“Modifying Working Style” work with Party building and revamping in accordance with current Ho Chi Minh Thought

Prof. Dr. HOANG CHI BAO

 Senior expert, former Member of the Central Theoretical Council

COMMUNIST REVIEW – In 1947, in the Viet Bac War Zone, President Ho Chi Minh wrote the work “Modifying Working Style” under the pen name X.Y.Z. All of his guidances in the “Modifying Working Style” have still kept their values intact with the practical significance for the Party, for the Party organizations for each cadre, Party member, particularly for the contingent of leading, managing cadres at different levels in the enhancement of the current Party building and revamping.

The renovation ideas of President Ho Chi Minh in condition of Party in power through typical works

As the founder and trainer of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh had paid special attention to the Party building and revamping, making the Party really pure so as to be able to really solid and strong, really a true revolutionary Party to follow a new-type party theory of V.I. Lenin.

The renovation ideas of President Ho Chi Minh had been formed very early, because he was very sensitive to the novelty, from the renovation mindset to innovation action, with determination to carry out the change in the journey of looking for the path for national salvation, turning aspiration for national liberation into reality following the value system of Independence - Freedom - Happiness for the Fatherland - Nation and people. He had worked, studied, struggled throughout 30 years to search for the revolutionary truth, with exceptional aspiration, willpower and fortitude. Nguyen Tat Thanh - Nguyen Ai Quoc - Ho Chi Minh, whohad looked for the path, recognized the path and chosen the path, had become the guide for the Vietnamese nation on the “Revolutionary Path” to realize the ideology of national independence and socialism.

When the Party was yet to come into being, in 1927, Nguyen Ai Quoc wrote “The Revolutionary Path”. This is a set of the revolutionary theoretical lectures for the training courses of cadres He had organized and personally lectured in Guangzhou(China). The work “The Revolutionary Path” can be considered as one of the first works that had propagated Marxism-Leininism in Vietnam, after Nguyen Ai Quoc had become the first Vietnamese communist when He had participated in the Tours Congress in 1920, and Nguyen Ai Quoc was only 30 then. He had voted to approve the standpoint of the Communist International, together with the French communist comrades. The French Communist Party came into being in 1920 at this historic Congress and Nguyen Ai Quoc had been admitted as being one of the co-founders. After that, He had made great contributions to organizing the committee to study the colonial problems, to determine the role and responsibilities of the communist party in the home country as being necessary to support, to pay attention to and to help the revolutionary movement in the colonial countries, against imperialism, colonialism in order to liberate their countries, to seize independence. This is a new ideology of His when accepting the ideology of V.I. Lenin concerning the right to self-determination of nations, from the thesis on nations and the colonial problems.

“The Revolutionary Path” is the work that had laid the ideological and theoretical foundation for the coming into being of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1930, founded by He himself. The brief political program, the brief Stratagem, the brief Rule of the Party had also been compiled by Him personally, together with the letter calling on the people of all strata to support the Party and launch the liberation revolution led by the Party. The renovation idea of leader Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh had been prominently manifested in opinions already mentioned in the work “The Revolutionary Path”.He determined: “Revolution is to break up the old and change it into the new, to break up the bad and change it into the good” (1). Revolution had to be carried out to the end (it means to carry it out in a thorough-going manner) following the example of the Russian October Revolution, in 1917, led by V.I. Lenin and the new-type Party. “First of all, there must be a revolutionary party”, “If the Party wants to be solid, there must be –ism as the core”, “the Partywithout -ism is like the person without intelligence”, “Now theories are found many, -ism is found many, but the truest, firmest, most revolutionary –ism is Leninism” (2). Even this is simple in expressing, His deep renovation idea was at the classic level.

One of the outstanding points of “The Revolutionary Path” is that opening this theoretical work, Nguyen Ai Quoc placed on top of it the personality of the revolutionary. He stressed: “Do keep –ism firmly” and “there must be no desire for materials” (3). Only that, the revolutionary party, the revolutionaries can be able to fulfill their noble dutiesas to carry out the national liberation, to make the revolution successfully, the rights are placed in the hands of the masses, in the hands of the workers and peasants and the broad exploited labouring masses. This great cause needs the illumination of the scientific and revolutionary theory, needs the firm, persistent political abilities of the practitioners of ideologies; on the other hand, they also need the pure moral qualities; they know how to sacrifice, how to get devoted to serving the people. This strength is the necessary inevitability to overcome individualism which He had said clearly was the most dangerous “internal invader”.

