Reforming ideological work in Thanh Chuong

(Baonghean) - In the process of leading and directing the implementation of the local political tasks, the Party committees and political system in Thanh Chuong always attach importance to ideological work to create high unity and consensus from thought to action. However, practical issues are still posing difficulties.

A vibrant reality

The success of the Thanh Luong Commune Party Committee since the Commune Party Congress for the 2015-2020 term is its leadership and guidance in completing 19 new rural criteria and being recognized as achieving the standard this December. This is considered a spectacular breakthrough and a new bright spot for Thanh Luong in the overall picture of Thanh Chuong district.

That being said, Thanh Luong's agricultural land is both limited and located in a low-lying area, prone to drought even before the sun shines and flooding even before the rain falls. Further difficulties arise from the high population density, with densely packed households and residential areas, and narrow internal roads. Therefore, despite starting the new rural development program in 2011, by the end of 2015, the locality still had five criteria that were difficult to achieve, including transportation, cultural facilities, and the environment.

Officials in Thanh Lien commune (Thanh Chuong district) discuss and address an urgent issue in the area.

Le Trong Chuong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the commune, shared: "Although we anticipate difficulties, the Standing Committee of the Party Committee unanimously agreed to resolutely register to achieve the new rural development goal in 2016. Based on that consensus, the Standing Committee of the Party Committee organized briefings, propaganda, and clarifications within the Party Committee Executive Board and the entire Party organization; mobilizing the entire political system to participate."

During the leadership and guidance process, in some areas and on some issues, there was a lack of consensus among the people. Commune officials personally went to the grassroots level to hold meetings, discuss, and directly meet with each resident to explain and clarify the situation. Secretary Chương cited the example of expanding the commune's sports stadium, which involved several graves. Officials directly met with each household to conduct ideological work and persuade them to relocate.

For example, to address the environmental pollution problem caused by domestic and livestock wastewater overflowing onto the streets, the commune leaders organized meetings and sought support in the form of bricks from the Rao Gang Brick and Tile Factory to stimulate demand and resolve the issue of people's reluctance to contribute to the construction of the drainage system...

For Thanh Tien, a commune with relatively comprehensive development in Thanh Chuong district, there are also unique experiences and methods for building trust among cadres, Party members, and the people. According to Comrade Nguyen Van Loan, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, first and foremost, the team of cadres and Party members, especially the leaders of the Party committee, must always be exemplary, work selflessly and honestly; always put the interests of the collective and the rights of the people above all else, and absolutely not engage in self-serving behavior or pursue personal, family, or clan interests.

The guiding principle for organizations within the system and for officials is to truly understand the people, respect the people, and listen to their needs in order to meet them. Therefore, in the leadership and guidance process, the locality always prioritizes and places the care of education, healthcare, and ensuring other social welfare issues at the forefront. In Thanh Lien, when a family experiences a death, in addition to establishing a tradition of mutual assistance and material support within the community for funeral arrangements, the locality also allocates budget to provide equal support, without discrimination based on whether the family is rich or poor.

The requirement is "go first - come back later".

It can be said that ideological work has recently received significant attention from the Thanh Chuong District Party Committee. "Ideological work here involves thoroughly understanding, explaining, and deepening the understanding of issues among cadres, Party members, and the people; while simultaneously enhancing the fighting spirit in Party activities and combating ideologies that go against the collective interests of the community and society, and against the Party's policies and resolutions, in order to create unity and consensus," emphasized Comrade Phan Dinh Ha, Head of the Propaganda Department of the District Party Committee.

Based on that understanding, since the Party Congresses at all levels, the Thanh Chuong District Party Committee has placed great importance on propaganda and guiding public opinion.

First, the method of disseminating and explaining Party resolutions and directives has been reformed. Instead of assigning this task to the grassroots Party committee secretary, the Standing Committee and the Head and Deputy Head of the District Party Committee's Propaganda Department, along with the Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee in charge of culture and social affairs, are now directly responsible for disseminating them. The content and outlines for these dissemination are meticulously developed and approved by the District Party Committee's Standing Committee. Furthermore, the dissemination process is divided into different target groups, focusing on core content that is both theoretical and practical, outlining specific tasks to be done at each level, agency, and unit. This avoids vagueness and ensures that the grassroots level can effectively implement Party resolutions and directives.

Officials from Thanh My commune (Thanh Chuong district) discuss with local residents the implementation of the farm-based economic model.

Simultaneously, the District Party Committee, and specifically the District Party Committee's Propaganda Department, has been contemplating reforming the content of propaganda in the district's internal newsletter, focusing on specific, practical, and relevant information.

In addition to the main content on the key tasks of the Party committee each month, including Party work and leadership in implementing political tasks according to the time and season; examples of good people and good deeds; and good experiences, there is also a section on guiding public opinion related to current world, national, and provincial issues that, based on observations of public opinion, still have many concerns and conflicting views.

Specifically, there is a fixed section dedicated to the thoughts and teachings of President Ho Chi Minh, organized by theme or topic (depending on the month's national or local commemorative events or activities). This also provides guidance on some of the branch's monthly activities, including areas for focused propaganda and areas requiring leadership and direction across all sectors.

The Party Secretary of Hamlet 13, Thanh Luong Commune, stated: “Since the Thanh Chuong District Party Committee’s internal newsletter was updated, the Party branch’s guidance has become clearer and more specific. Party branch meetings are of higher quality, providing information on many issues for Party members; this is truly a ‘handbook,’ an important document for Party branches today. For example, following the Formosa marine environmental incident, there were many differing opinions among cadres, Party members, and the people, but through the internal newsletter, the district published articles analyzing and clarifying many issues, contributing to better ideological guidance.”

Clearly, despite the efforts made, ideological work still presents many issues that need attention. Through surveys and sociological investigations conducted by the Propaganda Department of the District Party Committee in early 2016, reaching down to the grassroots level, cadres, and Party members, many ideological manifestations were identified.

A prevailing conservative mindset among officials, Party members, and the people is evident. For officials, this manifests as an unwillingness to innovate leadership and management styles, and a reluctance to acknowledge their mistakes in handling and concluding certain petitions, complaints, and denunciations, leading citizens to continue appealing to higher levels. For the people, this includes conservatism in restructuring crop and livestock production and a reluctance to adopt new technical methods.

Furthermore, among cadres, Party members, and the people, there are still manifestations of stagnant thinking, resistance to change and innovation; narrow-mindedness, parochialism, rivalry, lack of exemplary behavior; and a reluctance to face difficulties, complacency, dependence, and reliance on others... These are issues that have hindered the overall development of Thanh Chuong district in recent years.

Frankly acknowledging the current situation and limitations, the Thanh Chuong District Party Committee issued Project 04/DA-HU on October 10, 2016, on continuing to strengthen ideological work, overcoming conservatism, stagnation, narrow-mindedness, reluctance to face difficulties, and complacency; innovating ways of thinking and doing, and creating high consensus for development.

Comrade Dang Anh Dung, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, emphasized: “Ideological work is identified as a task that is ‘leading the way and following the process’; leading the way to disseminate, thoroughly understand, and enlighten, and following the process to evaluate, summarize, draw lessons, and supplement the Party’s guidelines and policies to suit practical realities. Every cadre and Party member needs to cultivate their skills in all aspects to contribute to the timely and effective resolution of pressing social issues, to help consolidate the trust of all strata of the people in the Party’s leadership and the State’s management and administration, and to contribute to the successful implementation of the goals, targets, and tasks set by the 30th District Party Congress, term 2015-2020, and to soon make Thanh Chuong a prosperous district in the western region of the province.”

Mai Hoa