Deputies at the 14th meeting of the 12th Party Central Committee

Socialist democracy is a special feature of the socialism in Vietnam. The 2011 Platform of the Communist Party of Vietnam emphasizes that “socialist democracy is the nature of the regime and the goal and motivation of national development. Building and fine-tuning socialist democracy and ensuring democracy  are practiced at all levels and in all fields. Democracy is closely connected with discipline and institutionalized by law and protected by law.” This is the general perception of democracy, showing that the nature of the social regime in Vietnam is democracy and people’s mastery.

Identifying socialist democracy as the goal, the whole political system under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam has made an effort to achieve it. Important documents of the Party and State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and social organizations, and the 2013 Constitution of Vietnam have been supplemented with new provisions on democracy and the people’s right to mastery. Legal provisions on democracy have been specified and institutionalized. The Party Politburo issued “Regulations on oversight and social argument of the Fatherland Front and Social Organizations”, “Regulations on contributions by the Fatherland Front and Social Organizations of opinions on building the Party and the administration” and many other regulations. Activities to ensure representative democracy and direct democracy have been promoted. Democracy at the grassroots level is ensured through the implementation of ordinances on democracy in communes. Democracy has also been promoted in regular activities of the Party and social organizations. The Fatherland Front and social organizations have reformed their activities toward ensuring democracy and encouraging their members to be active.

After more than 35 years of national renewal and 30 years of implementing the 1991 Platform and particularly 10 years of implementing the revised 2011 Platform, Vietnam has gained significant achievements in promoting democracy. The exercise of democracy in the Party has been strengthened, encouraging freedom of ideology and respecting differences in the opinions of individuals with a constructive spirit. At state agencies, enhanced democracy is reflected in the fine-tuning of the socialist law-governed state. The NA has reformed its activities toward becoming more professional and respecting democracy. The government is moving toward an e-government and a working government to promote democracy in public administrative exercises. Judicial agencies have been consolidated toward respect for the law, publicity, transparency and accountability.

The Fatherland Front and social organizations have participated in consultancy, social argument, Party building and implementing major national political tasks. The Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress says “social democracy has been promoted and expanded” and the “people’s right to mastery has been better exercised in all aspects through representative democracy and direct democracy, especially in politics and economics.” More attention has been paid to ensuring the people’s right to mastery in deciding major national matters.

Human rights and the rights and obligations of citizens have been respected, ensured, and protected and citizen rights are connected with obligations and social responsibility.

In order to further promote socialist democracy, ensure people’s right to mastery, and realize the goal of making Vietnam a socialist-oriented developed country by the middle of the 21^st century, documents of the 13^th National Party Congress have stressed the importance of continuing to specify and fine-tune democracy in line with the Platform on national development in the transitional period to socialism and the 2013 Constitution. It’s necessary to ensure direct, representative, and grassroots democracy with the motto “people know, people do, people check, people oversee, and people benefit”. The Documents of the 13^th National Party Congress asks Party organizations, social organizations, and civil servants to become role models in exercising democracy, complying with law, and upholding social morality. The Party guidelines and State policies are the political, legal foundation for the people to exercise the right to mastery. The political system led by the Party must respect, ensure, and protect the people’s right to mastery.

Promoting socialist democracy will rally public strength to successfully build socialism and defend the nation. New provisions concerning socialist democracy and promoting national unity stipulated in the documents of the 13^th National Party Congress continue to inspire people toward further national development between now and the celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2030 and the 100^th  founding anniversary of Vietnam in 2045.