According to His ideology in the work “The Revolutionary Path”, there is only the unified and skillful combination of scientific intellect with the revolutionary morality and the political abilities of the revolutionary party, of the revolutionaries, can it be able to be strong enough to rally the masses into a new, conscious force to awaken the people, to unite them and gather them into the movement to follow the vanguard party to take the revolution to success. Having recognized the role of the revolutionary morality and the strength of unity, the great unity of the whole nation, in close association with the international solidarity in the liberation in accordance with Marxism-Leninism and the example of the Russian October Revolution, this is the sensitivity, clear-sightedness and the far and large vision of Nguyen Ai Quoc. It is also the salient point, characterizing His renovation idea, even when the Party was yet to come into existence.

Thanks to that renovation idea, it was like a lodestar, like a light to shine the path that Nguyen Ai Quoc together with the Communist Party of Vietnam that was founded and trained by Him had led the entire Vietnamese nation to make the successful 1945 August Revolution, setting up the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, with the immortal Declaration of Independence. This is the Declaration to set up the nation and build a new Vietnam in the modern Vietnam’s history– the Ho Chi Minh Epoch. The great stature of the new ideology of President Ho Chi Minh was certified to the fact that the success of the 1945 August Revolution was the success of the ideology, of the revolutionary line, of the revolutionary method of Ho Chi Minh, that had solved successfully the relationship between the nation and class, between the national liberation and the class liberation when our Party had become the party in power.

In the 20^th century, after the October Revolution broke out and won victories (November 7, 1917) was the 1945 August Revolution of Vietnam. After the Soviet Communist Parrty was in power was the establishment of the power-holding position of the Communist Party of Vietnam. With the Vietnamese Revolution, it was the important turning point, certifying the ideology and organization of genius of President Ho Chi Minh, an invaluable contribution to the world’s revolutionary movement, thus enriching and deepening further the classic theoretical treasure of Marxism-Leninism. Twenty years later since the work “The Revolutionary Path” was written, and two years after that since the Communist Party of Vietnam had become the party in power, President Ho Chi Minh wrote the work “Modifying Working Style” in 1947. His renovation idea expressed in this important work was found prominent in two points of theoretically general character as follows:

Firstly, renovation was necessary and inevitable posed by the development of the revolution, when the Party led and held power before the complicated changes of the new situations, new circumstances, new tasks. President Ho Chi Minh used the word “modify”, it means “renovate”. This is the awareness and action of the Party; it assumed the heavy responsibility of leading and speeding up the revolutionary movement to advance forwards before the challenges and turning points. As He had defined the revolution: “to break up the old and change it into the new”, “to break the bad and change it into the good”, so “modify”, “renovate” had really carried the revolutionary stature, really was a revolution.

In 1947, the war of resistance of the whole country against the come back of the French aggressors started. Earlier, on December 19, 1946, He had released the call on “the nationwide resistance war” with the strong message: “We’s rather sacrifice all, but we are determined not to lose the country, not to succumb to slavery” (4). The fledgling revolutionary State had to stand before the dangerous situation with the internal enemy and the foreign invaders; the country’s destiny, the Party’s fate in the position of “Damocles’ sword”. The whole country had risen up, the entire people had fought against the enemy; they were Determined to Brave Death for the Survival of the Fatherland. The leading bodies of the Party and the Government had moved to Việt Bắc (Northern Vietnam) so as to direct the prolonged, entire people, comprehensive resistance war. In the past, thanks to the Viet Bac, the revolution was successful, now thanks to Viet Bac, the resistanced war was successful. The clear-sighted presage of President Ho Chi Minh in the first days of the new regime had become entirely precise. From November 1945, with the unique political stratagem, the Party had declared “to self-dissolve”, but in essence, it had withdrawn to clandestine activities, the Party had still led and held power with the suitable modes. In that circumstance, He had written about the Party in the work “Modifying Working Style” in the form of expressing “the ORGNIZATION”; however, within the Party, He still talked about the Party as a genuine revolutionary party. During the resistance war years against the aggression of the French colonialists, some time the Party was also expressed with the name called “The Association to Study Marxism”. Until 1951, from its Second Congress, the Party had operated openly with the name of “The Labour Party of Vietnam”, but in essence, it was still the Communist Party, as He had determined at the beginning when setting up the Party on Februsry 3, 1930.

