Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, Mar. 4 (VNA) -- All organisational and operational activities of Viet Nam's political system in the coming period are aimed at building and gradually perfecting the socialist democracy, which ensures that power is placed in the hands of the people, said Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

Mr. Manh was speaking at a two-day national conference, which opened in Ha Noi on Monday, to review the implementation of democratic regulations at the grassroots level.

The regulations, issued by the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) three years ago, have been carried out nationwide since then.

The ninth national Party congress has worked out a strategy for the new period with a view to bringing into full play the national strength, continuing the renewal process, accelerating national industrialisation and modernisation while building and defending the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam," Mr. Manh stressed.

There is great strength in the collective will of the Vietnamese people. However, in order to fully tap that strength for the development of the nation, we must promote the democratic spirit in society under the leadership of the Party", Mr. Manh said.

He pointed to three aspects which the people and Party members need to discuss further so as to better implement the regulations.

First, the Party leader stressed the need to clarify the nature of Viet Nam's democracy so as to strictly exercise its regulations on democracy, saying that everybody must have a profound understanding of democracy in order to carry out the nation's democratic regulations.

"In the immediate future, the democratic regulations at the grassroots level must be further brought into play in order to successfully organise the coming eleventh National Assembly election," he said.

Second, he said, democracy must be consistent with laws, social order and discipline.

"Firmly maintaining social order, discipline, and the laws is not only an obligation of the people but also an important responsibility of Party officials and members and State employees," Mr. Manh further said, adding that maintenance of these things as well as the strengthening of unity among the entire people and among cadres from the central down to the grassroots levels and unanimity between the Party and the people are considered to be imperative tasks.

Third, he stressed, Party members must set good examples in terms of practising democratic regulations and closely lead the process of bringing into full play social democratic regulations.

Exercising democracy in Party organisations must go hand in hand with improving the quality of criticism and self-criticism among Party members and mobilising the people to actively take part in Party criticism drives, Mr.Manh said.

"This is the most effective way to prevent and drive back political, ideological, and ethical degradation among Party members so as to make the Party organisation pure and strong," Mr. Manh stressed.

"The Resolutions of the Party Central Committee's fifth plenum are of important significance in increasing the efficiency of the Party leadership, State management and the people's right to mastery at grassroots level" Manh further said.

He asked for continued effective implementation and expansion of democracy regulations, consolidation of the political system at grassroots level in order to build people's united block, develop the national strength, make full use of opportunities, overcome difficulties and challenges, and advance the people's revolution.

Truong Quang Duoc, Politburo member of the CPV Central Committee, Director of the CPV Central Committee's Mass Mobilisation Board and Head of the CPVCC's Democracy Regulations Steering Board, delivered a report reviewing the implementation of the regulation in the 1998-2001 period.

The report said that under the leadership of local Party organisations, local administration agencies and the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and thanks to the people's warm response, the democracy regulation has been translated into social life.

According to the report, more than 90 percent of communes, wards and townships across the country have concretised and carried out the democratic regulations in their daily routine.

It further pointed to the fact that, on average, between 60-70 percent of the contents of the Political Bureau's democracy regulation has been effectively exercised at localities. In light of the regulation, 90 percent of heads of villages and residential units have been elected by local residents.

Meanwhile, almost 94 percent of communes, wards, and townships have elected people's inspection boards. As a result, a number of prolonged people's petitions have been satisfactorily resolved by people's inspection boards.

The report also said that the democratic regulations had been concretised and exercised by more than 80 percent of State-owned non-productive establishments and businesses.--VNA