Party building and unification - biggest challenge Former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu deems Party building and consolidation the biggest challenge that lies before for the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and has suggested solutions. Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) interviewed former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu on the issue of what the country has accomplished and what it has not achieved under President Ho Chi Minh’s testament and the challenges the Party as a whole, and the people face in the new situation. VOV: This year, the entire Party and people are celebrating 45 years of carrying out President HCM’s testament which is an invaluable spiritual and political heritage. Looking back on the past 45 years, in your opinion, in what areas have we, as a nation, succeeded or failed under the testament? Mr Phieu: First Secretary of the Party Central Committee Le Duan, on behalf of the whole Party and people read a funeral oration emphasizing five oaths before President HCM’s soul. Over the past years, the entire Party, army and people have properly implemented his testament. The first oath: The Party led our people to defeat American invaders, liberating the South, protecting the North for national unification. It took us up to seven years to perform this oath. The second oath: Our Party steadfastly implemented lofty ideals of socialism and communism that President HCM outlined for the working class and our people, thereby gradually raising people’s material and spiritual life. In particular, farmers have enjoyed tax exemption as Uncle Ho told. Yet, we must try our best to develop Vietnam into a prosperous nation. The third oath:  Party unity was repeatedly mentioned in the testament. Since the establishment of the Party, we have won one victory after another thanks to the strong solidarity of our Party. However, the issue related to Party unity still reveals weaknesses at different levels or in this place or elsewhere due to poor performance of criticism and self-criticism. President HCM said, “Unity is an extremely precious tradition of our Party and people. All comrades, from the Central Committee down to the cells, must preserve the unity and oneness of mind in the Party as the apple of their eye.” Consequently, our Party has not yet well played its role as a good nucleus for national unity. The fourth oath: Over the past 45 years, Party organizations and Party members have followed President HCM’s moral example to strive for their goals and train themselves into undaunted revolutionary soldiers beloved and trusted by the people. As we vowed to Uncle Ho, we have trained ourselves to become soldiers loyal to the Party, the people, deserving to be comrades and disciples of President Ho Chi Minh. However, learning and following his moral example among Party members remain formalistic, showing a contradiction between words and deeds leading to bureaucracy, corruption, wastefulness, individualism, and disrespect for the people. Such Party members are unworthy of being disciples and comrades of Uncle Ho. This is a big problem that requires all Party members and organizations at all levels to fully implement the spirit of the oath. From high-level officials as well as management officials at the grassroots need to seriously re-assess themselves and examine ways to get at the roots of the problem. The fifth oath: Under the testament, our Party has consistently carried out the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, proactive international integration. Vietnam is a reliable partner and responsible member of the international community for national benefit and for a rich and strong socialist Vietnam that actively contributes to the struggle for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress in the world as a result of our country's rising international status. VOV: As you have analyzed the five oaths we promised to President HCM, in your opinion, what is the most important challenge for the CPV in the current situation? Mr Phieu: Challenges for our Party and our nation vary through the different revolutionary periods. After the end of war in 1975, our nation began the socialism building process until before 1986 that was also a crunch time. Our Party led the people to overcome difficulties by giving wise decisions about strategies and tactics and devising proper renewal measures to gain resounding historic victories. Up to the 7th National Party Congress, our country overcame the crisis and expanded international relations. This Congress Party outlined a new platform on transitional period to socialism in 1991. Despite recording momentous achievements in economics, culture, social affairs, foreign relations, Vietnam is still encountering numerous economic difficulties. Among the aforesaid difficulties and challenges, the biggest obstacle is weaknesses and shortcomings in leadership methods and capacity of a ruling party which still exhibits diseases such as bureaucracy, authoritarian behaviours, individualism, corruption, power abuse and ignorance of protecting democratic rights and legitimate interests of the people. Additionally, the degradation of political ideology and ethics of a section of Party members and looseness in adherence to Party fundamental principles such as criticism, self-criticism, and concentralised democracy have demonstrated declining people’s confidence in the Party. Despite the Party’s efforts to tackle these problems, it still fails to achieve good results as expected. After the 11th National Party Congress, the 4th plenum of the Party Central Committee issued a resolution on Party building and rectification which was carried out for more than two years, but the results are still very limited. We must look straight to the facts and give a proper assessment of the real situation of our Party. If we subjectively regard what we have done as good enough without recognizing our weaknesses, people’s confidence in the Party will wane. Consequently, we go against the oath promised to our Uncle Ho. President HCM taught us, “Our Party should preserve absolute purity and prove worthy of its role as the leader and very loyal servant of the people.” Parting from him we vowed: “All our life to learn from his virtues and style of work to foster revolutionary virtues, fearlessly face hardships and sacrifices, to temper ourselves into fighters loyal to the Party and the people, worthy of being his comrades and disciples. Following his example, our entire people and youth pledge to do their best to steel themselves into new men, masters of their country, masters of the new society, and to carry his invincible banner to the final goal.” The upcoming 12th National Party Congress will emphasize the urgent need to intensify Party building and rectification in order to resolve existing weaknesses in a proper and effective manner. Each Party member and Party organization must reconsider themselves, especially for senior officials from the Party Central Committee, Political Bureau, the CPV Secretariat and State power bodies such as the National Assembly, the Government and justice agencies. It is imperative to set up a monitoring and supervisory mechanism for Party organizations’ operations at all levels and this mechanism must be implemented more strictly and efficiently to widely promote democracy thus cultivating a closer relationship between the Party and the people. If we fail to address these negative problems, our Party will face unpredictable consequences. VOV: Thank you very much. VOV