Congress 13: What are the challenges that await the new leadership of the VCP?

The XIII National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam is scheduled to be convened in early 2021 with high expectations of possible leadership changes and on that basis new leader movements, leads the country.

Some Vietnamese news and politics watchers inside the country on September 17, 2020 shared with BBC News Vietnamese comments and commentary on where the biggest challenge awaiting leaders may lie. The new high-ranking party, state, government and parliament, regardless of who is elected.

“In my opinion, there will be two main challenges. One is the development of the country and the other is the threat of foreign aggression, which I see is currently unresolved,” said writer Nguyen Nguyen Binh, a former lieutenant colonel. said the Vietnamese people’s team.

“Right now, corruption and corruption of public officials are widespread, great economic losses to the state, the state sector still has many losses. Although they have been taken out to be ‘in the oven’, who will replace them? Is there a mechanism in which not to fall, not to follow that path, which is a challenge related to national development and governance?

“As for the dangers of foreign aggression, no one has been able to say anything clearly. The only fortunate situation now is the policy of President Trump and the United States, defense, security, foreign affairs, the East Sea and the region of the Indo-Pacific, offshore, they are quite strong and assertive, which makes China, their neighboring country, always threaten and intimidate Vietnam, and threaten the sovereignty and rights of the sea and islands of Vietnam, be cautious.

“Without US forces and Trump administration policies like that in the region, it’s unclear what kind of violence China might have committed and who hasn’t seen anyone in Vietnam’s leadership. In the trio, four pillars don’t they say nothing clearly.

“Assuming that it is a secret to be kept about diplomacy or defense, the military, then people’s perception, people seem to be doing nothing, saying nothing, while receiving In many other countries, they are willing to talk frankly, openly and clearly when someone threatens their country. “

In an online discussion on Thursday 17 September by BBC News Vietnamese, guests in attendance also expressed their views on what they believe is the main challenge for the new senior leadership.

“I think the biggest challenge will be to reactivate the economy of Vietnam after Covid-19, because we all know that after this pandemic there will be a big recession. But the Communist Party of Vietnam is not directly involved in the business. Therefore, it is the party’s task to choose a governing apparatus, how to let the economy overcome difficulties, “said associate professor Nguyen Hoang Anh, senior professor and researcher. University of Hanoi said.

“For people, ‘the slice of food is bigger than the sky.’ If the economy is good, everything will be fine, but if the economy is not good, political instability will come very quickly.

“In addition to this challenge, without knowing which one is better than the other, how to continue the fight against corruption? Because the administration of Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong has launched an anti-corruption war. what more or less seems to indicate the reality of wanting to do.

“In the near future, if the leadership of Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong no longer exists, how will we continue to carry out that war? Because whatever happens, some of the so-called ‘real’ acts of punishment The number of visitors convinced some people .

“You can see that during the period from 1975 to now 45 years and people feel very discouraged because no corruption case has been tried until a few years ago, that is also. it is something that makes people feel more and more fresh, and it also makes officials more and more afraid.

“Even though we also know it’s a shoulder shower, or it’s just a select group of people, whatever happens, one has to worry that even if it’s just a choice, next time. ‘Is it me Therefore, it was also an alarming bell.

“I also know some people in the government, they also say that today it is really the Central Inspection Committee of the Party that has acted much more drastically than before, it has acted to rectify the election or nominate people. to make it more effective, not just that the calls can be resolved with each other.

“So I think those are also two very important missions for the upcoming 13th convention.”

Nguyen Quang A, Ph.D., former director of the Independent Policy Review Institute (IDS, has disbanded) for his part, said in the dissertation:

“I think the most important challenge for the Communist Party of Vietnam is that it should be obedient to the people, not ‘sit on top’ of the people, which I think is the biggest challenge.

“That is why the Communist Party of Vietnam, with its actions at this time, has made people lose confidence. I say, for example, the land problem, the Thu Thiem problem, the Dong Tam problem, the problem. corruption.

“On the issue of corruption, I believe that it is impossible to fight corruption like this today, to fight corruption, much less democracy, but at least an independent judiciary is required. listening anxiously to the party.

“The second condition must have at least a little freedom of the press, all the media today are eager to follow the game.

“Therefore, if this mechanism kills a hundred or a thousand corrupts, it will still produce another two thousand, three thousand corrupts.

“So I think this ‘fiery’ anti-corruption record might make some people think it is ‘very good’, I think it does not solve the problem of corruption. The mechanism of the Communist Party of Vietnam itself produces corruption.

“In terms of economic development it is certainly a great challenge and it is related to economic development, I believe that Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the current Prime Minister, can do it and indeed if Mr. Phuc becomes Secretary General, then It’s probably better for this country.

“But I’m afraid they will find many ways to grapple with each other over this and that to fight for power.”

Commenting on the comments of the previous two guests, right after the September 17 discussion, from Hanoi, engineer Nguyen Lan Thang, a civil society activist, told the BBC:

“I have heard the comments from Associate Professor Nguyen Hoang Anh and Doctor of Science Nguyen Quang A, I see that these are also quite good ideas and I also have the same agreement.

“I just want to comment further that the challenge of the Communist Party of Vietnam, whoever is in the new senior leadership group determined through the XIII Congress, will be to read and meet the demands of the people. persons.

“What are the party and the government doing to combat corruption, for example, how, with whom, what is the specific purpose, what is the purpose … I think people see it clearly. In essence, it’s not that you don’t know anything.

“The important thing is a question of trust. Whatever you do, but when the masses, the people have lost confidence, the challenges of the party, as the guests said and the opinions, are already growing. it will become more serious again.

“Personally, I think that the fact that the ruling party has taken over its leadership position in the country will definitely come the time to recalculate and change, if a bad ending is not wanted.

“Because according to the law of the advancement of human civilization, of democracy, there is no one, no party or powerful force, especially if the electoral and constitutional processes have not been approved. real democracy, human rights, civil rights and the rule of law, can sit in a position of supreme leadership and rule like that or want to last forever.

“Ultimately, in my opinion, it is the challenge of thinking about innovation and having to dare to implement innovative thinking, thinking about the power of leadership, governing according to the trends and standards of today’s human civilization. Whether the people and the masses expect it or not. “