Reflecting oneself in the Party’s mirror

“Reflecting oneself in the Party’s mirror” is an essential practice. As President Ho Chi Minh said, it is like “washing one's face daily”. Doing this well not only helps the Party develop a cadre of members who are both morally upright and professionally competent but also ties directly to the responsibility of the Party cell committee where members work and participate. This mindset aligns with the spirit of Directive No. 50-CT/TW dated July 23, 2025, issued by the Secretariat on continuing to innovate and enhance the quality of Party cell activities in the new period, ensuring that the Party cells always serve as the first filter in “tracking every step and thought” of its members, thereby preventing undesirable consequences when a Party member falls into legal trouble.

Party members of the Binh Giang 1 neighborhood Party cell, Phuoc Long ward, during a Party cell meeting. Photo: Cam Lien

The relationship between the Party cell and Party members according to Ho Chi Minh’s ideology

From the founding days of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh consistently emphasized the importance of building and training the Party’s cadre. He affirmed that establishing strong grassroots Party organizations and developing a contingent of Party members with the necessary qualities and comprehensive leadership capacity to meet the demands of the revolutionary cause has always been a core task of the Party. This endeavor, he emphasized, is the "root" that determines the success or failure of the revolution. At a conference held in June 1966 to review three years of building “4-good” Party cells and grassroots Party organizations, he stated: “Only with good Party members can there be good Party cells,” and stressed that “to have good Party members, Party cells must regularly educate each comrade.”

Here, the relationship between the Party cell and its members is dialectical, like “two sides of the same coin,” closely intertwined and inseparable. This relationship exerts mutual influence and reinforcement in carrying out the Party’s tasks for the people through the connection between Party members and the Party cell. For a Party cell to effectively lead, educate, and manage its members in order to fulfill the tasks assigned by higher-level Party committees to the people, it must rely on the members’ compliance, adherence, contributions, and fulfillment of their duties. Conversely, a Party member wishing to carry out their assigned tasks must closely follow and rely on the Party cell’s leadership, education, and direct, regular management.

Thus, it can be seen that over nearly 100 years of leading the Vietnamese revolution, the Party has consistently focused on managing this relationship effectively through its Political Platforms, Party Charter, regulations, directives, and conclusions, aiming to make the Party increasingly pure and strong, so that the Communist Party of Vietnam serves not only as the vanguard of the working class but also of the entire Vietnamese nation.

Where is the Party cell when a Party member violates the law?

Story 1: At a school-based Party cell with nearly 20 members, every Party member held at least a university degree, was well-trained, and had a firm grasp of the Party's policies and the State’s laws. Year after year, both the Party members and the cell itself were rated as clean and strong. These results reflected the collective efforts of all members in their official duties, Party activities, and daily interactions with the public. However, the unexpected happened. One day, a competent State agency requested a meeting with the school’s representative regarding a Party member who had violated the law, an offense serious enough to fall under the provisions of the Criminal Code. At that moment, the head of the Party cell was truly “confused, tongue-tied, and completely passive,” unable to comprehend what had occurred. The Party member in question had appeared entirely normal in daily life, showing “no signs or behavior” that would have placed them under the cell’s “attention, monitoring, or reminder” categories. On the contrary, this member was known to be particularly “meticulous,” with numerous contributions to the Party cell and the broader Party committee, earning the satisfaction of higher-level leaders. It was only after the working session with the competent State agency, when the reasons behind the Party member’s legal violations were disclosed, that things gradually began to “make sense” for the Party committee and the cell secretary.

Story 2: In another Party cell at a research institute, most members were young, highly knowledgeable in science and technology, and very active in youth and organizational activities, participating in many groups inside and outside the agency. They were even praised by partner organizations in joint movement activities. One day, the police came to the agency to verify personal records and investigate several Party members for abusing citizens’ democratic rights and infringing on the lawful interests of individuals and organizations. Specifically, the authorities alleged that members had livestreamed, commented, and defamed another citizen on social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok. Even after being warned by the affected citizen to stop, they continued, encouraging colleagues to comment and share illegal content. The Party cell only learned about the violations when the police arrived to execute temporary detention orders. Until then, the Party cell believed these actions were ordinary personal behavior.

Story 3: This incident took place in a Party cell within a centrally managed agency and involved a female Party member with nearly 15 years of Party membership. She was highly active in both Party cell work and her official duties at the agency. In addition, she ran a “side business” selling imported goods on social media, earning admiration from many colleagues for her “sharpness” in keeping up with social trends. Thanks to her large customer base, she generated a very high personal income. This Party member was not only well regarded by her peers but was also seen as an “ideal role model” for younger staff at the agency. Her online sales activities would have raised no concern had they complied with legal regulations, until one day, the tax authority issued a summons regarding false tax declarations involving tens of billions of VND, tax evasion, and losses to the state budget. After several unsuccessful attempts to meet with her, the tax authority transferred the case to the investigative police for further legal proceedings. Only then did the story come to light, and it was at that moment that the Party cell and its leadership became aware of the violation, reacting with disbelief as the truth “came to light.”

Helping Party members and Party cells reflect in the Party’s mirror

From the above stories, it is evident that the Party cell is the fundamental unit and foundation of the Party, its political nucleus at the grassroots level, the closest body to the people, and directly responsible for leading and implementing the Party’s guidelines and policies in daily life. It also plays a central role in fostering a close-knit relationship between the Party and the people. Therefore, improving the quality of Party cell activities is a crucial and highly significant task, contributing to the development of a clean, strong, and comprehensive Party capable of fulfilling its leadership role and mission in guiding the nation toward prosperity in the new era. In the face of emerging challenges, particularly as Vietnam implements a two-tier local government system, the responsibilities of Party members and Party cells have become increasingly critical and demanding in meeting their duties to the Party and the people. Recognizing this significance, on July 23, 2025, the Secretariat issued Directive No. 50-CT/TW on continuing to innovate and enhance the quality of Party cell activities in the new period. The directive outlines specific measures aimed at helping Party members and Party cells reflect on themselves through the mirror of the Party.

It can be seen that the three small stories in different Party cells, with varying circumstances, conditions, levels, cases, and behaviors, share a common factor: a lack of education, supervision, and inspection by the Party cell where members are active. Only when Party members repeatedly violate the law do the Party committees experience the “shocking” and “belated” consequences, affecting not only the Party members but also the Party cells. The proper implementation of tasks “starting from the Party cell” will play a crucial role in efficiently addressing and gradually resolving the issue of “Where is the Party cell when a Party member violates the law?” This undertaking embodies the spirit of Directive No. 50-CT/TW, which calls for continued innovation and enhanced quality of Party cell activities in the new period, as recently mandated by the Secretariat for implementation across the entire Party.

By Thanh Hien, Hien Mai - Translated by Dang Huyen, Minho