The new task at this time was “to carry on the resistance war while continuing the national building”, with the confidence and high political determination of “the sure-to-win resistance war” so as to have “the sure-to-succeed national building”. President Ho Chi Minh was the consistent revolutionary, the soul of the great national unity block; He had the supreme heavy responsibility in leading the entire Party, people and army for the “resistance war, national building”. President Ho Chi Minh was the the most vivid embodiment of the renovation idea and action; therefore, it needs to “modify” in time, “to renovate” in time, deeply imbued with and practiced creatively the guidance of V.I. Lenin; once the situation had changed, the new tasks and requirements had been set, never had today’s tasks been completely settled, if it had relied only on the knowledge, experience and method of yesterday’s method.

It was no accident that in the same year 1947, amids being snowed under work, He had to focus on writing the work “Modifying Working Style” and earlier in March 1947, he had written the work “A New Life”, under the open name Tân Sinh. These two works were highlighted with the renovation mindset, renovation action; they tried to educate and train the contingent of cadres both in the method and the leading style as required by science, democracy and creativity on the crucial foundation: it was the great effort to practice the revolutionary morality, diligence, thriftiness, integrity, impartiality, to realize the mass mobilization, unity, great unity, to combine the determination with faith and unanimity so that the army and people could be with one accord in production and fighting; the rear could emulate with the front, all for the fight, all for the victory over the enemy. If so, it was “to modify” in time, it meant “to renovate” from the way of thinking to the way of doing things, from the organization to cadres work, from the Party to the people, when they were in the same purpose, they would strive and sacrifice together to turn the purpose into reality.

Secondly, renovation had to choose the right breakthrough link, the name of His work had manifested clearly that ideology and method”; “working style” meant “method”, “pattern”. This is the crucial thing that needed being renovated further. He had also determined the important thing: “THE PARTY’S WORKING STYLE MUST BE MODIFIED” (5). This statement, in His work, was the answer to the breakthrough link of where and whose?  Obviously, the Party had to renovate itself, to renovate the working method and pattern, or it meant renovating the leading and power-holding mode of the Party, as the way of speaking in the present-day, in such a way as the make the Party on a par with its duties, so that it could fulfill its mission, serve its Fatherland, serve its people, taking the resistance war to success and helping the national building achieve rapid success. The Party had renovated itself so as to push and lead the society to renovate. To renovate, there had to be audacity, self-consciousness, self-criticism, looking squarely at the truth, pointing out the truth, judging correctly the truth so as to be able to find out its weaknesses and shortcomings and it would be determined for correction. So, opening the work, He focused on making clear the problem of “Criticism and correction”. Judging correctly these shortcomings, He had focused on the illnesses that the contingent of cadres and party members had contracted: they were “the illness of subjectiveness”, “the illness of small-mindedness” and “the illness of boasting”. “These are three very dangerous illnesses. If they are not corrected right away, and they could spread, then it would be much harmful” (6); they had the same origin, the same cause, coming from “individualism, the trend to covet the fame, position, to belittle the talented, to get the illness of corruption and so on!” (7). Individualism is the root illness; it had engendered hundreds of thousands of other illnesses, and vices, making the contingent of cadres and party members spoiled, the organizations become weak, detrimental to the revolutionary movement, and the most harmful was to reduce the people’s confidence in the Party. As a result, the people had lost their confidence and faith, or in other words, the Party had lost its strength, the strength for self-defence and it had lost the protection of the people, lost the most important social base for the development andsuccess of the revolution. From that strict criticism with the cause being clearly disclosed so as to have the determination for correction, President Ho Chi Minh analyzed and drew the experience, the lessons from the reality with a view to improving the consciousness and responsibility of the Party, of the contingent of cadres and Party members; especially, it is necessary to contantly strengthen firmly the close relations between the Party and the people.

In the revolutionary struggle for national liberation, if there was any ideas of separating from the people and without the people’s protection and help, so anybody and any organization, however talented they were, they could not be able to do anything. The mass mobilization must be placed at the strategic level, because it could decide the success of the revolutionary cause. Among the elements that ensured the success of the revolution, the organizational work and the quality of the contingent of cadres and party members are the most fundamental, decisive elements. Therefore, whether the revolution developed with advantage or with difficulty, with success or with failure, then in the final analysis, it is because of the quality and abilities of cadres that decide, because “cadres are the roots of all the things/. Therefore, training cadres is the root work of the Party”(8). This is the very important practical summaries so as to develop the revolutionary theory of President Ho Chi Minh. He had placed the most precise and practical scientific basis for the Party building and revamping, particularly in the condition that the Party was in power.That is why, the work “Modifying Working Style” had mentioned “the Quality of cadres and party members”, “the Quality of the Party” and mapped out a 12-point system that needed being understood and done correctly, absolutely necessary not to be ignored, even one point. It is the condition for the Party to be solid, the principle and the method “to build the genuine revolutionary party” – 12 points, only just in 456 words, but they could exude the theory of building the party in power, of the theoretical value and significance of the Communist Party of Vietnam in power, something like a condensed inevitability of the theory of the Party building and revamping of President Ho Chi Minh.

