Trần Thanh Mẫn (third from right), Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, in August visited and presented financial support to five poor households in the rural commune of Gia Nghĩa Commune, the Central Highlands province of Đắk Nông. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngọc Minh

At the onset of the National Congress of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, Trần Thanh Mẫn, President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Central Committee, speaks to Vietnam News Agency on the front’s achievements in the past five years and their key missions in the new term

What are the main achievements the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has achieved from 2014 to 2019?

In the five year term, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has always held high its role and responsibility as is regulated in the Vietnamese Communist Party guidelines and the Vietnamese Constitution, the Law on the Việt Nam Fatherland Front as well as all documents adopted by the Vietnamese Party and State. Together with other mass and political organisations, the Việt Nam Fatherland has acted as a mainstay in the course of national socio-economic development, national defence and security, and other areas.

Besides, in the five years under review, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has worked closely with other Government agencies and mass organisations in the national campaign for poverty alleviation.

In the last five years, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has acted as an active member in all diplomatic activities of the Party and Government. The Việt Nam Fatherland Front has constantly renewed activities towards the grassroots level.

Building national unity is an important task of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front. How has the front performed in this regard in the last five years?

Great national unity is a strategic political line of the Vietnamese revolution. It has become a strong motivation and driving force in the course of national construction and defence. The living conditions of Vietnamese people have steadily improved and their patriotism has been well preserved while their confidence in the Party and Government has been constantly consolidated.

In the last five years, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has co-operated closely with all Government agencies and institutions in launching many dissemination campaigns calling on Vietnamese people from all social strata to join hands to create a Vietnamese unity bloc.

Annually, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has co-operated with Government agencies and mass organisation to launch a monthly campaign 'For the Poor' through a live TV programme. Such a campaign has received strong support from all people and organisations inside and outside Việt Nam.

What are the challenges that the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has faced in the term?

One of the most important missions of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front is to carry out mass organisation campaigns to encourage the people to follow the Party and Government's policies and guidelines in the fields of environment, food safety, traffic safety, law and order enforcement, and others.

Other very important tasks/missions are to carry out supervisory activities and social arguments in the society as a whole. However, these activities have not been done as well as they should have been, particularly at the district and grassroots levels. In some localities, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front has failed to act as a representative to protect the rights and interest of the people or to take initiatives’ in organising meetings and dialogues between local Party cells or administrations with the people.

All chapters of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front nationwide should act as the people’s representatives to protect their legal rights and interest. The Việt Nam Fatherland Front should constantly renew itself and adopt workable programmes for the interest of all its members and society as a whole.

What will be the key activities for the front in the 2019-24 term?

The theme of the 2019-24 term is 'Unity-Democracy-Renewal and Development'. Activities of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front in the term will focus on the following five missions:

First, to concentrate on the task of consolidating national unity in the course of building and defending the Vietnamese homeland.

Second, to launch a campaign to call on Vietnamese people to participate in the national emulation campaign to carry out the country’s socio-economic programmes set for the 2019-24.

Third, to ensure democracy is well practised to protect the rights and interest of the people, including their right to freedom of speech.

Fourth, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front should uphold its role in the country’s policy of people diplomacy along the motto of 'be proactive, creative and effective'.

And fifth, Việt Nam Fatherland chapters nationwide should renew their activities toward the goal of a strong Việt Nam Fatherland Front - a true representative of the Vietnamese people. — VNS