"Even the most difficult tasks can be accomplished with the people's help."

(Baonghean) - In his letter to the Nghe An Party Committee, the first thing Uncle Ho instructed was: "We need to actively practice democracy with the people even more." Democracy here is understood to be truly for the people, so that the people know, discuss, act, and supervise. It means having a genuine awareness and concrete actions of criticism and self-criticism before the people. It means reforming the style and methods when interacting with the people.

Visiting Ngoc Son commune in Do Luong district, where the bumpy, gravelly dirt roads have been replaced by concrete roads as part of the new rural development program, one can truly appreciate the spirit of overcoming difficulties and progress of the Party committee, government, and people in this semi-mountainous region. Nguyen Hieu Lap, Secretary of the Party branch in Hamlet 2, enthusiastically said: “Although the people are still poor, when we launched the rural road construction project, every household eagerly contributed. This achievement is thanks to the active efforts of officials from the commune to the hamlet in disseminating information to ensure that the people understand the Party and State's policies and guidelines in the nationwide movement to build new rural areas. To build trust among the people, we always ensure transparency in the use of funds, thereby creating high consensus among the residents.”

The people of Tan Phu commune, Tan Ky district, surely haven't forgotten the image of land management official Ung Hong Phong tirelessly working to secure electricity for the villagers. Now, throughout the hamlets and villages of Tan Phu commune, people have access to electricity thanks to the expanded Rural Electrification Project (REII), funded by over 8 billion VND; the people and the commune contributed land for site clearance. When asked about the hardships he endured during those years of "carrying the burden of the whole community," official Phong humbly replied: "Basically, the people here understand and sympathize with the officials, and moreover, we have also benefited greatly from it – gaining the people's trust, respect, and affection." Thanks to his close relationship with the people, his skillful mobilization, and his ability to secure resources, the impoverished Tan Phu commune has successfully met all 13 criteria for the New Rural Development program.

Close to the people, serving the people, some officials have selflessly dedicated themselves, such as the officials of Tan Lam and Con Phoi hamlets in Phu Son, Tan Ky district, who voluntarily take turns rowing boats to ferry people across the river. The officials of Phong Yen hamlet in Hung Hoa district (Vinh City) take turns guarding against theft and gambling every night. Every night and every morning, the Party Secretary of Phong Yen hamlet, Nguyen Van The, sets an alarm clock to urge the children in the hamlet to sit down and study. There are also officials who are close to the people, understand them, and always share with them, such as Party Secretary Nguyen Huu Lap of Hamlet 2, Ngoc Son, or Nguyen Xuan Minh, Head of Block 6, Cua Nam ward, who act as impromptu "arbitrators" whenever there are disagreements between spouses or neighbors, so that laughter returns to every home and warmth returns to the hamlet.

In his letter to the Provincial Party Committee, President Ho Chi Minh instructed: “Cadres, Party members, and Youth Union members should regularly engage in self-criticism before the people, and encourage the people to criticize. Humbly listen to the opinions of the people to promote good deeds, correct mistakes, and improve their work.” Currently, many grassroots Party organizations from the district to the ward, commune, village, and hamlet levels are actively implementing the necessary actions immediately after self-criticism in accordance with the spirit of Central Resolution 4. Many cadres and Party members regularly engage in dialogue with the people during village meetings, thereby resolving people's grievances. These dialogues also provide cadres with opportunities to self-correct, reflect on their actions, and make changes in their awareness, thinking, and behavior. However, there are still places and times where some cadres are not truly close to the people, or have only shown changes in their demeanor and communication style when interacting with the people—meaning only quantitative changes, not qualitative changes. Here and there, there are still some officials and Party members at the ward and commune levels who "forget" to participate in self-criticism and criticism sessions, focusing instead on addressing the needs of the people. This leads to prolonged grievances and complaints, and some people still lose faith in their officials.

President Ho Chi Minh once taught: Cadres must do a good job of mobilizing the people. This means doing a good job of mass mobilization, mobilizing each individual citizen to contribute to the strength of the entire nation, working together to build and protect the country. The important thing is to patiently explain to the people their responsibilities, rights, obligations, and interests. A true leader must always consult with the people, ask for their opinions and experiences, ensuring that the work is appropriate to their cultural level, living habits, and wishes, because "A hundred times easier without the people's support, a thousand times harder can be accomplished with the people's participation."

Thanh Nga