The work “Modifying Working Style” had also reserved a large content to deal with the way of leading, the way of assessing, discovering and training cadres, the way of arranging cadres, controlling cadres, protecting cadres and the policy on cadres. At the end of the work, He spoke about the “Illness of boasting” and the “way of treating the illness of boasting” in a poignant manner in the cadres’ way of speaking and of writing and in a larger sense, in the cadres’ attitude and responsibility towards the people. Like a physician, He had “examined medically” very carefully, “felt the pulse and wrote a prescription” very effectively and precisely so as to help treat the people with illness with a real result. Rarely had such a work as the work “Modifying Working Style” He had talked much and elaborately about the illnesses of the contingent of cadres and party members in a frank and strict manner with His high sense of responsibility touched with confidence and hope that the genuine revolutionary party knew how to uphold self-criticism and criticism, knew how to rely on the people to build the party, then it would absolutely “erase”, “to destroy completely the germs of an illness” (these were the words of President Ho Chi Minh), and thanks to it, the Party would be strong, firm, progressive, grow up to fulfill the glorious mission entrusted by the nation and to deserve the people’s confidence, the people’s pride in their Party. Obviously, the work “Modifying Working Style” is the typical work about the skillful combination between theory and reality, about the perfect whole of Ho Chi Minh Ideology – Morality – Style; in this work, the principles of the Party building and revamping had been presented in a scientific, convincing way; its profound ideology level had been manifested in a simple and pure manner by the use of words and style. More than half a century has gone by, the issues He had dealt with in this work are completely never old.

Deeply imbued with guidances of President Ho Chi Minh In “Modifying Working Style” so as to strive to build and revamp Party in current situation

From the comprehensive and abundant content of the work “Modifying Working Style”, to apply it in the current Party building and revamping with the determination to make the Party really pure and strong to be worthy a real revolutionary party in power, the whole Party, each Party organization and the contingent of cadres and party members, first of all, the party members who have assumed heavy responsibility in leading and managing at different levels should study thoroughly so as to follow in a real effectiveness Ho Chi Minh Ideology – Morality – Style in the following crucial issues:

Firstly, there must be the courage in criticism and self-criticism, to correct at any cost the shortcomings and mistakes.

According to President Ho Chi Minh: “Our cadres and party members, due to their being busy in the administrative or military work, they neglect their study. It is the very great defect. From now on, we have to study and correct the shortcomings effectively. Because only by erasing the shortcomings, progress can be made in our work” (9). By attaching importance in the study in the Party, He had given certain specific guidances in study, from the organization to the stipulation of time, from materials, the way of studying, discussing and guiding the way of criticism to the inspection, report and practice. By raising the issue of study right at the opening part of the work, President Ho Chi Minh wanted to remind the contingent of cadres and party members of the necessity to regard the study as to broaden the knowledge, improve the consciousness, the necessary condition to carry out “criticism and correction” effectively.

He requested: “Each office, soldier, mass organization has to organize a board of study led by the senior cadre”, “This Board shall determine a plan; study, discuss, examine and practice”, “Each person has to read carefully the materials, and then start the self-criticism and criticism of their comrades to see if there is any shortcomings and any good points” (10). During the discussion and criticism, He pointed out: “All the people are completely free to express their opinions, whether these opinions are correct or not”, “All the conclusions in a discussion have to be reviewed and approved by the senior level before being considered as being official”, “The purpose of criticism is aimed helping each other correct shortcomings, helping each other make progress. It is aimed only at modifying the working style to be better, to be more correct. It is also aimed at uniting and unifying the internal affairs” (11). He stressed: “Criticism against the work done, not against the person concerned” (12), accordingly, on the ideological method, President Ho Chi Minh had educated cadres and party members concerning the respect of ideological freedom, the respect of the democratic rights of each person, especially the respect of the personality, no offense against their comrades’ personalities during criticism. This was the demand for morality and culture in behavioral culture in self-criticism and criticism; when you had the correct motive and purpose, a clever method was also needed to have a good result. This was the subtle feature that He had given to us in the Party building and revamping; it demanded that within the Party, attention had to be paid to practicing His teaching concerning the study, the way of conducting self-criticism and criticism in a faithful, frank manner, by deeply imbued with the moral and cultural standards. Having crystalized these things, in His Testament, He had recommended: “There must be the comradeship for mutual effection” (13); at the same time, it is necessary to overcome shortcomings, promote the good points and this is His vital, sincere and constant expectation for the contingent of cadres and party members. “Everybody should remember that: a lot ot small shortcomings, once they are added up, they will become the big shortcomings and it will be harmful then. A lot of small good points, once added up, they will become the great good points, very useful for the Party and for the resistance war”(14).

