Creating a source of young party members is the sacred mission of the Youth Union organization.

On the occasion of the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 2024), Nghe An Newspaper had a conversation with comrade Le Van Luong - Member of the Central Committee of the Youth Union, Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Secretary of Nghe An Provincial Youth Union about the issue of developing young party members in the current period.

PV:It can be affirmed that creating a source of party members is one of the most important political tasks for the Youth Union. So, how has this work been carried out by the provincial Youth Union chapters in the past time, what methods are being deployed and what are the results, comrade?

Comrade Le Van Luong: Developing party members from outstanding union members is the sacred task and mission of the Union organization to contribute to supplementing the force of young party members, increasing resources for the Party, and meeting the requirements of tasks in the new situation.
From 2017 to the end of 2023, Nghe An Provincial Party Committee had more than 15,000 members admitted to the Party. This is a telling number that reflects the efforts of the Party Committees at all levels in discovering, nurturing, and creating a source of excellent members for the Party to consider and admit.

To perform this task well, every year in the work program, the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee directs units to clearly define goals, set targets and solutions to promote the development of Party members from outstanding members, and at the same time, issue a system of directive documents suitable for each subject and locality.

The Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee also directed 100% of district, city, town union units and affiliated Youth Union organizations to strengthen the organization of revolutionary action movements, creating an environment for union members to practice, contribute and be challenged, thereby discovering, nurturing and selecting outstanding union members to introduce to the Party for consideration of admission.

Youth Union bases organize the presentation of lists of outstanding union members to Party committees on major national, local and unit holidays and replicate good and creative models and practices in developing party members from union members.

Recently, the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee has promoted the campaign "Youth Union members strive to become members of the Communist Party of Vietnam".

Focus on directing the development of the Party in ethnic minority and religious areas and the private and foreign-invested enterprises by focusing on implementing Decision No. 5155-QD/TU dated February 8, 2014 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on promulgating the Project "Developing Party members and Party organizations in private and foreign-invested enterprises in Nghe An province, period 2014 - 2020" and Project 01-DA/TU dated August 10, 2016 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee on "Building Party cells and developing Party members in blocks, hamlets and villages without Party cells or Party members and blocks, hamlets and villages at risk of no longer having Party cells in the period 2016 - 2020".

Thanks to that, the number of young party members admitted during the Youth Union age is not only expanded in quantity but also improved in quality as these are typical factors in localities, agencies and units.

PV:Creating sources and developing party members in schools is considered an effective solution to contribute to rejuvenating party members. Could you share more about the achievements and difficulties still encountered in this work?

Comrade Le Van Luong:The work of developing party members from high school students, college and university students... is considered one of the important directions to find new factors to "incubate" and recruit into the Party.

Currently, 100% of schools in Nghe An (including 89 high schools; 21 continuing education centers; 19 vocational education centers; 11 universities and colleges) have grassroots Party organizations. Of which, there are 2 Party committees assigned with authority at the grassroots level, 23 grassroots Party committees, 114 grassroots Party cells, 8 departmental Party committees, and 176 Party cells directly under the grassroots Party committees.

Along with the process of innovation and socio-economic development, the Party Committee and all levels and sectors in the province always pay special attention to the work of developing the Party in schools. According to the assessment of the Provincial Party Committee's Organizing Committee, the number of Party members among students increases every year. Most of them are students with high achievements in studying and scientific research and are exemplary Youth Union and Association cadres. This is an important component to supplement the Party with high-quality young Party members.

According to statistics, out of a total of 14,720 members admitted to the Party (from 2017 to May 2023), there are 1,634 students.

Regarding students, there have been many bright spots from the grassroots level, such as the Vinh University Party Committee in 2023 admitted 295 new party members, becoming the university with the largest number of students admitted to the Party in the country.

However, in reality, this work still faces many difficulties. Specifically, it is not easy for students to join the Party while still in school. The biggest obstacle to Party membership in high schools is the age of Party membership.

Many excellent students have attended Party training classes but are not yet 18 years old enough to be considered for admission. In many cases, when the procedures for considering admission to the Party are being carried out at the time of high school graduation, the school must refer the students to their locality for further monitoring.

Outstanding students who are considered for Party membership must have comprehensive achievements in studying, training, and actively participate in activities at school and at their place of residence. In reality, the number of students who fully meet the above criteria is not large.
From these difficulties, in the coming time, the Youth Union needs to closely coordinate with the Education sector and specify the targets for admitting party members in the coordination program for each school year and make the content of party development among students one of the key tasks of the school year.
At the same time, school Youth Unions need to proactively create sources, discover and nurture outstanding Youth Union members; focus on students who have made many contributions to school movements and are devoted to the Party. At the same time, grasp the characteristics of students in each region, area and area to build training programs and plans for Party admission, avoid narrow-minded, mechanical prejudices or take lightly, lower standards in selecting and nurturing outstanding students for the Party to consider and admit.

Finally, it is necessary to inspire and create initiative for students in determining goals and ideals to strive for in the Party, helping students have more motivation to compete, practice and contribute.

PV:Reality shows that, in the current period, a number of union members lack ideals and are not deeply aware of the honor of being in the Party's ranks. What challenges does this pose to the union chapters at all levels in the work of creating sources of party members?

Comrade Le Van Luong:It cannot be denied that there is a segment of young people today who lack ideals, ambition, and do not care about the political and social situation of the province and the country. Others have limited and incomplete awareness, so they do not have the "resistance" to bad and toxic information on social networks, leading to fading ideals and not properly recognizing the honor of being in the ranks of the Party.

This poses new requirements, tasks and challenges, requiring adjustments right from the propaganda work of educating the young generation about revolutionary ideals, ethics and lifestyle. This work needs to "move" and innovate to suit the current audience and context.
The education of revolutionary ideals for young people needs to be well implemented by the Youth Union at all levels and local Party cells, agencies, units and schools.

Therefore, many young people, especially those of the Gen Z generation, do not really understand the Party, do not thoroughly understand its political line and ideology, and are not steadfast in their ideological stance, leading to incomplete faith in the Party.

The most important thing is still self-study, self-cultivation, training, and clearly distinguishing between right and wrong for young people. From there, equip yourself with enough courage to follow the good, fight against negativity, and create opportunities for growth from within yourself.

Every young person must always put himself/herself in the organization, not stand outside or above the organization, the collective, the community just for personal interests. Only by voluntarily and seriously implementing all policies, resolutions, regulations of the Party, policies, laws of the State, studying and following the example of previous generations can one forge political mettle as Uncle Ho taught: "The more jade is polished, the brighter it shines; the more gold is refined, the purer it becomes."

PV:According to you, what should be done to promote the role of young party members after being admitted?

Comrade Le Van Luong:Whether a party member strives well or not depends partly on the training and nurturing environment. Therefore, it requires political and social organizations, Party committees, agencies and units to create conditions and opportunities for young party members to be challenged, trained and dedicated.

To raise awareness and responsibility of newly admitted party members, the work of monitoring, managing, assisting and inspecting party members at all levels of party committees and management units must be carried out closely and regularly.

This activity must ensure that after joining the Party, Party members always maintain revolutionary ethics, be exemplary, and take the lead in carrying out political tasks; and promptly eliminate unqualified Party members.

At the same time, in order for new party members to promote their roles and responsibilities, it is necessary for Party committees, Party organizations, and socio-political organizations to do a better job of praising, rewarding, and promoting exemplary and excellent young party members.

Only then will the quality of new Party members always be guaranteed, contributing to consolidating and improving the Party's leadership capacity and fighting strength.

PV:Thanks for the chat, comrade!