The landmark of solidarity, wisdom and discipline of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) was shaped right from its founding in the early 1930(1). The founding of three communist organizations in Vietnam, which were the Indochina Communist Party (founded 17 June 1929), An Nam Communist Party (founded in August 1929), Indochina Communist Federation (founded 29 December 1929), was the result of coordination of Marxism - Leninism and the workers’ and patriotic movement of Vietnam. However, the presence of three communist organizations in the same country also contained the risk of dispersion and separation. The event of unification of the communist organizations in Vietnam in the early 1930 was a good, timely and extremely necessary rally of force. From that time, Vietnamese revolutionary force was oriented and integrated into a united force. This force was also multiplied by the fact that the CPV, from the beginning, had the correct Political Platform. Seven basic contents of the First Political Platform are as follows:

- Goals and the revolutionary path of Vietnamese revolution is carrying out national liberation and agrarian revolution, overthrowing feudalism and advance to communism (“carrying out bourgeois civil-right revolution and agrarian revolution to go to the communist society”(2)).

- The guideline theory of Vietnamese revolution is Marxism - Leninism.

- The leading force of Vietnamese revolution is the CPV, “The vanguard of the proletarian army”(3), “The vanguard of the proletarian class”(4).

- The joint forces of Vietnamese revolution is the whole nation of Vietnam (excluding bands of traitors to the Vietnamese nation and reactionary bands), irrespective of gender, wealth, religion, region, in which peasants and workers are the basis of the revolution.

- Drafting a new Vietnamese society following the revolution victory, which is a socialist society (the first phase of communism).

- The method of conducting Vietnamese revolution is violent revolution.

- As for international relations, Vietnamese revolution is part of the world revolution; the CPV must have close ties with the world proletariat.

The above-mentioned seven fundamentals reflect not only the wisdom of a new political party right in the moment of its establishment, but these very contents also made the core, the rallying point for the CPV’s solidarity strength and for Vietnamese revolution in general.

Established in the early 1930, with the Platform and Regulations, the CPV soon became part of the Communist International, which helped to form the Party’s discipline and multiplied the Party’s solidarity strength.

Thus, the three factors of solidarity, wisdom and discipline created “the troika” to form the capability and spirit of the CPV. One factor would make the background and promote and strengthen other factors, and vice versa. The unity of these three factors is the best beginning of a very new political organization in Vietnamese colonial - feudal society in the early 1930s of the 20th century. These three factors opened new cultural values of a Marxist - Leninist party, the beginning of fine traditions of the CPV.

The designer and founder of the traditions of solidarity, wisdom and discipline of the CPV was the leader Nguyen Ai Quoc (Ho Chi Minh), who later was honored by the whole Party and people of Vietnam as “a great national Hero”, and also was honored by the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of the United Nations (UNESCO) as one of the outstanding figure. In 1987 UNESCO issued a Resolution for celebrating the 100th Birthday of Ho Chi Minh and assessed him as “the national liberation Hero and outstanding Culturist of Vietnam”.

Along with the founding of the CPV in the early 1930, Ho Chi Minh actively assumed responsibility as “the envoy of the Communist International who has full rights to decide all matters relating to revolution movement of Indochina”(5) to overcome fragmentation and separation of communist organizations in Vietnam. In the late 1929, from Thailand, Nguyen Ai Quoc arrived in Hong Kong to fulfill his responsibilities. He convened the Conference of the Party establishment, drafting the documents of this conference, which constituted the First Political Platform of the Party. Ho Chi Minh not only laid the foundation, but also was the most active person who along with the Party, strengthened the traditions. With such responsibility and great merits, Ho Chi Minh became the leader of the CPV and of the whole nation, becoming the flag for rallying all forces for the revolution becoming the nuclear for the Party’s solidarity strength, becoming “the brain” for creating wisdom of the Party. Ho Chi Minh also became the power for implementing the action principles in pursuance of discipline of a true communist organization.

It is unable to say that an organization or a community has traditions if its values  have got eroded, faded and changed for the worse. 85 past years are stages in which the CPV has promoted and multiplied the values of solidarity, wisdom and discipline.

The CPV has always focused on implementing the recommendation of President Ho Chi Minh in his Testament: “Thanks to the close solidarity and the whole-hearted devotion to people and the Motherland, right from its establishment, the Party has united to organize and lead the people to eagerly struggle and advance from one victory to another. Solidarity is an extremely valuable tradition of the Party and people. All comrades, from the level of the Party central committee to the Party cells must preserve the unity of the Party as the iris of your eyes. Wide implementation of democracy together with regular and serious self-criticism and criticism inside the Party is the best way for consolidating and developing the Party’s solidarity and unity. Besides, mutual comradeship must be built and preserved”(6).

