Party chief calls for continuance of grassroots democracy consolidation

ABO/NDO – The promotion of grassroots democracy should become a regular and continuous task in order for it to act as a driving force for socio-economic development and improving people’s welfare, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said.

Party General Secretary, Nguyen Phu Trong, addresses the national conference on the implementation of grassroots democracy, Hanoi, July 16, 2018. (Photo: NDO/Dang Khoa).

The senior leader was speaking at the national conference on grassroots democracy in Hanoi on July 16, in which he stated that grassroots democracy consolidation helps to realise social justice, improve social security and create motivation for the public revolutionary movements, that contribute to the development of the country in general and of each locality, agency and unit in particular.

General Secretary Trong underlined that, in June 1997, the third plenum of the Party Central Committee 8th tenure adopted a resolution on bringing into play the people’s right to mastery. To concretise the resolution, on February 18, 1998, the Politburo, 8th tenure, issued Directive 30 on building and implementing regulations on grassroots democracy.

On January 7, 2016, the Politburo, 11th tenure, issued Conclusion 120 on continuing to push forward and improve the quality of the building and implementation of grassroots democracy regulations.

The enforcement of grassroots democracy regulations over recent has brought about positive outcomes, the Party leader said, adding that the democratic atmosphere in the Party and society has been expanded, thus encouraging the implementation of various emulation movements, contributing to the country’s socio-economic development, ensuring national defence and security, and building a clean and strong Party, government and political system, as well as creating a social consensus, consolidating the great national unity bloc, and strengthening the close relationship among the Party, the State and the people.

However, he also pointed out a number of limitations in enforcing the grassroots democracy regulations, including the slow and inadequate work in popularising the policies and laws related to grassroots democracy in certain localities and agencies, while violations of democracy still occur, leading to petitions involving large numbers of people, especially in the enforcement of policies and laws on land, land compensation and the relocation of residents. In addition, democracy is exploited by a number of people in order to make illegitimate demands or defy the law. Certain people are incited by hostile forces to get involved in illegal activities in the name of democracy.

To address these issues, the Party chief urged those concerned to thoroughly grasp the grassroots democracy regulations and improve public awareness on grassroots democracy. In parallel with enforcing democracy, attention must be paid to upholding the rule of law and promoting social and citizen responsibility, he added.

He urged the State administrative agencies and administrations at all levels to continue improving their efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring that policies and laws are effectively implemented, in line with accelerating administrative reform to facilitate people in carrying out administrative procedures. The authorities concerned should also listen to the people more, promptly respond to the people’s opinions and petitions, and improve the ethics and service quality of the contingent of public employees.

Party General Secretary Trong also stressed the important role of the heads of Party committees and administrations at all levels, and of agencies and organisations, in ensuring the effectiveness of grassroots democracy enforcement, urging key officials at all levels to exercise real democracy and transparency in their work, while leading by example in fighting bureaucracy, corruption and wastefulness.

He requested an improvement in the quality of communication work to raise people's awareness on policies and laws, helping them to self-enforce the law and to exercise their rights in direct democracy in accordance with the provisions of law, as well as attaching importance to the propagation of good examples and models on the formulation and implementation of grassroots democracy regulations.

Delegates at the conference reviewed the results achieved during the implementation of Conclusion 120, while discussing amendments to the relevant regulations to promote the people’s right to mastery and enhance democracy in the related agencies, units and enterprises.

(Source: NDO)