VietNamNet Bridge – The role and the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam must be constitutionalized and is suitable with the people’s will and aspiration, said most of the attendants of a seminar on the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution held last week in Hanoi.

Prof. Dr. Hoang Chi Bao, member of the Central Theory Council.

 

The seminar, held by the People’s Army Newspaper, focused on Article 4 of the Constitution on the leadership of the Communist Party over the State and the society.

Most participants cited the historical arguments to assert the role of the Party. Constitutionalizing Article 4 is said to be consistent to the will and aspirations of the people.

Prof. Dr. Hoang Chi Bao, member of the Central Theory Council, said that all ideological differences should be considered normal in the current democratic process. Explaining about the opinion that denies the Communist Party’s leadership, Bao said that there are two main reasons: lack of understanding and information or not fully aware of the Party’s role resulted in making inaccurate recommendations. However, some deny the Party’s leadership in a conscious way.

Bao said that in the present context, when the Party is facing many challenges, there are opportunities for the flow of negative thoughts to deny and discredit the Party's role.

"However, the Party and the people, the Party and the State are unified. Denying the role of the Party is denying the role of the people, denying the will and aspirations of the people, is detrimental to the independence and freedom of the country, to the right to life, the right of liberty and happiness of the people. For the protection of the people, we have to protect the Party. For the protection of people, the Party’s leadership must be constitutionalized,"Bao confirmed.

Bao also pointed out a series of historical arguments about the essential leadership of the Party. Accordingly, the continuation of constitutionalizing the role of leadership of the Party is to confirm the legitimacy of the Party in terms of legal status, as well as the political liability of the Party to the people and society.

Moreover, the Party has virtue and is worth to hold the leadership through assessment of the people and history. "The existence of the Party is the legal and constitutional existence," Bao said.

Lieutenant General, Dr. Nguyen Tien Binh, former Political Commissar of the National Defense Academy, said that the cause of the appearance of opposing and provoking thought against the Party’s leadership is also partly due to the weaknesses and mistakes of the ruling apparatus, which affect the people’s trust in the ruling party.

According to the participants, the best way to refute distorted allegations is that the Party itself must renovate its leadership and promote democracy. Making the strong and clean party is the sustainable way.

Lieutenant General Hong Cu, former Deputy Chair of the General Political Department emphasized that the Party must demonstrate its role as a pioneer in developing the country. In the coming time, it is important to strengthen and improve the state of law, the management of state must be under law; even the Party must follow the law.

Cu suggested adding the following principles to the Constitution: The Party holds the power, the people are sovereign. “All power and all forces come from the people. The Party leads the authorities to strengthen the sovereignty of the people. All power belongs to the people. If the Party goes contrary to this principle, the Party will degenerate and oppose to the people,” he said.

Mr. Cao Duc Thai, former Director of the Human Rights Institute, the Ho Chi Minh National Institute of Politics and the Administration, said that the most important thing is to promote democracy in the Party. There are many ways to realize this principle. For example, elections must have many candidates, even for the positions of General Party Secretary and Politburo member.

Thai also suggested enhancing the role of the Central Inspection Commission. Accordingly, this commission must have the right to inspect officials of the highest level and even members of the Politburo. In addition, the Party’s charter should be upgraded into law because the Party must take legal responsibility for its decisions instead of political responsibility.

Le Nhung