Strengthening border party members at the grassroots level: Adding 'steel' to village party cells

Based on the reality of the quality of life and the risk of "white" party cells in disadvantaged villages and hamlets, Nghe An Provincial Party Committee issued Notice No. 1002-TB/TU dated March 16, 2005 on "Transferring border guard cadres and party members to temporarily participate in Party activities in villages (hamlets) on the western border of Nghe An" and Notice No. 394-TB/TU dated August 23, 2007 on "Transferring border guard cadres and party members to participate in Party activities in areas with religious followers in coastal communes". After nearly 15 years of implementation, it has contributed to improving the capacity, fighting strength, and political "nucleus" role of grassroots party organizations in disadvantaged areas and areas with many religious followers.

Strengthening the "nuclear" role

Implementing the policy of increasing the number of border guard cadres and party members to participate in party activities in areas with religious people in coastal communes, 13 border guard party members were transferred to supplement the combined party cells or village party cells with few local party members. The presence of party members wearing green uniforms has brought a new breeze, contributing to improving the quality and routine of party cells and movements in villages.

Border guards strengthen activities at Party cell 11A,B, Dien Thinh commune, Dien Chau, talking with the party cell secretary of the village. Photo: KL

Major Dau Cong Than is a party member of the Cua Lo - Ben Thuy Border Guard Station and was assigned to work at the Xuan Canh Party Cell, Nghi Xuan Commune (Nghi Loc). The hamlet has 137 households, of which 10 are non-Catholic households, the rest are Catholics belonging to Trang Canh Parish. The Xuan Canh hamlet Party Cell has 7 party members, of which 1 is a Catholic. After 7 years of working in the area, Major Than has not only advised on perfecting the mass organizations to operate in an orderly manner but also helped the cell improve the quality of activities, affirming its role as a core at the grassroots level. Thanks to that, for many consecutive years, the Xuan Canh hamlet Party Cell has achieved the title of clean and strong; the parishioners of Trang Canh Parish have also done many positive things to contribute to the local socio-economic development, living a good life and following their religion.

As for Major Dao Van Danh - a border guard party member temporarily working in the combined party cell of hamlets 11A and 11B in Dien Thinh commune (Dien Chau), "there is no greater joy than witnessing the changes in the area where he lives in terms of party activities". And the happiest thing is that, although there are only 8 party members, the party cell still leads the movement well in the area of ​​hamlets 11A and 11B. Mr. Nguyen Quang Nam - Party cell secretary of hamlet 11A, B said: “Comrade Danh has made many contributions to help the Party Committee build resolutions that are in line with local realities and plays the role of a “bridge” to strengthen solidarity and unity between the Party cell, hamlet executive committee, parish executive committee as well as solidarity among the people. Thanks to that, local movements have developed strongly, especially in the construction of new rural areas. People have donated more than 2,000m2 for rural roads and contributed funds and working days to build a 1,500m2 football field; some households even voluntarily dismantled their kitchens and surrounding structures to make the road straight and beautiful for the common benefit of the collective. Party development work has changed quite well, in 2016, 2 people went to study on party subjects, who are hamlet leaders of hamlets 11A, 11B.

Border Guards at Nam Can International Border Gate coordinate with the youth union of Nam Can commune to patrol and protect the border. Photo: HT

Lieutenant Colonel Tang Xuan Thanh - Head of Dien Thanh Border Guard Station (Dien Chau) said: Currently, the station has 4 comrades working in Party cells of hamlets 3, 4, 5 and 8 in the communes of Dien Trung, Dien Thinh, Dien Hai, Dien Thanh and in the near future, 3 more comrades will work in hamlets facing difficulties in the area under the station's responsibility. The staff are all people who understand the local situation and are capable of mobilizing the masses, understand the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies, and are close to the masses.

According to the assessment of the local Party Committee, most Party members have promoted dynamism and creativity, and have many valuable contributions, helping the Party cell propose practical and effective leadership and direction solutions. For example, in Hamlet 3, Dien Trung Commune, the locality has a Party cell that had to be dissolved and reorganized since 2014. Party cell secretary Nguyen Van Than - who is 70 years old and has been in the Party for 45 years sincerely expressed: "Previously, the Party cell encountered many difficulties in its activities, but thanks to Lieutenant Hoang Doan Anh and the Party members who came from the commune to actively stay close to the people and the area, supporting in many aspects, from the way of operating, implementing the Party's directives and resolutions, to bringing the Party cell's activities into order, creating internal solidarity... Party cell Hamlet 3 with 7 Party members, including 3 Party members of Catholic origin, has truly become the "nucleus" of leadership, making the village one of the leading units in the commune's new rural construction movement.