From here, He demanded: “it is necessary to modify the Party’s working style”. As He viewed it: “When cadres and party members haven’t done things correctly, skillfully, then there will be more shortcomings. The more shortcomings, the less achievements. The less shortcomings, the more achievements. This is matter of course. Therefore, right from now, the agencies, cadres, party members, each person, each day, they have to self-correct resolutely and also help their comrades to correct themselves. Only by doing so, the Party could be develop fast and its work will be rapidly successful.”; “We can divide all the shortcomings into three categories: The shortcoming in ideologies, it means the subjective illness./ The shortcoming in the relationship in the Party with the outside of the Party, it means the small-minded illness./ The shortcoming in the way of speaking and the way of writing, it means the boasting illness./ These were the very dangerous illnesses. If they were not treated immediately, they could spread and could cause extremely damaging harm”; “Each illness was caused by many reasons. But the result was to make people sick. The reason of the subjective illness was incompetent in theory, or wasthe disregard of theory or the empty theory”(15). He stressed: “Each cadre, each party member has to study theory, theory is applied to the practical work. It is a must to treat the illness of theory incompetence, theory disregard and empty theory”, “we have to try to study, at the same time, study has to be combined with practice”(16). If the subjective illness belongs to the consciousness, then the small-minded illness belongs to the attitude and the way of behavior in the relations in using men, and it was contracted by many cadres and party members. This illness is very dangerous, within the Party, it obstructs tha Party’s unification and unity, outside the Party, it damages the unity of the entire people.

As far as the criticism of the small-minded illness, particularly the small-mindedness in using men, both with the Party and outside the Party, with the different conditions are concerned, He had withdrawn a lot of poignant remarks and conclusions. “Many illnesses, like the localism, parochialism, individualism, the trend to covet fame, to covet position, to belittle the talented, the corruption illness and so on, all come from the small-minded illness!”, “Because of their coveting fame and position, when they take charge of a certain part, they win this person, draw that person to their side, when they like someone, they draw that person to their side, and if they don’t like, they ostracize him. So they only know themselves, only know their part and they forget the Party. It is the small-minded illness, contrary to the principle of centralism and unification of the Party, “It is also that small-minded illness that the cadres sent by the senior level do not have the close unity of the local cadres”, “do not have the cordial cooperation”(17). And according to Him: “It is also the small-minded illness that the talented people are not used and they embrace everything. And if they embrace everything, of course, they cannot do. It is also because of the small-minded illness, they don’t know how to act skillfully with various kinds of people. From now, each cadre, each party member has to correct resolutely that small-minded illness so as to be able to implement the great unity policy. When this policy is successful, the resistance war can be easily successful. The subjective illness, the selfish illness, the small-minded illness and so on, each illness is an enemy. Each enemy inside is an allied friend of the outside enemy. The outside enemy is not awesome. The inside enemy is more fearsome because it damages from the inside out”(18). That is why, “Each cadre, each party member, each day has to practice self-criticism, self-correction like each day, they have to wash their faces. So doing, there will not be any illnesses within the Party and the Party will be much stronger and healthier.”(19). He also demanded the contingent of cadres and party members has to combat against the boasting illness, because this illness is also harmful like the other two illnesses (the subjective and small-minded illnesses): “Because the boasting illness is still in existence, it means the subjective and small-minded illnesses are yet to be cured”(20).

In the work “Modifying Working Style”, President Ho Chi Minh had summarized from reality so as to withdraw “Some experience”. This is an outstanding review that includes 6 points:

- If there is the cadre, everything can be done.

- The policy is correct, the way of doing things is wrong.

- Not knowing how to study experience to the root.

- It is necessary to improve initiatives and enthusiasm.

- For whom we work? Whom are we in charge of?

- Keep close contact with the masses, gain popularity.

