The goal and duty of the Party now is to step up the Doi Moi (Renovation) process to build Vietnam into a powerful, prosperous country and lead the nation to socialism, said General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.
He was speaking at a grand meeting to mark the 80th anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam held in Hanoi on February 2.
President Nguyen Minh Triet, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong, Chairman of Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Huynh Dam, and former leaders of the Party and Government attended the event.
Also present were revolutionary veterans, heroic mothers, and representatives of the capital’s residents.
In his speech, the Party leader reviewed milestones and achievements of the Party over the past 80 years; and expressed profound gratitude toward late President Ho Chi Minh, and soldiers and citizens who have fallen for national liberation.
“Under the Party's leadership, our nation successfully carried out the August Revolution in 1945, eliminating the feudal and colonial regime; setting up the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; and launching a new era of national independence connected with socialism," Mr. Manh said.
“Shortly after the Revolution, colonialists and imperialists continued to invade the country and our Party once again led the nation to defeat them through the two resistance wars, liberating the entire nation, unifying the country, and contributing to the world’s movement for peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress.
“In peacetime, the Party initiated a doi moi policy nearly 25 years ago, turning the country from a poor and backward one into a country that has made great progress in industrialization and modernization, in developing a market economy, and expanding international economic integration.
“The Party’s apposite policies have helped the country successfully overcome the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998 and the global economic turmoil that began in 2008, maintaining growth and securing social security.
“Despite a slowdown in the world’s economy, Vietnam’s income per capita reached US$1,000 in 2008, surpassing the threshold of a less developed country. In 2009, the country achieved a GDP growth rate of 5.32 percent and reduced the poverty rate to 12.3 percent from 58 percent in 1993,” said Mr. Manh.
"Such great achievements over the past 80 years have resulted from the Party’s creative application of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s vision for the country’s development, as well as the tremendous contributions of the entire nation.
"Today, to meet the needs of the country’s development in the fast-changing world economy, the Party, State and people must make great efforts to obtain sustainable and reasonable economic growth, maintain national defense and security, and ensure social welfare.
"Every citizen must show their patriotism and contribute more to the country’s development to build Vietnam into a strong country with wealthy people and a just, democratic and civilized society,” Mr. Manh said.
He also called on every citizen to contribute to the promotion of national unity, building and consolidating the Party, fighting against sabotage schemes by reactionary forces, and protecting the Fatherland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Mr. Manh emphasized that Vietnam constantly applies diplomatic policies on the basis of independence, self-control, peace, cooperation and mutual development, and the country has also adopted multilateralization and diversification of international relations.
This year, Party Committees of all levels will organize their congresses in preparation for the 11th Party congress scheduled to open in January 2011, where the Party will add a supplement to the 1991 Political Program, pass the 2011-2020 Social and Economic Development Strategy, and discuss other important national issues, Mr. Manh said.
In such congresses, persons who have top-level professional skills, good virtues, and are trusted by the people, must be elected to appropriate positions in Party units to strengthen the Party so it can fulfill its duties to the nation, he said.
On behalf of academics and Party members at the meeting, former lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, Professor Ngo Thanh Duong; and Mai Thi Anh Dao, a Party member and student at the Hanoi Foreign Trade University, expressed their confidence in the Party’s leadership and promised to continue studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example and contribute to the country’s development.
Earlier, a high-ranking delegation of the Party, Government, NA, and Fatherland Front Committee paid tribute to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to commemorate the nation’s former leader, who founded, led and trained the Communist Party of Vietnam.
