The meaning of renovative thoughts in the national history for the development and perfecting of the Party's theory on the path of renovation

Prof., Dr. NGUYEN HUNG HAU
Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics

1. Introduction

Throughout the long history of the Vietnamese nation, our ancestors carried out numerous reforms, renewals, and renovations (generally called doi moi), with the most notable being the renovations of the Khuc family in the 10th century, by Ly Cong Uan in the 11th century, by Tran Thu Do in the 13th century, by Ho Quy Ly and Le Thanh Tong in the 15th century, by Trinh Cuong in the Northern Region and Dao Duy Tu in the Southern Region in the 17th century, by King Quang Trung in the 18th century, by King Minh Menh and Nguyen Truong To in the 19th century, and by Phan Chau Trinh in the 20th century. The content of these renovations has been mentioned by many research works; Therefore, this article only analyzes their significance for building and perfecting the current renovation path.

2. The significance of renovations in history

Firstly, all renovations in history share a common starting point: the need to renovate our thinking, mindset, and vision.

Nguyen Truong To was a reformer who went from reformative thinking and progressed to reformative action. Le Thanh Tong, Quang Trung, Tran Thu Do, Minh Menh, etc., were all forward thinking, talented strategists, and were unafraid to challenge the unprecedented. This is extremely significant for development of the renovation policy of the Communist Party of Vietnam, as it follows the path of our ancestors’ traditions.

At the beginning of the renovation process, our Party also advocated a renovation in thinking, primarily economic thinking, in order to eliminate the mechanism of bureaucratic centralization and subsidies, paving the way for production development. Ultimately, thinking is a reflection of objective reality, and a reflection of practical life; However, real life is always changing; Therefore, to accurately reflect it, thinking must be always change and be renovated. Since the 6th National Party Congress (1986), and in subsequent congresses, our Party has always focused on and promoted renovative thinking. The 13th National Party Congress proposed 12 strategic orientations, the first of which is to continue to renovate thinking.

Secondly, for the renovations throughout our nation’s history, the role of the leader, particularly the leadership methods of the ruling class, is extremely important, relating to the survival of the state and the regime.

Le Thanh Tong, Quang Trung, Tran Thu Do, Minh Menh, and Nguyen Truong To, etc., recognized this and constantly renovated the ruling class’s methods. This is extremely significant in perfecting the renovation policy of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The Party always advocates building and rectifying itself to be clean, strong and to improve its leadership and ruling capacity in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization, cadres, inspection, supervision, combating corruption, waste, negativity, renovation leadership methods, and tightening the relationship between the Party and people.

In the Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, our Party clearly stated: “The work of building and rectifying the Party shall be implemented vigorously, comprehensively, synchronously, and regularly (...) to improve the Party’s leadership and governance capacity. The Party’s power and fighting power (...) regularly renovate the Party’s leadership methods. Building a clean and comprehensively strong State and political system; perfecting the mechanism to strictly control power; resolutely and persistently fight against recession, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” internally; Promote the fight against corruption and wastefulness. Personnel work must truly be “the key of the key”, focusing on building a contingent of cadre at all levels, especially strategic-level officials who are qualified, capable and reputable, on par with their tasks and missions; Cadres and party members must carry out their responsibility lead by example according to the motto that the higher the position, the more exemplary it must be”(1).

Thirdly, all renovations throughout our history aimed at overcoming crises, bringing stability to society, and ensuring a prosperous and happy life for the people. Ultimately, renovation is for the people’s lives.

Minh Menh believed that “people are the root of the country”, thus, it is necessary to “love what the people love and hate what the people hate”; “Politicians cannot go against the will of the people”. According to him, officials wore brocade clothes and ate delicious food, but the people who were hungry and poor were not happy; The enemy was not as worried because the people were hungry. From then on, he required mandarins to truly and constantly take care of the people, to correct their daily work, to be devoted to their assigned positions, and not to use empty words. He severely punished corrupt officials that harassed the people, because if even one person was forgiven, then others would disregard the law. “Corrupt officials are the worms of the people, and robbers arise because of them”, “Eliminating the wicked to bring peace to the people is the immediate task of governance”(2). The purpose and responsibility of the state apparatus is to ensure the people’s prosperity and peace. Thus, reform, renewal, and renovation must come from the people and for the people, with the goal of ensuring the stability of the dynasty, improving the people’s lives, bringing peace, and happiness to everyone. This is immensely significant for the building and perfecting the Communist Party of Vietnam’s theory and policies of the renovation, as our Party inherits the positive ideas of our ancestors. Consequently, the Party advocates that in all work, we must always deeply grasp the concept of “the people are the root”; truly believe, respect and promote the people’s right to mastery, persistently implement the motto “the people know, the people discuss, the people do, the people check, the people supervise, the people enjoy”. The people are the center and subjects of renovation, constructing, and protecting the Fatherland; All guidelines and policies must truly come from the lives, aspirations, legitimate rights and interests of the people, making the people’s happiness and prosperity the goal for which to strive”(3). If previous renovations focused on building a contingent of mandarins to protect the country and secure the people, the 13th National Party Congress clearly states: “Focus on building a contingent of qualified cadre and civil servants with sufficient capacity, and prestige, to serve the people and the development of the country”(4).