These summaries are both the conclusions of principle and continue to point out the situations, highlight the limitations and shortcomings that need great efforts to correct, in the spirit of constructive criticism, very useful in striving and training of the contingent of cadres and party members. Here He had come up with the very important guidances: “Myriad of works which are the successes or failures are due to the good or bad cadres. This is the definite truth”(21); “Using cadres with not their right talents, it is also the failure”, “From now, any work that is the success or the failure, we need to study to the root, analyze clearly and then come to the conclusion. This conclusion will be the key to the development of the work and to help cadres to make progress. So doing, people can be talented and the talent can be useful”(22). Especially, He had criticized frankly the way of leadership of crades and party members which is not democratic, not active. This is the weakness that need being corrected, if not, it will make harmful impact on the Party’s unity and the fighting capacity, distort the morality and personalityof the party members. According to Him, democracy, initiative and enthusiasm, these three things have the relationship; so it is necessary to make the contingent of cadres and party members undertstand clearly, “anything must be carried out in the interests of the people and they must be responsible before the people”(23), “They must come from the people. And must stay deep in the masses” 924). Thus this the popularity, the viewpoint of the masses, that the revolutionary must be imbued with it, must be consistent from consciousness to action.

The Party building and revamping with the aim for the people and with the highest responsibility with the people. This is the basis, the foundation, the aim to serve the people of the revolutionary genuine party. Once conscious of this deep and fundamental thing, then each party organization, each cadre and party member has to display the courage of self-criticism and criticism, has to be determined to make the Party really pure, solid and strong, how not to betray the people’s feelings, to be worthy of the people’s trust in the Party.

Secondly, to raise the quality of the revolutionary genuine party, strive to fulfill the duties of a party member and cadre, to rely on the people to carry out the Party building and revamping.

In the 12 necessary things to build and protect the revolutionary genuine Party’s quality, President Ho Chi Minh had highlighted one great ideology: The Party has to rely on the people to build the Party, has to constantly strengthen the close, solid relationship between the Party and the mass people. He lay stress on the essence and goal of the Party. The Party is not an organization to be the mandarin to make rich. It has to fulfill its responsibility of national liberation, to make the Fatherland rich and strong and the people happy. The first thing in the 12 necessary things in the Party building is related to the motive to strive to join the Party of each people. This is also the most important thing, particularly when the Party is in power, then this thing is all the more important and sacred. Errors in the goal and motive to strive for, in ideology and raison d’etre are the start that leads to degeneration, deformation and depravity. While highlighting this first point, President Ho Chi Minh had awakened us to the morality in politics. The deep practical significance of this issue in the current Party building and revamping is that the Party has to strive to pay attention to educating the motive and goal for the people who want to strive to join the Party; at the same time, it has to constantly examine and judge the contingent of cadres and party members in terms of the loyalty to the Party’s ideology, the dedication and sacrifice to serve the people in deeds, in actions, not only in words. The ideology of “relying on the people to build the Party” had been clearly made by President Ho Chi Minh, because the demand of the revolutionary cause for each party member, for the Party’s leadership; the method and style the Party which had been pointed to each party member was expressed in the close relationship with the masses. It is the improvement of the knowledge of the revolutionary theory, in close combination with practice, imbued with the viewpoint of reality when slogans and instructions had been issued; constantly review all the Party’s work, firmly hold the principle, keep close connection with the people, always stand on the people’s side, pay attention to the method (the way) of organization and education of party members and the people. Accordingly, He had stressed on the fact that to make the great eforts to uphold the abilities of self-criticism and criticism, without covering the shortcomings, without fearing for being criticized, keep strictly the discipline, select the most loyal, most enthusiastic people for the faithful group of leadership; at the same time, to eliminate the corrupted elements to make the Party pure and strong.

According to Him: “The Party must always revise its resolutions and instructions to see how they were implemented. Without doing so, these resolutions and instructions could not only be turned into the empty words, bur also do harm to the people’s confidence in the Party”(25) Therefore, by imbuing with President Ho Chi Minh’s viewpoint “relying on the people to build and revamp the Party, more than ever, the Party had to try its hardest to apply and implement consistently, in the scientific and resolutionary spirit, the respect of the people’s right to mastery, wholeheartedly trusting the people, being totally loyal and dedicating to serve the people; considering it the yardstick to measure the quality and abilities of the contingent of cadres and party members, the firmest guarantee for the Party to have the strength from the people’s confidence, connection, help, support and protection of the Party, considered by President Ho Chi Minh as the secret of success.

