Party member management in Vinh city: Creative approaches

(Baonghean) -Vinh City Party Committee has 20,780 party members of various types, operating in 100 grassroots party organizations of various types, including 522 block and hamlet party cells. The city's grassroots party organizations have had good practices in party member management.

Truong Thi Ward Party Committee has 1,147 party members, 26 affiliated party cells, the second largest party member unit in the city (after Ha Huy Tap Ward). The entire Party Committee has 134 incumbent party members, 1,013 retired party members. Party Committee Secretary Tran Van Giao said: "There are many measures to manage party members, but we focus on two main measures: inspecting and supervising party cell activities and assigning tasks to party members in accordance with assigned responsibilities." Members of the Executive Committee and the Standing Committee of the Party Committee are each assigned to monitor 2-3 party cells, attending party cell activities at least once a month, through checking the minutes book to grasp the situation of the party cell activities.

Scientific and systematic storage allows for quick file retrieval. Photo: Sy Minh

The way to organize Party cell activities is specifically guided, the content of activities must be regularly renewed, thanks to which the rate of Party members participating in Party cell activities reaches over 85%. In the Party cell blocks, the rate of Party members assigned tasks reaches over 50%, positions from block leader, head of mass organizations to head of residential groups are mostly held by Party members. In addition to the number of Party members active in the locality, Truong Thi ward also received 1,173 incumbent Party members who were introduced to activities at their place of residence. The Party Committee has the initiative to send monthly evaluations and comments on Party members to the cadre management agency. Looking at the Party member monitoring book of activities at the place of residence of the whole ward from 2006 to present, in 2012 there were 100 exemplary pioneer Party members and 4 Party members with shortcomings; in 2013 there were 193 exemplary pioneer Party members and 4 Party members with shortcomings (giving birth to a third child). Party members who want to be evaluated as exemplary pioneers must fully participate in activities at their place of residence, fulfill their obligations and have many contributions to the locality. By this measure, the Party Committee of Truong Thi Ward has managed and promoted the responsibilities of the current Party members who live at their place of residence.

Le Loi Ward Party Committee has 780 party members operating in 22 party cells, achieving the title of exemplary clean and strong party cell for 5 consecutive years (2009 - 2013), the number of clean and strong party cells annually reaches 91%. In managing party members, the Party Committee combines many measures: political and ideological education, inspection and supervision of party members, strict disciplinary action against violations, and assignment of specific tasks to party members in the block party cells. Previously, at a block party cell, the Party Committee inspected and disciplined both the secretary and the block leader for violating financial management principles, causing internal disunity. In 2012, the Party Committee inspected and disciplined the station chief and an employee of the ward health station with a warning for causing disunity and failing to complete their tasks. The Party Committee coordinated with the City Health Center to transfer these two party members to work as employees in other units. In 2013, after checking for signs of violations, the Party Committee disciplined 1 party member for violating the Party's lifestyle regime and 1 party member for violating the family population policy.

Party members who work far away are introduced to temporary activities from 3 to less than 12 months, and are exempted from temporary activities under 3 months, not more than 3 times a year. If they work far away for more than 12 months, they must officially transfer their Party activities, and extend them 3 times. If they do not transfer, they must write an application to leave the Party themselves. Party members who go abroad must complete procedures to transfer their Party activities (through the embassy). If they do not transfer, they must write an application to leave the Party themselves. The Party Committee absolutely does not allow Party members to go abroad without permission from the competent authority. Party Committee Secretary Le Van Long clearly stated: "This must be done strictly to ensure the principles of Party activities, and to prevent the situation of Party members registering but not participating in activities."

The Party Committee of Le Loi Ward pays special attention to assigning tasks to Party members in residential blocks in accordance with their assigned responsibilities. Block 1 Party Cell of the ward is the unit that has assigned tasks to Party members at a rate of 100% thanks to the Resolution on Party members' responsibilities in residential blocks. Party Cell Secretary Nguyen Huu Binh said: 33 Party members in the Party Cell are happy to accept the positions assigned by the Party Cell. From block leaders, heads of the Front Committee, people's inspectors, block security team leaders to heads of mass organizations are all held by Party members, only the Head of the Association of the Elderly is a mass person but he has done very well so the Party Cell still encourages him. In 8 residential groups, 6 group leaders are Party members. Comrade Binh shared: "As a Party member, you must be exemplary before the masses, ready to accept assigned tasks, the important thing is to assign the right person, the right job". Block 1 Party Cell has continuously achieved the title of exemplary clean and strong group, has been honored as one of the 10 exemplary groups of the city in the movement to study and follow Ho Chi Minh's moral example, and has achieved the title of Cultural Block from 2009 to present.

The Party Committee of Hung Binh Ward operates in a complex area, so the work of managing party members is strictly implemented. The Party Committee has its own regulations for the Party Executive Committee, which stipulates that members of the Executive Committee are in charge of 2-3 party cells, members of the Standing Committee are in charge of 4-5 party cells, and must attend party cell meetings at least once a month. At the monthly Executive Committee meeting, they must specifically report on the monitoring of party cells. For party cells with low participation in activities, the Party Committee promptly inspects and corrects them to overcome them. In 2013, 3 party members who violated the rules were disciplined. The Party Committee dissolved the party cell of a business and transferred party members to participate in activities at their place of residence because the business was not operating. Thanks to strict management, the rate of party members in the Party Committee participating in party cell activities reached 80%, and the rate of party members assigned tasks reached 50%.

To monitor the management of party members at the grassroots level, the City Party Committee has a plan to assign monitoring of grassroots party organizations throughout the term. Accordingly, each grassroots party organization has a comprehensive monitor called "special manager" and a monitor of specialized areas of the committees called "special committee". The "special manager" must inspect the grassroots level at least once a month, the "special committee" must inspect at least once every 3 months. For the Party Committees of communes and wards, there are also Executive Committee members and Standing Committee members of the City Party Committee to monitor. The management of party members is closely directed from the City Party Committee to the grassroots level, each type of grassroots party organization has a suitable management method.

However, the management of party members in Vinh City still has limitations. Many block and hamlet party cells are still loose in managing party members, and the rate of party members participating in party cell activities is still low. Party cells of agencies and units have regular activities, but the content of activities has not been improved, and the quality of activities is not high. In particular, in some grassroots party organizations, there has been a situation where party members lack training and striving, leading to violations and being disciplined, affecting the prestige of the Party and the State. Besides, there are still shortcomings in the management of party members: Because the number of party members who are retired cadres participating in block and hamlet party cells is increasing, party cells with a large number of party members have difficulty in organizing activities and voting for year-end rankings. When divided into party cells, even though there are many party members, there cannot be a secretary and a committee, so the quality of activities is very limited.

In addition, it is very difficult for the Party cell congresses of the blocks and hamlets to assign tasks to Party members. In most blocks and hamlets, it is very difficult to find people to be Party cell secretaries and block leaders because everyone finds reasons to refuse. No one has taken up the task for other positions such as heads of the Fatherland Front, heads of mass organizations, and heads of residential groups. If the situation of not being able to assign Party members to be cadres in charge of blocks and hamlets is not resolved, it will weaken the political system at the grassroots level.

Party member management is an important solution to improve the leadership capacity of party organizations, so the above shortcomings need to be overcome.

Tran Hong Co