At Quynh Thuan Border Guard Station (Quynh Luu), implementing the policy of increasing the number of officers and soldiers at the grassroots level, the unit has sent 3 officers to participate in activities at 3 Party cells under the management of the station in Son Hai, Tien Thuy and Quynh Bang communes. According to comrade Dao Anh Tuan - Political Commissar of Quynh Thuan Border Guard Station: Cadres and Party members who participate in activities at the grassroots level, in addition to regularly following the local situation, must also perform other tasks to support the Party cells in performing well the work of mobilizing the masses, consolidating the political system, demonstrating the core role at the grassroots level...

From 2007 to present, border party members temporarily living in Party cells in the province have coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to eliminate 3 hamlets and villages with no Party members and 6 hamlets and villages with no Party cells; consolidate 2 weak Party cells to complete their tasks, 4 Party cells to complete their tasks well, and 3 Party cells to achieve clean and strong status; consolidate and perfect 13 hamlet management boards, 13 Youth Union cells, 11 Women's Union cells, 12 Farmers' Union cells, 7 Elderly Association cells, and 12 village security and order teams to operate effectively.

Create clear changes in developing new party members

In the highland border areas, the border guard party members temporarily transferred to the Party activities in weak village (hamlet) Party cells (according to announcement 1002) including 47 comrades proactively coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to survey the quality of activities of the cadres in the grassroots political system. From there, they advised and made plans to build and consolidate; focused on training elite masses to join the Party to supplement quality human resources for the villages.

Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Hai (officer of Nam Can Border Guard Station) was assigned to work at the Lien Son Party Cell since October 2016. Due to the mountainous area, the difficulty in Party work in Lien Son is not only in the source of Party member development but also in the limitations in management, direction and working style. Directives and resolutions from higher levels are often delayed and ineffective because sometimes even the cadres do not fully understand the implementation methods and the content of the documents. Therefore, the issuance of monthly resolutions is very weak, leading to a lot of limitations in directing the movement at the grassroots level. Comrade Hai enthusiastically guided the Party cell members to perfect the necessary skills, from drafting documents, grasping and implementing directives from superiors, to training, creating resources, and completing Party admission records... By the beginning of 2017, the Lien Son village Party cell had admitted 1 new Party member and sent 2 people to study Party subjects.

Soldiers of Nam Can Border Guard Station raise pigs to provide breeding pigs to support people in economic development. Photo: KL

In Tam Quang commune (Tuong Duong), the Tung Huong village Party Cell is one of the leading units in local party development (admitting an average of 3-4 party members each year), many families have 2-3 generations of party members. Talking about the role of the enhanced party member, Senior Lieutenant Ha Ngoc Duy (Tam Quang Border Guard Station), Tung Huong village Party Cell Secretary La Quang Dao said: “Since border guards have joined the activities, the development of party members in the village has been more focused and stricter, so not only has the quantity increased but the quality of new party members has also improved. Even in recording the minutes of the party cell's activities in a complete, strict and scientific manner, the party members who are border guards have also enthusiastically guided us. Currently, the party cell has 28 party members, of which 70% are young party members.” Thanks to the advice and support of the border guards, the Party Cell has led cadres, party members and people to build Tung Huong village into a cultural village, economic development movements, new rural construction have developed strongly, with 100% of the people's support, there are households like Mr. Vi Van Phung voluntarily donated 400m2 of land and many trees to build the village's kindergarten cluster...

Officers of Nam Can Border Guard Station who have been strengthening their activities in the village's Party cells shared with reporters. Photo: HT

Practice has proven that: to fulfill the mission of being the political "nucleus" of the Party organization at the grassroots level, comprehensively leading all aspects of life in the villages and hamlets, each Party cell must be strong. That proves that Notice No. 1002-TB/TU on "Transferring Border Guard Party members and cadres to temporarily participate in Party activities in the villages (hamlets) on the western border of Nghe An" and Notice No. 394-TB/TU on "Transferring Border Guard Party members and cadres to participate in Party activities in areas with religious people in coastal communes" to supplement the "steel quality" of the village Party cells of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee have focused on the requirements.

Border guard party members temporarily operating in village and hamlet party cells along the western border have coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to train and admit 2,097 party members, remove 8 villages and hamlets without Party cells, 30 villages and hamlets without Party members, establish 85 new party cells, contributing to completely removing villages and hamlets without Party cells in border communes; build and consolidate 129 village and hamlet management boards and 813 political and social organizations in the area to operate in a disciplined and effective manner. Particularly from October 2016 to present, we have coordinated with local Party committees and authorities to build and consolidate 32 village and hamlet party cells; select, train and create sources to admit 163 new party members.

(To be continued)