By pointing out these 12 points, President Ho Chi Minh had showed the all-round content of the Party building and revamping in politics, ideology, organization and cadre work, in which the profound thing was the build the Party in culture. The close relationship between the Party and the people, the Party is for the people, so the people trust the Party and follow the Party to the end. This is the Party’s strength, the revolutionary genuine Party’s culture and politics which is implementing its leading, power-holding mission, is doing all it can for Independence – Freedom – Happiness of the Fatherland, of the nation, of the people. His recommendation:

“If we wish to have the solid Party/ Let’s never forget any point of these 12 points” (26), up to now, its value and significance have remained intact of the lodestar of action of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Thirdly, to create the fundamental changes of breakthrough characteristics in the cadre work, in the leading method and style of the Party, to make the Party on a par with its duties, symbolizing the intelligence, morality and culture of the nation, the epoch.

The 13^th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam stressed: “The Party building and revamping must be deployed resolutely, comprehensively, synchronously and constantly in politics, ideology, morality and cadre work” (27); this is a perfect whole, or deeply, it is to build the Party in culture, to build culture within the Party. To make the Party and the whole political system led by the Party really pure and comprehensively strong, “to be the morality, the civilization” as President Ho Chi Minh had said about the Party, then the whole Party, people and army must strive their hardest to study and follow the Ho Chi Minh ideology, morality, style; considering it the strategic solution in the Party building and revamping. To continue to push ahead the study and follow the Ho Chi Minh ideology, morality and style to make it the real cultural demand of each people, each agency, each unit and organization in the Party, in the whole country.

The work “Modifying Working Style” of President Ho Chi Minh not only has the theoretical value, but also has the profound practical value in building the standard value system for the contingent of cadres and party members; first of all in the leaders, in the spirit of “the higher the positions, the better examples they are”, striving to practice the responsibility to set an example for the people to follow. A living example is more valuable than a hundred of propaganda speeches. He had said this a long time ago, as He had stressed that leading by a good example was the best way of leading, conforming to the will of the people and winning the people’s heart at best. Cadres had to be really the quintescence, not only with sufficient qualities, abilities, responding to the requirements and tasks, but also they had to have the prestige in the people’s acknowledgement and assessment, recognized through social public opinion.

As far as the cadre work is concerned, President Ho Chi Minh had given very detailed and scientific guidances to the cadre work and the cadre policy, as well as the Party’s way of leading, the renewal of the method and style of leading in the condition of the party in power. If these guidances were imbued with the real determination to take action, words went along with deeds, words once said, actions would be taken, promise once made before the Party, before the people, then it had to be carried out; the determination had not only been upheld, but also the faith had been kept, great efforts had been made to practice democracy, unity and consensus within the Party, within the people, so, it is certain to create the breakthrough in the quality of the contingent of cadres, in the quality of organization, “to eliminate” thoroughgoingly the long-lasting state of weakness in the organizational and cadre work.

He recommended: “cadres are the root of all things” and “training cadres is the Party’s root work”(28). He had not only paid attention to cadre training, from the professional training to the political training, the cultural training and the theoretical training just helping make cadres have enough capacities with the far and wide vision, the creative abilities and dare to bear responsibilities, but also given solicitous guidance to “the teaching of cadres and the use of cadres”, careful in selecting cadres, to have the correct and skilfull way (the method) towards cadres, just how from the practical movement to have a lot of talents, in which there were the “talents ouside the Party”, for the Party and Government to practice meritocracy, for the benefits of the revolution, of the nation and of the people. President Ho Chi Minh is the genius leader and the organizer, with his sharp mind, with “His ocean view”, still filled with humaneness and tolerance, He also stressed the great points in the cadre policy. He pointed out: “How can we give the right treatment to all people? This is a very important issue”(29), because it can stimulate the talents, create the impetus for cadres to develop and contribute. His summary is a handbook for the leading cadres in using men with 5 points: “Understand cadres,/ Skillfully use cadres,/ Promote cadres,/ Have attachment with cadres,/ Criticize cadres”(30). He had pointed out the scientific viewpoints deeply imbued with the practical and renovating spirit, especially if we want to use the right cadres, the leader has to really have the intellect, morality, to be really impartial, objective, for the common cause, in the supreme interests of the people, of the country, so as to use the cadres with real morality, real talents, with no partiality and bias, no prejudice and small-mindedness; at the same time, it is necessary to have the political abilities with the dare to make decisions, the dare to bear responsibilities, “Those who are afraid of taking charge and not to make any initiatives, then they are not the leaders”(31). President Ho Chi Minh had paid constant attention to the examination of cadres, “Entrusting work to somebody without examination and take heed only when failure happens. Thus, we don’t know how to have attachment with cadres”(32). Also, examination and criticism of cadres are necessary and inevitable, is the proactive attitude in protecting cadres, strict but still tolerant, settling the matter with both feelings and reason, and this is the remarkable point in His method and style, the humaneness and humanism of President Ho Chi Minh. He had criticized strictly the illnesses that not a few cadres with important tasks had been contracted when they used men, but their use was not right; these are the illnesses: “the Self-conceitedness,/ Like being flattered by other people,/ Take their attachment or dislike in using men,? Take a definite, narrow framework to fit in all different people”(33).

