Monday, May 30, 2011

Vietnamese Political Activities, Hostile Forces

It has become a routine that whenever our Party and state conduct political activities, hostile forces inside and outside of the country immediately distort and slander our Party and state in the media, especially on the internet.
Most recently, on the occasion of the election of deputies to the 13th National Assembly and people's councils at all levels for the 2011-16 term, hostile forces have posted on the internet and broadcast on radio to distort the election procedures and to slander our Party's leadership of the National Assembly. They ask the loaded question 'is the National Assembly of the Party or of the people' and assume that only democracy in Western countries is true democracy and allows true human rights.
Human Rights and Democracy
Scientifically, the concepts of human rights and democracy are common concepts. They are defined in documents of the United Nations, but they only have value when they are adapted and practiced in each country, each with its own model. Differences between human rights and democracy models among countries in the world are inevitable. It comes from history, tradition and culture. The international community acknowledged this in the document 'Vienna Declaration and Program of Action' at the international human rights conference in 1993 in Vienna, Austria.
At the present time there are more than 190 countries in the world, with many different political systems and national institutions, but no country calls them undemocratic and no one has the right to call them dictatorial or militaristic. In each country, following whichever ideology - capitalism or socialism - whichever political system- multiparty or one ruling party, separation of powers or centralization, whichever economic model - liberalism or socialist-oriented market economy -- it falls within the jurisdiction of each nation, and no one has the right to interfere, even the United Nations.
Post-Bourgeois Democratic Revolutions
History shows that after the bourgeois democratic revolutions, for example in Britain in 1689, in America in 1776, and in France in 1789, people to some extent enjoyed the democratic system, civil rights and human rights. In the colonies including our country however, after hundreds of years people still lived under colonial-feudal systems, which, in fact, was modern slavery. No 'mother country' shared the values of democracy and human rights with colonial peoples.
The fact is that democracy and human rights in our country were achieved by the blood and struggle of our people under the direction of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh who conducted the August Revolution in 1945.
In fact, throughout nearly a century of revolutionary history from 1930 to now, our Party and President Ho Chi Minh always headed toward the goals of independence for the nation and freedom and happiness for the people.
The leading role of the Communist Party of Vietnam in the state and society comes from a righteous historical, political, and legal background which the people respected and trusted and granted them that role. That role was defined in the constitution, the original law of the nation, by the National Assembly, the most powerful body in the country. This article is compatible with the Charter of the United Nations as well as international conventions on human rights. Article 1 of 'the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 stated 'All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status.' This means that nations have full rights to determine their social system, ideology, political system, constitution, and laws which include the role of the ruling party.
Socioeconomic Programs
The relationship between the Party and the National Assembly is that the leading institutional role of the Communist Party of Vietnam is shown in its comprehensive leadership, guidelines, the organization of the Party, and the roles of officials and Party members. This characteristic is not imposed by the Party, but has been formed by history and has gained the respect of all the people. The leadership of the Party throughout the past 12 National Assembly terms has aimed at the goal of following the words of Uncle Ho which are 'our National Assembly truly presents the interests of people.' In fact, our country's National Assembly is getting better at fulfilling the role of a powerful state body of the people, for the people and by the people. Sessions of the National Assembly are becoming more and more open and democratic, especially the questioning of members of the government. Many socioeconomic programs proposed by the government have been carefully discussed, assessed, adjusted, and even delayed for further study by the National Assembly. In elections, under the leadership of the Party through the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the ratio of ethnic minority, female, and non-Party members is always taken seriously. For example, in the 11th term, members of ethnic minority groups comprised 7.2 percent.
In the 12th term it had risen to 17.6 percent while the 53 ethnic minority groups in our country account for only 13 percent of our population. Female members comprised 25.8 percent of the 12th National Assembly, while at that time in Thailand female members were 11.7 percent, 23.7 percent in Malaysia, 11.6 percent in Indonesia, 24.8 percent in Singapore, 25.2 percent in Laos, and 19.5 percent in Cambodia.
This evidence is the basis to reject the distorted argument of hostile forces and affirm that our National Assembly is the National Assembly of the Party and the people at the same time. The National Assembly of the Party does not mean ownership like in the economic sense, but rather it is a historical mission and the Party's love for the people and the nation. Therefore, to remain a National Assembly of people, we must ensure the leadership of the Party.
Enhancing Quality of Party Organizations
However, to fulfill its honorable mission forever, to deserve the status of ruling party and the faith of the people, our Party has to continuously renovate and enhance the quality of Party organizations and of each Party's member according to Ho Chi Minh thought 'The Party is morality and civilization.' At the same time, we must continue to improve the leadership mechanisms, and fight against covering others' shortcomings and doing the jobs of others. Now, at grassroots levels, the Party still does the jobs of the government and people's councils. We must surmount this resolutely.

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