12th National Party Congress to be held from January 20-28

Promoting the strength of the whole people and socialist democracy; stepping up reform comprehensively and synchronously; firmly safeguarding the nation and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment; and striving to soon turn Vietnam into a modern industrialised country are among the themes of the congress. The event will focus on reviewing the implementation of the 11th Congress's Resolution, and the outcomes of the 30-year reform cause. It will also define directions, targets, tasks and measures for nation building, safeguarding and development in the next five years. The information was released by the head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Information and Education, Dinh The Huynh, at a press conference in Hanoi on January 18. According to Huynh, attending the congress will be 1,510 delegates who represent more than 4.5 million Party members nationwide. The delegates will discuss and approve several important documents including the 11th Party Central Committee's Political Report; a report reviewing the implementation of socio-economic development tasks during 2011-2015 and putting forth directions and tasks for 2016-2020; and also a report reviewing the leadership of the 11 th Party Central Committee. A summary of the execution of the 11 th tenure Party Statute will accept proposals on adjustments and supplements if there are any put forward, along with a report on the implementation of the Resolution of the Party Central Committee's 4 th plenum on several urgent issues in Party building. During the congress, members of the 12 th Party Central Committee - the most supreme leading body of the Party between the two congresses will be elected. At the press conference, information on the congress preparations, main contents of draft documents, and personnel preparations for the 12 th Party Central Committee was shared to reporters. In reply to a question on new points of the 12 th congress's documents, Thuan Huu, member of the Party Central Committee and President of the Vietnamese Journalists Association, said that along with promoting the whole people's strength, the themes of this congress aim at promoting the socialist democracy, firmly safeguarding the nation, and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment. They also stress a determination to achieve the goal of turning Vietnam into a modern industrialised country. In terms of economy, the 12th congress's draft documents underlined the need to actively renew the growth model, perfect institutions, develop a socialist-oriented market economy, and continue improving Party consciousness of that economy. In the socio-culture and environment fields, the draft documents focus on issues related to basic and comprehensive renovation of education and training, and human resources development; science and technology application; cultural development; and social management and the realisation of social progress, equality and security. They also affirm that defence security is an important field and will examine new points regarding consciousness of national defence and their solutions - in protecting the nation, building the people's army and police forces, and synchronously implementing the foreign policy of independence and self-reliance. For the building of the Party and the political system, the draft documents highlight the viewpoints of "strongly promoting all resources and creativeness of people" and "respecting differences which do not go against the nation's common interests". Promoting socialist democracy, building a rule-of-law socialist state, and speeding up the Party building process, with focus on the Resolution of the 11th Party Central Committee's 4 th plenum on Party building are also mentioned in the draft documents. Deputy Chief of the Party Central Committee's Office Le Quang Vinh said there have been 26 million comments on the draft documents to be submitted to the 12th National Party Congress, including opinions raised at all-level Party Congresses and by National Assembly deputies, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations, Party officials and members, and people from all strata including overseas Vietnamese. The opinions are diverse and touch upon all fields, focusing on the implementation of a socialist-oriented market economy institution, economic restructuring and growth model reform. Others centre around anti-corruption; the building of a spotless and strong Party and administration; and firmly safeguarding the nation's independence, sovereignty, sovereign right and territorial integrity, he added. The sub-committee on the draft documents summarised that they had acquired and thoroughly considered all opinions to fine-tune the drafts, Vinh noted. Regarding the Party's outstanding diplomatic achievements during its 11th tenure, Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan said Vietnam's foreign policies are inherited from the previous National Party Congresses. They aimed to help maintain a peaceful environment for national stability and development; protect national interests, independence and territorial sovereignty; and improve Vietnam's stature in the international arena. Vietnam continues its consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It is willing to be a friend and trustworthy partner and a responsible member in the international community. It will intensify relations and ensure a peaceful and stable environment for national development. The country has strongly promoted international integration, considering it the cause of the entire Party and people on the basis of maximising internal and external strengths, of which economic integration is the focus, Quan said. He noted that diplomatic attainments during the 11th tenure were very important and prominent as they have helped maintain peace and stability, and created favourable conditions for national development and defence. Vietnam has developed strategic partnerships with 15 countries and comprehensive partnerships with 10 countries so far. Particularly, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid significant visits to China, the US and Japan in 2015. The Communist Party of Vietnam currently boasts ties with 228 parties in 112 countries, providing a political foundation for its durable relations with nations and partners around the world, Quan added. Regarding Vietnam's priorities in its upcoming foreign policy, the Party official said the country treasures ties with neighbouring and regional countries, as well as with major nations and important international partners. It will perform as a responsible member in the international community. Proactively and actively integrating into the world is the strategy of the Vietnamese Party and State. At the press conference, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission on Organisation Mai Van Chinh, who is also a member of the Party Central Committee, said that 194 of the 1,510 delegates to the 12th national congress are women, while 174 are ethnic minority people. Two of the delegates are under 30 years old, 65 are aged between 31 and 40, and 384 people are between 41 and 50, while the majority 992 participants are aged between 51 and 60, with 64 aged between 61 and 70. The new Party Central Committee is expected to consist of 180 official members and 20 alternate members, Chinh noted. The press centre of the 12th National Party Congress covers 1,000 square metres and is set to serve about 650 domestic and 100 foreign reporters.

(Source: VNA)