positive changes at the grassroots level.
(To be continued)
