Developing party members, focusing on quantity and valuing quality

Overview of the working session on the morning of October 18, 2020, the 19th Congress of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee. Photo: Pham Bang

In recent years, when the source of mass recruitment into the Party has encountered difficulties, while Directive No. 28-CT/TW, dated January 21, 2019 of the Secretariat on improving the quality of Party membership admission and reviewing, screening, and removing unqualified Party members from the Party requires Party membership admission to pay due attention to quality, which has raised concerns for Party committees and organizations at all levels.

The quantity has not reached the target, the quality of new party members is still limited.

During the 18th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress, term 2015-2020, the number of party members admitted each year gradually decreased: In 2016, 5,783 were admitted, in 2017, 5,399 were admitted, in 2019, 4,260 were admitted, and in 2020, 3,293 people were admitted to the Party.

On average, the province admits 4,800 people to the Party each year (target 5,600-5,800/year). Thus, the number of party members is one of the targets that has not been achieved. The quality of party members in general has been gradually improved, especially in terms of professional qualifications. The number of new party members with university and post-graduate degrees has increased every year. However, out of more than 4,800 newly admitted party members, 801 were removed from the Party (accounting for 16.7%), reflecting that the quality of newly admitted party members still has limitations.

Ensure harmony between quantity and quality

Admitting new party members at Keo Nam village Party cell, Bac Ly commune, Ky Son district. Photo: Archive

Based on the above reality, the Resolution of the 19th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, set an average annual target of admitting 4,500-5,000 party members. Compared to the target of the previous term, the Congress considered and balanced between quantity and quality, properly implementing the spirit of Directive No. 28-CT/TW, dated January 21, 2019 of the Secretariat, overcoming the situation of chasing quantity and overlooking quality. Thus, the Resolution of the 19th Nghe An Provincial Party Congress and Directive No. 28-CT/TW, dated January 21, 2019 of the Secretariat have answered concerns and worries about the issue of quantity and quality of new party members.

Entering the 2020-2025 term, Party committees at all levels have generally promptly implemented the congress resolution on Party development work. Some grassroots Party committees (Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, Nam Dan, Tuong Duong, Quy Hop, etc.) have summarized the projects and programs being implemented in the previous term, and developed resolutions, programs, projects, and plans for Party member development for the new term. The Provincial Party Committee's Organizing Committee has advised the Provincial Party Committee's Standing Committee to summarize the Project "Developing Party members and Party organizations in private enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises in Nghe An province, period 2014 - 2020" (Project 5155); advised the Provincial Party Committee's Standing Committee to issue Conclusion No. 189-KL/TU dated June 10, 2020 on continuing to implement the Project in the new term; is advising on the summary of Project No. 01-DA/TU, dated August 10, 2016 of the 18th Provincial Party Executive Committee on "Building Party cells and developing Party members in blocks, hamlets, and villages without Party cells or Party members and blocks, hamlets, and villages at risk of no longer having Party cells in the period 2016 - 2020" (Project 01).

Many reasons for the low rate of new party membership admissions

Vinh University Party Committee admits new party members. Photo: Document

However, in general, after the Party congresses at all levels, Party committees and organizations are focusing on other tasks such as building a system of operating regulations, perfecting the apparatus, personnel work, preparing for the election of the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels; the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic, the source of the masses for training and recruitment in rural areas is facing many difficulties... so the Party development work from the beginning of 2021 until now is still limited.

According to a quick report, in the first 6 months of 2021, the whole province admitted nearly 1,700 new party members (accounting for 38% of the year's target). It is expected that the number of admissions for the whole year will be difficult to ensure the set target.

In addition to the main reasons mentioned above, it can be affirmed that: Some Party committees have not been resolute and have not paid due attention in directing implementation, considering Party member development as a "self-made" task, mainly "contracting" it to Party cells to implement, and have not synchronously deployed policies and solutions to educate and train Party members.

Solutions to overcome difficulties

To achieve the goal of developing party members in quantity and improving quality according to Directive No. 28-CT/TW of the Secretariat, district, city, town party committees and affiliated party committees need to focus on implementing the contents and solutions stated in Plan No. 187-KH/TU, dated April 8, 2019 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee; Instruction No. 02-HD/BTCTW, dated April 12, 2021 of the Central Organizing Committee; Official Dispatch No. 406-CV/BTCTU dated May 21, 2021 of the Provincial Party Committee Organizing Committee; contents on directions and conclusions of the Standing Committee and the Provincial Party Committee Executive Committee on continuing to implement Project 5155 and Project 01, focusing on the following contents:

Correctly perceive the work of developing and improving the quality of Party members, identifying this as a matter of principle in the work of Party organization and building, aiming to increase the Party's vitality, improve the Party's leadership capacity and fighting strength. Party development is the task of Party committees and organizations at all levels and of each Party member, promoting the combined strength of political and social organizations and each Party member.

Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Huong is one of the outstanding young party members honored by Nghe An Provincial Youth Union in 2021. Photo: NVCC

Direct the implementation of the preliminary and final review of projects, programs and plans of the previous term and year to develop projects, programs, plans, instructions... on party development work suitable to the specific situation. Lead political and social organizations to promote emulation movements, thereby discovering positive factors, especially union members, youth, workers, and laborers with achievements, exemplary in the movement, and prestige among the people to have a plan to train them to become excellent masses and introduce them to the Party Committee and Party organizations. Have a plan to assign Party Committee members and experienced Party members to areas and units without Party organizations or Party members, and subjects according to Project 5155 and Project 01 to carry out party development work.

Strictly and correctly implement the procedures for admitting people into the Party and converting probationary Party members into official Party members according to the Party Charter and regulations and instructions for implementing the Party Charter.

Strengthen the management, education, training, inspection and supervision of party members, innovate and improve the quality of studying political theory and resolutions, effectively assign tasks to party members, strictly implement regulations on party activities management and transfer, and strengthen inspection of the implementation of regulations on party activities.

Along with admitting outstanding masses into the Party, Party committees and organizations at all levels need to do a good job of reviewing and screening Party members, removing unqualified Party members from the Party, ensuring the subjects, criteria, and procedures according to Instruction No. 02-HD/BTCTW, dated April 12, 2021 of the Central Organizing Committee on criteria and procedures for reviewing, detecting, educating, helping, screening, and removing unqualified Party members from the Party.

Party members are the "cells" that make up the Party organization. Improving the quality of Party members means improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party organization, contributing to building a clean and strong Party and consolidating people's trust in the Party.