President Ho Chi Minh had refined and crystalized innumerable experience and experiences in many decades of His revolutionary activities: “There must be respect for talents, cadres, for each people useful for our common work”(34), “When we have less and less shortcomings, then the way of examining cadres is more correct”(35). “We are not afraid of having made mistakes and shortcomings, only afraid of having made no efforts to correct mistakes and shortcomings. And even more afraid, evenleaders who don’t know how to look for the correct way to help cadres correct mistakes and shortcomings”(36). The cadre work is closely associated with the organizational work and vice versa. The Party building and revamping in organization, in cadre work has the direct relation with the leading work and the renovation of the leading mode and style. The Party has to take great pains in the cadre work, to build a contingent of cadres of high quality in all aspects, especially the qualities, capacities and prestige. In the work “Modifying Working Style”, the interpretationsof President Ho Chi Minh of the way of leading have a lot of outstanding points. The more farway the retrogression of time is, the much more shining His argument is and it becomes the sustainable values in terms of ideology and the imbue of His philosophy and even becomes the morality and style, that today Party needs to apply and develop creatively in the new conditions.

According to President Ho Chi Minh, leadership in the right meaning is: “To make decisions on all issues in the correct way”, “To organize the right implementation”, “To organize the examination and if the right examination is needed, there must also have the people’s help”(37); all these three things need to rely on the people with the people’s help. He also stressed: “If the examination needs a good result, there must be two things: first, the examination has to get a system and has to be frequently done. Second, the examiners must be the ones who have great prestiges”(38). To carry out the leadership in accordance with the above-said conception, He had recommended us that we have to combine the common policy with the private guidance; at the same time, the leader must unite with the people. We have also to pay attention: “leading while learning”, as for the people, the leader has to know how to promote the role of the part of advanced people, to help the average people to be progressive, know how to convince and influence the retarded people. He also demanded that “it needs to break the undecided, bureaucratic, subjective, paper work leadership”, “Learning from the people, but not to follow the tail of the people”(39).

All the above-mentioned guidances of His are the basis to withdraw the results inscience andart in leadership and management; they are: leadership by science, leadership in a democratic way, leadership by the examples and vanguard, particularly the examples in morality of the leader. There are still a lot of other issues mentioned by President Ho Chi Minh in this important work, but all have assembled in the content of the Party building and revamping, in the role of the people in helping and supporting the Party and the key point is that the Party has to rely on the people, consolidate the close relationship with the people. It is the the large social base of the Party, and also the source of powerful impulsiveness that helps the Party constantly develop, be really pure and strong, worthy to the heavy responsibilities of leadership and power-holding, taking the revolutionary cause to victory, for the people’s prosperous and happy life./.

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(1) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, the National Political POublishing House Su That, Hanoi, 1011, tomb 2, p. 284

(2), (3) Ho Chi Minh, Complete works, Ibid, tomb 2, p. 289, 280

(4) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 4, p. 534

(5) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 5, p. 272

(6), (7), (8) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 5, p. 273, 276, 309

(9), (10), (11), (12) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 5, p.271, 217, 272, 272

(13) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 15, p. 622

(14), (15), (16), (17) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid. tomb 5, p. 272, 274, 276

(18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 5, p. 278, 279, 339, 280, 283, 285, 288

(25), (26) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 5, p. 290

(27)The documents of the 13th Party Congress, the National Political Publishing House Su That, Hanoi, 2011, tomb 1, p. 95

(28) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 5, p. 309

(29), (30), (31), (32), (33), (34), (35), (36) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 5, p. 317, 317, 316, 317, 313, 317, 323

(37), (38), (39) Ho Chi Minh: Complete works, Ibid, tomb 5, p. 325

Source: COMMUNIST REVIEW, No. 1000 (October 2022)