Increase capacity and responsibility for social criticism

PV:Supervision, social criticism, and participation in giving opinions on Party and State building are important and “deep” functions and tasks of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations. So how has this activity been in Nghe An recently, comrade?

Comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh:The Politburo specified the rights, responsibilities, operating mechanisms, and coordination of the parties involved in this content in Decision No. 217-QD/TW and Decision No. 218-QD/TW. For Nghe An, the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee also issued Plan 119-KH/TU on implementing Decision No. 217-QD/TW, Decision No. 218-QD/TW of the Politburo, and the Regulations on direct dialogue between the heads of Party committees and authorities and the people.

Chairwoman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee Vo Thi Minh Sinh visited and talked with Party members of Xieng village Party Cell. Photo: Ba Hau

Party committees, authorities, and the Fatherland Front at all levels have issued documents directing, guiding, and coordinating at the local level. Every year, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee organizes training courses to guide the process and methods of organizing supervision, criticism, and exchanging experiences and skills for the staff of the Fatherland Front at district and grassroots levels. Periodically in the fourth quarter of each year, the Fatherland Front Committees at all levels conduct consultations to unify the development of a social supervision and criticism plan for the following year. To improve the quality of supervision and criticism, the Fatherland Front at all levels has established and maximized the role and intelligence of Advisory Councils, Advisory Boards, experts, and scientists in each related field.

PV:Although there have been many changes and in-depth developments, social monitoring and criticism activities, especially criticism in some places, are still limited. What is your opinion on this issue?

Comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh:This is also the concern of those who work for the Front with the role of presiding over and democratic consultation. There are many reasons, first of all because the provisions of the law do not clearly state which types of draft documents are required to have social criticism from the Vietnam Fatherland Front and organizations; which content is subject to criticism according to needs, especially there is no mechanism to bind the responsibilities of agencies, organizations and individuals in researching, receiving, responding to and implementing recommendations after supervision and social criticism from the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

The Standing Committee of the District Fatherland Front Committee discussed before implementing the content of social supervision and criticism. Photo: Nguyen Hai

On the other hand, the awareness of some Party committees and authorities about the social criticism activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations is not really complete and comprehensive, sometimes there are signs of underestimating the work of social supervision and criticism, and there is no close attention in directing the implementation. Many drafting agencies also show signs of being afraid of criticism, even thinking that criticism is only to find weaknesses, loopholes, and inadequacies of the drafting agency.

The coordination mechanism between the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations in performing the function of social criticism is still unclear, especially the coordination mechanism between the subject of criticism and the agencies and organizations as the recipients of criticism has not been fully determined. Some localities have not clearly distinguished between social criticism and document commenting activities and have mainly implemented document commenting activities but still consider and report the results as social criticism.

Regarding the subjective reasons, the process of preparation, research, and in-depth consultation on the content of social criticism by the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations is still limited, and the mobilization of the participation of experts and scientists is not much. In addition, the capacity of the staff working for the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations at all levels generally does not meet the requirements of social criticism in terms of both theoretical basis and practical experience.

Officers of the Front of Cua Lo town answer questions from people in Nghi Hoa ward. Photo: Thanh Quynh

PV:In order for the critical activities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations to be truly effective, what factors do you think are needed, comrade?

Comrade Vo Thi Minh Sinh:In my opinion, it is necessary to combine many factors synchronously, with close and smooth coordination between the document drafting agency and the review organization.

Firstly, it is necessary to develop a Coordination Regulation between the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the People's Committees at all levels for the entire term, which specifically stipulates the coordination contents, responsibilities, and binding mechanisms between the parties from the time of drafting the document until the document expires, from receiving social criticism from the Vietnam Fatherland Front to responding to and implementing recommendations after social criticism from the Vietnam Fatherland Front; annually organize an assessment of the implementation of the Regulation to gain experience; at the same time, the Vietnam Fatherland Front proactively concretizes the implementation of the Regulation with the Provincial People's Committee through signing a Program of coordinated action with relevant sectors.

Second, the Fatherland Front at all levels must perfect the Advisory Councils/Advisory Boards to ensure they have “real power”, in the following direction. Regarding personnel: The Standing Committee of the Fatherland Front at all levels only selects and consults the heads of the Advisory Councils/Advisory Boards, then together with the heads selects and consults the Vice Chairmen of the Advisory Councils/Advisory Boards and members. Regarding expertise: The Fatherland Front respects to the maximum the results of the Councils’ participation in social criticism according to regulations. Regarding the conditions for ensuring the operation of the Advisory Councils/Advisory Boards, the Fatherland Front creates the most favorable conditions for members to fully develop their capabilities.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels need to strengthen their supervision and criticism of investment projects. Photo: Minh Chi

Third, the Fatherland Front must actively innovate the content and methods of operation to suit the new situation, strongly overcome the "administrativeization" of the Front's work from the "administrative" state to the "action" state, and continue to perfect the mechanism to mobilize the intelligence of member organizations, intellectuals, experts, and scientists in social criticism activities.

Fourth, Party committees at all levels need to pay attention to planning, training, and arranging dedicated and capable cadres to work for the Front and socio-political organizations; at the same time, it is necessary to conduct annual inspections and assessments of civil servants to improve their professional qualifications, practical capacity, and situation handling skills, ensuring the building of an image of a Front cadre who is "Capable, knowledgeable, united, and innovative".

PV:Thank you comrade!

Over the past 5 years, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels have chaired and coordinated the supervision of 4,851 thematic meetings; of which 17 were at the provincial level, 422 at the district level and 4,412 at the commune level. The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels have also organized 1,231 social criticism conferences; of which 17 were at the provincial level, 81 at the district level and 1,133 at the commune level. In addition to organizing direct criticism conferences, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels have also participated in providing comments and criticism on 3,821 draft documents of Party committees and authorities at all levels.