Solemn ceremony to celebrate the 110th birthday of Chairman of the State Council Vo Chi Cong

On the evening of August 6, in Tam Ky city, Quang Nam province, a solemn ceremony was held to celebrate the 110th birthday of Chairman of the State Council Vo Chi Cong (August 7, 1912 - August 7, 2022).

Art program at the ceremony. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

The ceremony was attended by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Also attending were Politburo members: Standing member of the Secretariat Vo Van Thuong; Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Nguyen Xuan Thang - Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council.

Also attending the ceremony were former President Nguyen Minh Triet; Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai; Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh; former Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh; leaders of a number of central and local departments, ministries, agencies, Quang Nam province and Da Nang city.

The ceremony was also attended by international guests; generals; revolutionary veterans, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, Heroes of the People's Armed Forces and the people of Quang Nam.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh sent congratulatory flower baskets.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and delegates perform the flag-saluting ceremony. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

On behalf of the Standing Committee of Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee, Mr. Phan Viet Cuong - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee read a speech expressing pride in Chairman of the State Council Vo Chi Cong, one of the excellent students of President Ho Chi Minh; a highly prestigious leader of the Party, State and people; an outstanding son of Quang Nam homeland.

This is an opportunity for us to review and better understand the life, glorious career and great contributions of Mr. Vo Chi Cong to the revolutionary cause of the nation; to express our deep gratitude for his contributions and contributions, to help today's and future generations learn and follow the shining example of the loyal communist soldier Vo Chi Cong in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Mr. Vo Chi Cong, birth name Vo Toan (alias Xuan, Nam Cong), was born on August 7, 1912 into a patriotic intellectual family in Khuong My village, Phu Quy commune, Tam Ky district (now Tam Xuan 1 commune, Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province).

Born and raised in a family with a rich tradition of patriotism and revolution; young Vo Toan was educated in national spirit and influenced by many senior patriots of his homeland Quang Nam such as: Phan Chau Trinh, Huynh Thuc Khang, Tran Quy Cap...

At only 14 years old, Vo Toan and his father participated in movements to demand the French colonialists to release Phan Boi Chau and mourn Phan Chau Trinh, demanding people's livelihood and democracy.

In May 1930, Mr. Vo Chi Cong began participating in the revolution; in May 1935, he was admitted to the Indochinese Communist Party and then appointed as Secretary of the My Son Party Cell - a cell merged in Tam Ky district.

From a Party Cell Secretary, with talent, intelligence and revolutionary enthusiasm, Mr. Vo Chi Cong was appointed as Secretary of Tam Ky Provincial Party Committee, then interim Secretary of Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee.

He showed himself to be a loyal and brave revolutionary soldier during the period of restoration and development of the revolutionary movement in Quang Nam from 1939 to 1945.

In mid-1943, Mr. Vo Chi Cong was captured by the enemy and imprisoned in Tam Ky district. The enemy used brutal torture but could not subdue the spirit and will of the communist soldier.

The colonial government sentenced him to life in prison, later reduced to 25 years in prison and imprisoned him in Hoi An Prison, then transferred him to Buon Ma Thuot Prison.

Here he joined the Prisoner Leadership Committee of communist prisoners, organized into secret groups under the name "Loyal Forces".

After the Japanese coup against the French (March 9, 1945), he was released and returned to continue his revolutionary activities.

During the August Revolution of 1945, Mr. Vo Chi Cong, together with his comrades in the Party Executive Committee and the Provincial Uprising Leadership Board, was quick-witted, creative, and decisive in leading the people of Hoi An to seize the opportunity and revolt earlier than planned; leading the people of the entire province to rise up together, breaking the chains of slavery, making Quang Nam one of the earliest provinces to gain power in the country on August 18, 1945.

During the resistance war against the French colonialists, he was assigned by the Party to be in charge of the provinces from Quang Nam-Da Nang to Phu Yen, building bases in the southernmost provinces of the Central region; in charge of military work, building the armed forces of Inter-zone V, leading the people of Inter-zone V in the resistance war; as Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Northeast Zone of Cambodia, member of the Zone V Committee, performing international missions to help the two friendly countries of Laos and Cambodia.

Since 1952, as Secretary of the Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee, he made many timely and correct decisions to direct the building of great solidarity and promote the strength of the entire people, step by step promoting the resistance war, achieving many resounding victories, sharing the fire with the battlefields of the whole country in the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring campaign, contributing to the victory of the resistance war against French colonialism.

During the resistance war against the US to save the country, Mr. Vo Chi Cong was trusted by the Party Central Committee to take on many important responsibilities of the Party and State.

He was the soul of the revolutionary movement in Inter-zone V (including the South Central Coast and Central Highlands).

During 21 years of steadfastly holding on, operating and fighting in fierce battlefields, he led the army and people of the South, especially in Inter-Zone V, to fight without retreat, preserve and develop forces, defeat the war escalation strategies of the US imperialists, from "Special War", "Local War" to "Vietnamization of the war"...

From revolutionary practice, he proposed to the Central Committee many strategic issues on the revolutionary path in the South, contributing to the building of Central Resolution 15 (1959), opening a great turning point for the revolution in the South.

State Council Chairman Vo Chi Cong signed the decree promulgating the 1992 Constitution (September 1992), marking a new stage of development in Vietnam's constitutional history, with profound political-legal and practical values. Photo: Minh Dien/VNA

After the country's reunification, Mr. Vo Chi Cong was transferred by the Party and State to the Central Government and assigned many important responsibilities.

As a member of the Politburo, Standing member of the Secretariat, Deputy Prime Minister, Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Chairman of the State Council, and Advisor to the Party Central Committee, he was always absolutely loyal to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation, closely attached to the people, and always concerned about the path forward of the Vietnamese revolution.

As Chairman of the State Council and Chairman of the 1980 Constitution Amendment Committee, he and other members of the Committee and the State Council gathered public opinions, persistently fought against erroneous viewpoints, and firmly maintained the basic contents of democracy and socialist rule of law. The 1992 amended Constitution - the Constitution of the period of national renewal - was adopted with important contributions from Mr. Vo Chi Cong.

Not only was he a leader with many great contributions in the historical turning points of the revolutionary movement, but Mr. Vo Chi Cong also devoted much love and enthusiasm to his homeland Quang Nam, leaving behind important teachings with profound theoretical and practical values, becoming a great source of encouragement and support for the Party Committee, government, army and people of Quang Nam in the cause of building and developing his homeland and country. His advice and teachings still hold true today.

With such great contributions, Mr. Vo Chi Cong was awarded the Gold Star Order, 70-year Party membership badge and many other noble orders and medals by the Party and State.