1. In every revolutionary stage, our Party and State have always attached special importance to improving the Party's leadership capacity, governing capacity and fighting strength, and enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness and efficiency of the political system. This is one of the key factors that has made the Communist Party of Vietnam a great helmsman, an elite captain leading the Vietnamese revolutionary ship through all rapids, achieving one victory after another. The strategic convergence point after 40 years of national renewal is bringing a historic opportunity to bring the country into an era of development, an era of national growth; it also poses an urgent requirement to resolutely carry out the revolution in order to build a truly streamlined political system that operates effectively and efficiently, meeting the requirements and tasks in the new revolutionary stage.
The overall model of the political system organization of our country from 1945 to present has been basically stable, consisting of 3 blocks (Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations). With the operating mechanism of the Party leading, the State managing, the People being the masters, the organization of each block has been adjusted to meet the revolutionary requirements of each historical period. From the 6th Central Conference of the 6th tenure to the present, the concept of "Political system" has been officially used, marking the development of the Party's thinking and awareness of the requirements and tasks for the political system in the period of renovation.
Entering the period of promoting the cause of innovation, industrialization and modernization of the country, stemming from the special importance and urgent requirements from the country's urgent development practice, through many congresses, especially in recent congresses, in the documents of the 9th, 12th and 13th Party Congresses, specific tasks on streamlining the organizational apparatus or researching and building a comprehensive model of the political system's organizational apparatus in the new period have been emphasized. From the 7th Congress up to now, our Party has continuously issued many Resolutions and Conclusions to lead the implementation of the policy of innovation, streamlining the organizational apparatus of the political system to streamline the organization and operate effectively and efficiently, such as: Resolution of the 8th Central Conference of the 7th tenure on continuing to build and perfect the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW, dated February 9, 2007 of the 10th Central Executive Committee on innovation and consolidation of the Party apparatus, orientation for innovation of the State apparatus, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations; Resolution No. 17-NQ/TW, dated August 1, 2007 of the 10th Central Executive Committee on promoting administrative reform, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the State apparatus; Resolution No. 22-NQ/TW, dated February 2, 2008 of the 10th Central Executive Committee on improving the leadership capacity, fighting strength of grassroots Party organizations and the quality of cadres and Party members; Resolution No. 12-NQ/TW, dated January 16, 2012 of the 11th Central Executive Committee on a number of urgent issues on Party building; Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW, dated June 3, 2017 of the 12th Central Executive Committee on perfecting the socialist-oriented market economic institution; Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW, dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Central Executive Committee on innovation and reorganization of the political system; Conclusion No. 50-KL/TW, dated February 28, 2023 of the Politburo on continuing to implement Resolution No. 18; Conclusion No. 37-KL/TW, dated February 2, 2009 of the 12th Central Executive Committee on continuing to promote the implementation of the cadre strategy until 2020; Conclusion No. 63-KL/TW, dated May 27, 2013 of the 11th Central Executive Committee on a number of issues on reforming salary policies, social insurance, preferential allowances for people with meritorious services and reform orientations until 2020; Conclusion No. 64-KL/TW, dated May 28, 2013 of the 11th Central Executive Committee on a number of issues on continuing to innovate and perfect the political system from the Central level; Conclusion No. 62-KL/TW, dated December 8, 2009 of the Politburo on continuing to innovate the content and methods of operation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations; Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW, dated April 17, 2015 of the Politburo on streamlining the payroll and restructuring the contingent of cadres, civil servants and public employees.
Implementing the Resolutions and Conclusions of the Party, the system of Party organizations at all levels, the State apparatus from the Central to the grassroots level, the organization of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations have been gradually innovated, promoting their effectiveness and efficiency; the functions, tasks and working relationships of each organization in the political system have been more reasonably defined and adjusted, gradually meeting the requirements of building and perfecting the socialist rule-of-law State and developing a socialist-oriented market economy. The political system is basically stable, in accordance with the Platform and the Constitution; ensuring the leadership role of the Party, the management of the State, and promoting the mastery of the people. Through the role and strength of the political system under the leadership of the Party, we have firmly protected the achievements of the revolution; maintained political stability, protected the Party, and protected the government; developed the socio-economy, and constantly improved the material, cultural and spiritual life of the people. Institutional innovations, focusing on innovation in the organization of the political system, are one of the basic conditions that determine the great achievements after 40 years of national renovation.
After 7 years of implementing Resolution No. 18 dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Central Executive Committee on innovation and reorganization of the political system, we have achieved a number of important results, initially creating positive changes in innovation and reorganization of the apparatus, improving the operational efficiency of agencies, units and organizations in the political system. However, the awareness and actions of some Party committees, Party organizations, leadership collectives, and heads of some agencies, organizations, units, and localities are not complete, not profound, not determined, not resolute, the arrangement of the organizational apparatus is not synchronous, comprehensive, not linking the streamlining of staff with restructuring... some ministries and branches still take on local tasks, leading to the existence of a request-grant mechanism, which easily gives rise to corruption, waste, and negativity... Therefore, up to now, the organizational apparatus of the political system is still cumbersome, with many levels and many focal points; the effectiveness and efficiency of operations have not met the requirements and tasks; the functions, tasks, powers, organization, and working relationships between many agencies and departments are not really clear, still overlapping; The division of responsibilities, decentralization, and delegation of authority is not yet consistent and reasonable, there are places where there are excuses to do things instead, places where there are omissions or inadequate investment... The quality of advice and proposals of a Party agency or organization to the Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat for a number of areas is still limited; the capacity to coordinate, guide, and organize implementation within the entire Party has not met the requirements; the division of the scope of multi-sectoral and multi-field management of ministries is not thorough; some tasks are interconnected, linked together, or in the same field, but assigned to many ministries for management. The organizational structure of a number of levels and sectors has so far remained basically the same in terms of quantity, the arrangement has not been associated with improving effectiveness and efficiency, determining job positions, and restructuring the staff. The apparatus within ministries and ministerial-level agencies still has many levels, some levels have unclear legal status; affiliated units with legal status have increased, increasing the situation of "Ministries within ministries". Streamlining the payroll only focuses on reducing quantity, not yet associated with improving quality and restructuring the staff.