Firstly, solidarity, wisdom and discipline must be based on the Platform, guidelines and organization and action principles of the CPV.

The socialist-oriented political institution of Vietnam was established in accordance with what was drawn in the First Political platform of the Party and was officially formed when the Party became the ruling party following the August Revolution in 1945. The political institution which the entire Party and people are trying to strengthen and develop must be firmly based on Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought; based on the Marxist - Leninist party-building principles; based on Scientific socialism.

These are three most fundamental issues in perception and action of the CPV and, in general, of the whole Vietnamese society today. These are also the focal point for gathering all the forces that create solidarity, wisdom and discipline of the Party, making the Party have more leading and fighting capacity.

Therefore, the CPV is the most essential and fundamental point. And consistent attention on strengthening and developing solidarity, wisdom and discipline of the Party is the prerequisite for maintaining the current political institution. In turn, the CPV must focus on forming right platforms and political lines; must strengthen and operate well the Party organization according to the Marxist - Leninist principles and Ho Chi Minh Thought; must have a contingent of cadres and party members who are fully responsible, have good intellect, virtue and talent.

In the past 85 years, the CPV has successfully carried out the above-mentioned tasks and become a crucial element for the success of Vietnam revolution thanks to the scientific and revolutionary nature of the Party, and thanks to the promotion of fine traditions. Solidarity, wisdom and discipline of the CPV in the past 85 years are shown through the Party’s leading the whole army and people to stand up in the struggle for seizing power and establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, leading Vietnam to a new era: the era of national independence and socialism. The Party has led Vietnamese people from slavery to national mastery and led Vietnam to be well-matched with the nations struggling for independence, peace and social progress; thus, the CPV become the ruling party with a pioneer and steady contingent in the communist and international workers movement. The Party has led the whole army and the people to conduct the resistance wars against foreign invasion for national liberation, country unification, bringing the whole country to advance to socialism in accordance with epochal trend.

Secondly, the renovation course in the past 30 years is a continuation of traditions of solidarity, wisdom and discipline of the Party.

With its capability and spirit, the Party has gathered wisdom from the people to initiate the renovation course for the goals of building socialism (officially started from the 6th National Party Congress in December 1986). The renovation guideline of the CPV, which was operated and supplemented to be increasingly bettered in almost 30 years, has proved such wisdom. The CPV has enriched its intellect through creative application and development of Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought; and has considered these theories the fountainhead to infuse its strength. The CVP has also grasped and summarized the realities of Vietnam and the dynamic development of the world to always supplement and enrich its theoretical issues and renovation guideline.

The historic achievements of 30 years of implementing the renovation course have shown the solidarity strength of the Party itself united with the spreading of solidarity strength to the whole society to become a great and solid strength of the entire nation. This nationwide power then has been combined with advantage of the epoch to form the universal strength for making victory of the renovation. Celebrating 85 years of establishment of the CPV, Vietnam is proud that the whole Party and people have excellently implemented the strategic thoughts of President Ho Chi Minh: The great unity makes the great success.

More than ever, in nearly 30 years of renovation, the CPV has continued to form and strengthen its contingent to firmly serve as a vanguard, steady and disciplined force of the working class, working people and the whole Vietnamese nation; to be a steady contingent of the international communist and workers movement. The CPV has consistently kept communist goals and ideals despite endless challenges, even when the world socialist system collapsed.

Realities of 30 years of renovation, which were made by the Party and people, have significance for more cultivating traditions of solidarity, wisdom and discipline of the Party in the past 85 years. These values are the adoption and improvement of the traditions which were began from the establishment of the CPV in Spring 1930.

There are still many limitations in development stages of the Party. Elsewhere in certain circumstances, the CPV still shows its weakness because it does not yet rally the solidarity strength; is still young and weak in wisdom; is still loose because the discipline is not strict. However, given what was experienced, tested and challenged in the past 85 years, the Party will certainly continue to grow up and the baggage of the Party in the 21th century, as well as in the next centuries, is still the three sources of power of solidarity, wisdom and discipline.

Loss of solidarity is loss of all things. Poor intellect makes it impossible to take pioneering role of the working class, people and the entire country. Without discipline, the Party is no longer a fighting organization. In such awareness, the sustainable developmental constant of the CPV and people of Vietnam is solidarity, wisdom and discipline.

Prof., Dr. Mach Quang Thang

The Institute of Party History,

Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics