The first General Election was a vivid testament to the building of a socialist democratic state, while also establishing a firm legal foundation for the revolutionary government.
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The first General Election held on January 6, 1946, with people nationwide eagerly voting for the first National Assembly (Photo: hanoi.gov.vn) |
Throughout thousands of years of history, the Vietnamese people were always in a disadvantaged position in their relationship with those who held state power. As subjects under the feudal system, who dared to raise their eyes to look at the king? As slaves in a semi-feudal colony, what rights did the people have beyond oppression and the whip? Then, with the August Revolution and the ballot in hand to elect the first National Assembly, the Vietnamese people stood upright, affirming their right to be masters of the State that is of the people, by the people, for the people.
Over the past 80 years, our State has fulfilled its promise to the people. From a poor and backward colony, exhausted by the devastation of war, Vietnam has now risen into the group of upper-middle-income countries. Vietnam’s international standing has been steadily enhanced. The people’s living standards have continuously improved, with material and spiritual needs increasingly better met.
However, the challenges ahead remain immense. To achieve a growth target of over 10 percent in the coming period, institutional innovation and more decisive, effective administrative reform are required. Economic development at a higher level must simultaneously deliver better material and spiritual living conditions for the people. In their relationship with the State, and specifically with state officials and civil servants, the people must maintain their position as the true masters. The principle of “the people know, the people discuss, the people do, the people inspect, the people supervise, and the people are benefited” must be effectively implemented. It must not be allowed that the people have to ask for what they are entitled to enjoy.
Preserving the nature of our State and the essence of the relationship between the people and the State means preserving and promoting the values of the revolution, consolidating the people’s trust, and laying a solid foundation for the enduring existence of our State and our system, thereby ensuring the country’s sustainable development.
By Editorial Board of the People’s Army Newspaper
Translated by Mai Huong