Strengthening the Party's leadership over festival management

On February 5, on behalf of the Party Central Committee Secretariat, Comrade Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and Standing member of the Secretariat, signed and issued Directive No. 41-CT/TW on strengthening the Party's leadership in festival management and organization.

Here is the full text of the Directive:

Over the years, the management and organization of festivals have gradually become routine. Festival activities have been rich and diverse, promoting the role of the subject and the people's ability to create cultural values; educating the tradition of "When drinking water, remember its source", honoring those who have contributed to the people and the country, meeting the people's spiritual and cultural needs, creating a joyful and healthy atmosphere; preserving and promoting traditional cultural values ​​and good customs and practices of the nation.

However, festivals are held at high frequency and density. Festival organization still lacks creativity and attractiveness, causing overload at some relic sites, scenic spots, and festival venues. There are many shortcomings in ensuring security, social order and safety. Implementing a civilized lifestyle in festivals is not good. The situation of burning a lot of votive paper and placing offerings in violation of regulations is still common; environmental sanitation is not guaranteed, negatively affecting the aesthetics of places of worship, encroaching on relics and religious works. Festival organization shows signs of ostentation with many cumbersome and costly rituals; there is a tendency to commercialize and exploit festival organization for economic purposes. Inviting guests and some leaders and managers to attend festivals has not properly implemented the issued regulations.

The cause of the above situation is that the Party committees and authorities of some localities and bases are still lax, lacking in closeness and determination; limitations and weaknesses in the management and organization of festivals are not prevented and corrected in a timely manner.

Faced with the above situation, the Secretariat requests Party committees, Party organizations, authorities, the Fatherland Front and people's organizations at all levels to focus on implementing the following key tasks:

1- Strengthen the leadership of Party committees at all levels in the management and organization of festivals; ensure the management and organization of festivals of each sector, locality and facility in accordance with the provisions of law, in a practical, effective and economical manner; in accordance with good customs and traditions, promoting the good traditional cultural values ​​of the nation, having high educational significance; meeting the healthy cultural and spiritual needs of the people.

The Central Propaganda Department shall preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and relevant agencies to guide the organization of cultural, sports and festival activities to celebrate Lunar New Year, the Year of the Goat, major events and holidays in 2015 and the following years, ensuring practicality, efficiency and economy; in accordance with the traditional culture of the nation, customs and practices of each locality.

2- Cadres and party members must be exemplary in complying with regulations on festival management and organization; criticize and strictly handle cadres and party members who violate regulations. Leaders and managers at all levels, especially at the central level, must not attend festivals in the name of organizations, agencies, or units unless assigned by competent authorities.

3- Reduce the frequency and duration of organization, especially large-scale festivals. Limit the use of the state budget, promote the socialization of resources in organizing festivals. Continue to research, supplement and perfect the planning, organize festivals, religious activities and entertainment activities in festivals in a reasonable and healthy manner; prevent and overcome the situation of taking advantage of relics, places of worship, and festivals for profit, propagating superstition and organizing illegal activities. Strictly implement the management of burning votive paper; manage and use Vietnamese currency in festivals in accordance with the provisions of law; overcome the situation of placing donation boxes and offering money arbitrarily; manage and use donation money publicly and transparently, serving the work of preserving, embellishing, promoting the value of relics and organizing festivals. Do not abuse live television to mobilize sponsorship for organizing festivals.

4- Strengthen measures to preserve and protect relics and scenic spots; ensure security, social order and safety, prevent and fight fires and explosions, and traffic safety; overcome and completely resolve traffic congestion; ensure food safety and hygiene, and environmental sanitation at festivals. Implement a civilized lifestyle in cultural, religious and festival activities. Strictly manage service activities, publicly post service prices; inspect and prevent acts of commercial fraud in prices, service fees, charges, and illegal circulation of cultural publications; strictly handle organizations and individuals who take advantage of festivals to increase or squeeze prices according to the law.

5- The Central Propaganda Department and the Party Committee of the Ministry of Information and Communications shall direct the dissemination of the contents of this Directive on the mass media system; guide and promote information and dissemination work, reflect the beauty of traditional culture in festival activities, encourage and set examples for exemplary establishments and individuals who perform well, and at the same time criticize establishments and individuals who do not perform well the regulations on festival management, organization and participation.

The Central Propaganda Department, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism consulted with the Politburo to summarize 15 years of implementing Directive No. 27-CT/TW, dated January 12, 1998 of the 8th Politburo and 5 years of implementing Conclusion No. 51-KL/TW, dated July 22, 2009 of the 10th Politburo on continuing to implement Directive No. 27-CT/TW, dated January 12, 1998 of the 8th Politburo on implementing a civilized lifestyle in weddings, funerals and festivals.

6 - The Government Party Committee and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Party Committee direct and guide the implementation of festival management and organization in accordance with traditional national culture and the development trend of the times; strengthen inspection, promptly prevent and strictly handle localities, establishments and individuals with violations in festival management, organization and participation.

7 - Party committees, authorities, the Fatherland Front and people's organizations at all levels are responsible for leading, directing and seriously organizing the implementation of this Directive in their localities, units, organizations and unions.

The Central Propaganda Department monitors and promptly reports to the Secretariat on the implementation of the Directive.

This directive is disseminated to the Party cell/.