Fourthly, one of the aspects of previous renovations was to strengthen inspection and supervision, and resolutely fight against corruption.

During the reigns of King Le Thanh Tong and King Minh Menh, inspection and supervision of mandarins were organized regularly and flexibly organized. The regular inspection and supervision apparatus was carried out by functional agencies such as Ngu Su Dai (Supervising agency), Do Sat Vien (surveillance agency), Bo Hinh (Ministry of Justice), and Luc Tu (6 high-ranking courts), etc. When a locality experienced corruption or “hot issues”, the King would immediately send imperial envoys to inspect and resolve them. The leaders of these delegations were all reputable people, often very fair and strict.

Inspection and supervision were not only carried out externally, but also through internal measures. Le Thanh Tong once said to the mandarins in the court: “If you are a corrupt official, the people will resent you, bringing bad energy instead of peace. Thus, this evil shall be resolutely eliminated.” Building an objective and fair inspection and supervision apparatus, the mechanism of inspection and supervision over mandarins was divided into two groups: the internal self-inspection and supervision mechanism, and the external inspection and supervision mechanism over mandarins. Inspection and supervision ensured high independence, objectivity, and real authority for royal historians, helping them evaluate and judge mandarins objectively, according to their merits and crimes.

The Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, in the section “building and rectifying a clean and strong Party, improving the Party’s leadership and ruling capacity”, includes the 7th content: “Continuing to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of inspection, supervision, and discipline over party members”(5).

Through inspection, we can promptly detect and propose solutions to problems or errors in performing assigned tasks, eliminating cumbersome and overlapping procedures that can easily be exploited for corruption, causing difficulties for the people, organizations, and controlling corruption in agencies and units, especially corruption in the land sector.

Fifthly, in history, especially during previous renovations, there has been an emphasis on valuing people who dare to speak frankly, tell the truth, and are fair and objective for the common good of the nation and the country.

Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu (The Complete Annals of Dai Viet) records that Tran Thai Tong’s success in retaking the country was thanks to the efforts of Tran Thu Do; therefore, Thu Do’s power overshadowed the king. At that time, someone came to see Tran Thai Tong, crying and saying: “Your Majesty is still a child and Thu Do has power over the king, what will happen to society?” Thai Tong immediately went to Thu Do’s palace, bringing this person with him and told Thu Do everything the man had said. Thu Do replied: “What he said is true”. Then, reward the man with silk and money(6).

Another story involves upholding and emphasizing the law. Linh Tu, the mother of the country, Tran Thi Dzung (Tran Thu Do’s wife), once sat in a palanquin to pass through the forbidden threshold, and was stopped by the military guard. She returned to the palace and cried to Thu Do: “I am your wife but was yet the military guard disrespected me? Thu Do immediately sent someone to arrest that guard. That guard thought he would be killed. Upon the guard’s arrival, Thu Do question him in front of Linh Tu, and the guard answered truthfully. Thu Do said: “You are in a lowly position but upheld the law, how can I blame you?” Having finished speaking, Tran Thu Do gave gold and silk to the guard’s family as a reward send him home(7). Thus, Thu Do put aside his personal matters for the sake of the common good.

Once, while Thu Do conducted a review of the population, Mrs. Quoc Mau asked for a specific person to be appointed as Cau Dang (minor official in the commune). Thu Do nodded and clearly wrote down that person’s full name and hometown. When the review reached that commune, he immediately asked where that person was, and that person happily ran over. Thu Do said: “ “You were appointed as Cau Duong because the princess requested it for you, so you cannot be like other Cau Duong. You must have a toe cut off to be distinguished from others !” That person pleaded and was forgiven. From then on, no one dared to visit Thu Do for personal favors anymore(8).

Inheriting the traditional quintessence of the nation, when starting the renovation process at the 6th National Party Congress (1986), our Party advocated looking straight at the truth, properly evaluating the truth, and clearly stating the truth. This policy is thoroughly upheld throughout all subsequent congresses. At the 13th National Party Congress, our Party also advocated encouraging and protecting those who dare to think, dare to speak, dare to do, dare to take responsibility, dare to renovate - be creative, dare to face difficulties and challenges, and act decisively for the common good.

Sixthly, Le Thanh Tong was the first king to promulgate and implement the policy of “Hồi tỵ: Rule of avoidance policy to prevent mandarins from forming factions and engaging in corrupt acts based on personal relationships, thus renewing the political and official systems of the state.

In the Hong Duc Code (also known as the Le Trieu Penal Code), the court stipulated “Rule of avoidance” clauses: fathers and sons, teachers and students, brothers, husbands and wives, in-laws, etc., were not allowed to be officials in the same place, or organize examinations together.

