Regulation 144-QD/TW: “Respect the people” and “be close to the people” in a practical way

The special point is that among the five contents on revolutionary ethical standards of cadres and party members in the new period, all items of the first article are associated with the two words "people".

The idea of ​​“respecting the people” and “being close to the people” is a fundamental and consistent content throughout the entire revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh: Promoting the role and strength of the people, the Party must be attached to the people, identifying the people as the goal and driving force of the revolution – taking the people as the root, if the root is strong, the tree will be strong.

In the Letter to the People's Committees of the regions, provinces, districts and villages (October 17, 1945), President Ho Chi Minh stated: “Government agencies from the whole country to the villages are all servants of the people, meaning they are meant to shoulder the common work of the people, not to oppress the people as in the period under the domination of France and Japan. Whatever is beneficial to the people, we must do our utmost to do it. Whatever is harmful to the people, we must avoid at all costs. We must love and respect the people, then the people will love and respect us.”

Our Party always takes President Ho Chi Minh's ideology of "respecting the people" and "being close to the people" as the theoretical foundation and guideline to practically carry out the work of national liberation and nation building.

In the work of Party building, the 13th Party Congress set out the task of seriously, increasingly substantively and effectively implementing the inevitable and regular issue of strengthening the close relationship between the Party and the people, relying on the people to build the Party; effectively and substantially organizing the participation of the people in monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the activities of organizations in the political system, the qualities and capacities of cadres and Party members; taking work results, satisfaction and trust of the people as important criteria to evaluate the quality of the organizational apparatus and the quality of cadres and Party members.

Previously, on October 30, 2016, on behalf of the 12th Party Central Committee, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong signed and issued Resolution No. 04-NQ/TW on strengthening Party building and rectification; preventing and repelling the degradation of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, and manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" within the Party.

A clear manifestation of the moral and lifestyle degradation of cadres and party members stated in Resolution No. 04-NQ/TW is “bureaucracy, distance from the masses, lack of closeness to the grassroots, lack of inspection and supervision, lack of a firm grasp of the situation in the locality, agency, and unit; indifference, apathy, and lack of responsibility in the face of difficulties, frustrations, and legitimate demands of the people.”

In 2020, speaking at the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized the need to strengthen close ties with the people; improve the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party, considering this a matter of survival for our Party and our regime.

A true revolutionary party with the right line, tight organization, clean, exemplary, dedicated cadres and party members, closely attached to the people, and supported by the people, then that party has invincible strength, and no force can stop it on the path of leading the nation forward.

The lack of respect for the masses and distance between cadres and party members from the people causes the correct policies and guidelines of the Party and State to be implemented incorrectly, not reaching the people, reducing the people's trust, and the strength of the masses cannot be promoted in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

This situation is a sensitive point that can easily be exploited by reactionary forces to sabotage our Party and State.

On the other hand, the lack of substance in being "close to the people" also deserves condemnation because it is a manifestation of contempt for the masses and a lack of genuine desire to listen to people's opinions.

On May 27, 2016, speaking at the Conference on implementing the Action Program to implement the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress and the directives and conclusions of the Politburo and the Secretariat on mass mobilization work, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong warned about the manifestations of the situation of "empty talk for the people" - only talking but not doing, or shouting about serving the people but not taking specific, practical actions to bring legitimate rights and benefits to the people.

Next, during the meeting with voters on October 14, 2023 in Hanoi, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong noted that National Assembly and People's Council deputies need to avoid formalism - "pretending to listen attentively but not actually listening" when meeting and dialogue with the people.

Regulation No. 144-QD/TW on revolutionary ethical standards of cadres and party members in the new period aims to prevent and repel the situation of cadres and party members degenerating in political ideology, ethics, lifestyle, "self-evolution" and "self-transformation".

The Politburo requires cadres and party members to uphold the spirit of being exemplary, strictly implementing Regulation No. 144-QD/TW, including wholeheartedly serving the Fatherland and the people; respecting, trusting, being close to and closely attached to the people; and paying attention to and caring for the material and spiritual lives of the people.

The Party's ideology of "respecting the people" and "being close to the people" over the years has been further cultivated by the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong through sharp theories and exemplary examples demonstrated through his leadership of the Party, State, and National Assembly as well as in daily life.

Continuing that ideology, in his recent inaugural speech on August 3, 2024, General Secretary and President To Lam promised to "connect ideology and action, Party's will and people's hearts; to be devoted, devoted, devoted, and strive to sacrifice for a strong Communist Party of Vietnam; for a rich, democratic, fair, and civilized Vietnam; for the Vietnamese people to have a prosperous and happy life".

Next, in the article "Determination to build a strong Party, a rich, democratic, fair, and civilized Vietnam", General Secretary and President To Lam once again firmly affirmed the stance, viewpoint and practice of "people are the root", "people are the subject and center of the innovation process"; all guidelines and policies must truly originate from the lives, aspirations, rights and legitimate interests of the people, taking the happiness and prosperity of the people as the goal to strive for.