The shortcomings, limitations, slowness, and lack of determination in implementing the policy of innovation and reorganization of the political system have caused many serious consequences. The cumbersome apparatus causes waste and hinders development, which is one of the reasons why many of the Party's policies and strategies are slow to enter practical life or some policies are not implemented or are implemented in a formal manner in reality. Overlapping and unclear division of functions and tasks lead to unclear responsibilities, "encroachment", obstruction, even "neutralization" of each other, reducing initiative and creativity, leading to low labor productivity, low work efficiency, shirking of responsibility, negativity, hindering development, causing annoyance, reducing effectiveness and efficiency of operations. Intermediate levels lead to time wasted through "many doors" of administrative procedures, causing obstruction, even creating bottlenecks, missing development opportunities. The cost of operating the large organizational system reduces resources for investment in development, ensuring national defense and security, and improving the material and spiritual life of the people. Compared to the great changes of the country after 40 years of renovation, the development of the socialist rule of law state and achievements in science and technology; the organization of the political system of our country, although having been renovated in some parts, is still basically following the model designed decades ago, many issues are no longer suitable for new conditions, which is contrary to the law of development; creating the mentality of "Saying does not match doing".
2. The 100th anniversary of our country under the leadership of the Party and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the country is not far away. To achieve strategic goals, it not only requires extraordinary efforts and outstanding efforts, but also does not allow us to be slow, lax, inaccurate, unsynchronized, or uncoordinated in every step. To do so, it is necessary to urgently carry out a revolution in streamlining the organization and apparatus of the political system, with a number of key tasks as follows:
First: Develop and organize the implementation throughout the political system of the overall model of the organizational apparatus of the Vietnamese political system to meet the requirements and tasks in the new revolutionary period. Focus on summarizing 7 years of implementing Resolution No. 18 of the 6th Conference of the 12th Central Executive Committee "Some issues on continuing to innovate and reorganize the apparatus of the political system to be streamlined and operate effectively and efficiently", seriously and comprehensively assess the situation and results achieved, advantages, disadvantages, limitations, obstacles, causes and lessons learned in the process of implementing the Resolution; propose and recommend to the Politburo and the Central Executive Committee on innovation and reorganization of the apparatus of the political system. The review must be conducted objectively, democratically, scientifically, specifically, deeply, receptively, and closely following the practical situation, thereby proposing a new organizational model, assessing the advantages and impacts when implementing the new model, closely following the Constitution, the Political Platform, the Party Charter, the Party's principles, the Resolutions of the Central Committee... ensuring comprehensiveness, synchronization, connectivity, one agency performing many tasks, one task assigned to only one agency to preside over and take primary responsibility; thoroughly overcoming overlaps in functions and tasks, division in areas and fields; limiting intermediary organizations; clearly defining specific functions, tasks, and responsibilities on the basis of Party spirit, rationality, and legality.
Second: Focus on perfecting institutions in the spirit of "running and lining up at the same time" to quickly put the Party's policies into practice. Review relevant legal regulations to proactively prepare for amendments, supplements or new issuances in accordance with regulations, ensuring that the Party's policies are implemented as quickly as possible after being unanimously approved by the Central Committee. Focus on perfecting laws on the organization and operation of agencies in the political system, associated with the spirit of promoting decentralization and delegation of power with the motto "locality decides, locality does, locality is responsible", the Central Committee, the Government and the National Assembly strengthen the perfection of institutions, play a constructive role and strengthen inspection, supervision and maximum reform of administrative procedures, reduce costs, and create the greatest convenience for people and businesses. Clearly define the tasks and powers of agencies, organizations and individuals in the state apparatus, ensuring a clear distinction between the level of promulgating policies, laws and the level of organizing implementation.
Third: Combine streamlining the organizational apparatus with restructuring the staff with sufficient qualities and abilities to match the tasks, reasonable staffing, and standardization of titles. Issue regulations on the framework of standards and criteria for arranging staff at each level, from the central to the grassroots level, for each type to proactively review and determine whether they can be arranged immediately. Strongly innovate the work of recruiting, training, promoting, appointing, rotating, transferring, and evaluating staff in a practical direction, because finding people, on the basis of specific measurable products, has no forbidden areas, no exceptions in evaluating staff. Have an effective mechanism to screen and remove from work those who do not have enough qualities, abilities, and prestige and to use those with outstanding abilities.
When talking about improving the State apparatus, V.I. Lenin emphasized: “We must follow this rule: Better less but better... I know that it is difficult to maintain that rule and apply it to our actual situation... I know that we will have to resist fiercely, we will have to show extraordinary perseverance... But I still firmly believe that only by carrying out that work can we build a republic truly worthy of the name of the Soviet Socialist Republic”[1]; building an effective and efficient apparatus is a difficult and complicated task, requiring solidarity, unity, courage, and sacrifice of each cadre and party member, along with the very high determination of the entire Party, the entire political system, first of all the heads of Party committees, governments, the Fatherland Front and organizations at all levels, all for a Vietnam with a rich people, a strong country, fairness, democracy, civilization, soon standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers.
[1] V.I.Lenin: Complete Works, Progress Publishing House, Moscow, 1979, vol.45, p.445.