During the reign of the Nguyen Dynasty, to ensure the strict implementation of the “Rule of avoidance”, King Minh Menh established specific regulations to deter and punish mandarins who violated the regulations. The “Rule of avoidance” regulations were are applied very specifically, the subjects and scope of application were broad, and the sanctions were strictly applied, contributing to strengthening the state apparatus and thus preventing, factionalism and collusion in sensitive matters, such as recruitment, rewards, promotions, and corruption. This is immensely significant for building and perfecting the current renovation path. Objectively speaking, in the early years of the renovation process, we did not pay much attention to this issue; However, recently we have been vigorously implementing this policy from our ancestors and achieving positive results.

Seventhly, the issue of using talented people in history holds profound significance for building and perfecting the current renovation path.

Looking back at history, King Le Thanh Tong introduced a policy for selecting virtuous and talented people and successfully chose talented mandarins, avoiding the disease of “buying mandarins and selling titles”. To ensure no talented people were overlooked, he also stipulated: “If the 6 high-ranking court departments, the supervising agency, the surveillance agency, the Ministry of Justice, etc., make bad recommendations, they will be subject to demotion or dismissal. If they recommend good people, they will surely be rewarded.” King Quang Trung often issued decrees to seek out talents.

King Minh Menh believed that talented people are the backbone of the nation, therefore, the country values talented people above all else, more than precious gems. During his 21 years as the king, he issued 4 decrees to seek out talented people and every year he asked mandarins for recommendations. In the matter of promotion and recommendation, impartiality and fairness were paramount, and decisions were made publicly in the court, setting aside all personal relationships. He decreed: “recommend gentle and talented individuals, knowing precisely, without favoring relatives or avoiding enemies shall be promoted; even if not fond of someone, appoint them, and if detested, still dismiss them”(9).

Not only did they select talented people, but our ancestors also had methods of employing people that is still meaningful and valuable until this day. King Minh Menh believed that he had to be open-minded and tolerant thus making the talents of the world his own; At the same time, he had to dismiss flattery and sycophancy/ Typically, people only know their own fullness, and don’t care about the joys or sorrows of others. That’s why people forget their own mistakes and focus on blaming others. A king, rich over the four seas, should not only seek his own pleasure but also think of others’ hardships, understanding that extreme pleasure should be avoided, desires should not be indulgent to ensure that the people do not resent and that the kind can enjoy long lasting peace. The king advised that if something benefits the people, do it at will without fear of wrongdoing, provided it is not a crime(10). According to him, employing people is like a good craftsman using wood, you should not disregard a big piece of wood because of a small amount of rot in it. When evaluating people, based it on their words and deeds, not on personal feelings.

The lesson of selecting and employing talented people and the advice that if it is beneficial for the people, do it at your own discretion, if it is not a crime, still has great topical significance in building and perfecting our Party’s theory of renovation today. The 13th National Party Congress stated that it is necessary to “create a fundamental, strong, and comprehensive change in the quality of education and training associated with mechanisms for recruiting, using, and treating talented people”(11). The document also states that there must be “a breakthrough mechanism to attract and utilize talented people”(12); There needs to be a “mechanism for selecting, training, attracting, and appreciating talented people”(13). Talents are the vital energy of a nation; Without talent, the country cannot develop quickly and sustainably.

So, what breakthrough mechanisms to attract and utilize talented people? Is there a mechanism for selecting, training, attracting, and appreciating talented people? The Documents of the 13th National Congress also pointed out that we “have not created a favorable environment to promote creativity and attract talents”(14). These are issues we need to discuss in depth, to implement, and bring resolutions to life.

3. Conclusion

In the nation’s history, there have been many reforms and renovations carried out, each with its own historical mission, as they were essential need of each historical period. Each era and each historical period had different contexts and different management requirements that require specific and appropriate renovation goals and measures. Although, in each period, the authorities had different goals and methods, they all aim at the common desire to make the country prosperous and the people well-off and happy.

After nearly 40 years of renovation, “We have made great achievements of historical significance, developing stronger and more comprehensively than in the years before the renovation process. With all humility, we can still say: Our country has never had the same fortune, potential, position and international prestige as it does today”(15). This proves that “our Party’s renovation path is correct and creative”, so let us “steadfastly continue to comprehensively and synchronously promote the renovation process. Continuing to develop and perfect the theoretical framework of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s renovation policy, based on applying and inheriting valuable lessons from historical reforms, is a correct choice with both theoretical and profound practical significance.

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Received: January 2, 2024; Revised: February 19, 2024; Approved for publication: February 27, 2024.

Endnotes:

(1), (3), (4), (5) (11), (12), (13), (14), (15) CPV: Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, vol.I, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, pp.95-96, 27-28, 178, 118, 204, 110, 179, 83, 25.

(2), (9), (10) Nguyen Hung Hau: Traditional Vietnamese philosophy, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2017, pp. 362, 365, 364-365.

(6), (7), (8) See: Complete History of Dai Viet, vol.II, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 1998, pp.34, 35.