People play a decisive role in the human social development process. This role is more significant in Vietnam’s socialist revolution which is led by the Communist Party.

That is why the close relationship between the party and people constitutes the most important factor behind the success of the revolution. 

The fish-water relationship

Marxism-Leninism affirms that the history of human social development since social classes were formed is that of a class struggle. The last class struggle is between the proletariat and capitalist class and finally the proletariat will realize their mission which is to dig the grave to bury capitalism. In this struggle, the proletariat must form a vanguard party to lead the class and the whole nation.   

The communist parties established to lead that struggle must be born from workers’ movements with Marxist- Leninist theory.

The Communist Party of Vietnam is the product of Marxism-Leninism and the worker and patriotic movements in the country. At the time of its establishment, the historic mission of the Vietnamese working class was not totally to abolish capitalism but first of all, to lead the whole people to conduct the national democratic revolution, liberate the nation and the class and lead the country to socialism. Not all party members came from the working class but most of them, from peasantry and other laboring strata. That is why the Communist Party of Vietnam is the child of the Vietnamese nation. People from all social strata, classes and ages call it their party. The relationship between the Party and the people is that of fish and water.

The relationship between the leadership and masters of the country

This relationship is special and original. The party is the leader, ruler and servant of the people. Meanwhile, the people follow the party leadership but are masters of their country.

The Communist Party of Vietnam is the cream of workers, other laboring people and the whole Vietnamese nation. It was set up and operates to serve the people and the country, liberate the nation and bring freedom, prosperity and happiness to the people. It came from the people, works for the people’s interest and is closely related to the people. That close relationship has strengthened the party and the nation. This relationship is bilateral and interactive. The people will find a correct path and the revolution will be a success only under the party’s correct leadership. Meanwhile, with people’s support, the party will strengthen itself materially and spiritually to steer the revolutionary boat.

The late president Ho Chi Minh mentioned the people in all his writings and talks of all aspects. He affirmed that people were the roots of the country and the revolution. He said that nothing was more precious than the people. He affirmed that people were the masters of the country who had all powers and forces. He asked government officials at all levels to understand that they were only people’s servants. They had to shoulder the country’s affairs for the people’s interests. They must not oppress the people as officials of the puppet governments under French and Japanese domination. 

The party leads the people and the nation but is their servant as Ho Chi Minh said. The people comply with the party leadership and follow its path, but they are masters of the society and the regime. This dialectical relationship requires the party to have national will, traditional wisdom and conventional morality to lead and serve the people. Meanwhile, the people should realize their right to democracy directly or indirectly through their selected administration and organizations. They must fulfill their citizen’s duty. The revolutionary cause is of the people, by the people and for the people but must be led by the party.

The Vietnamese people have a patriotic, courageous and undaunted tradition. Patriotic movements were repeatedly launched immediately after the French invasion. People’s uprisings were held in all parts of the country involving a great number of people and feudal intellectuals including some mandarins. However, the Can Vuong, Duy Tan, Dong Du and other patriotic movements and Yen The, Yen Bai and other insurrections were all bloodily repressed by French colonialists. This shows that the Vietnamese people are patriotic and ready to support and join movements against foreign invaders. Meanwhile, feudal intellectuals, and the then movement’s leaders were courageous, resourceful and determined. However, all of them, including representatives of the feudal and capitalist class could not solve the national liberation issue. Vietnam’s national liberation cause at that time was in a blind alley without clear-sighted leadership.

However, history helped find an answer. The Communist Party of Vietnam was founded in 1930, marking the combination between the national and class factors and the link between the people and the party. With the party leadership, the people successfully realized their national liberation cause. In their way forward, both the party and people set a common target which is to build a peaceful, independent, free, happy, democratic, fair and civilized country. Embarking on the national independent and socialist road, the party and people have consolidated their relationship and made it the development rule for the party and country.

The root of Vietnam’s strength

Over the last more than 80 years since the establishment of the Party, the Vietnamese people have always trusted and followed it all along the revolutionary process. Under the party leadership, the Vietnamese people successfully conducted the August 1945 Revolution, defeated the French and US imperialists, reunited their country, followed the road to socialism and obtained great achievements in their renovation process.

The party-people relationship has experienced difficulties and hardships. The people have supported the party’s lofty goal of gaining national independence and happiness for them. Meanwhile, the party has taken the people as its root and always cares about their interests. Its guidelines and policies all proceed from the people’s interests.

Their close relationship has developed and become the root of Vietnam’s strength to successfully build the country into a strong, democratic, fair and civilized country towards socialism./.

Prof. Dor. Vu Van Hien, Deputy Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Theoretical Council(VOV)