VOV.VN - The Communist Party of Vietnam has opened its draft political documents for nationwide public consultation, a move that reflects the Party’s effort to broaden democratic input and show greater openness ahead of its 14th National Party Congress.
For the first time, it has invited nationwide feedback through the government’s digital identification app VNeID. The new format allows citizens to contribute comments directly online in addition to traditional channels such as conferences, written submissions and public forums.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Cuong, deputy head of the Party Building Institute under the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, said the diversity of consultation channels is expected to bring more varied perspectives and that the digital mechanism represents a leadership shift toward placing public input at the centre of policy planning.
“This is not a cosmetic process,” said the political analyst. “Each channel of feedback reflects citizens’ responsibility toward national development, and the Party’s intention to listen in order to refine a concise, practical and coherent document.”
One of the draft’s key themes is strengthening national self-reliance amid global instability, ranging from pandemic disruption to intensified geopolitical competition. Critics claim that the goal of “self-reliance” is rhetorical, arguing that Vietnam remains dependent and externally constrained.
Dr. Cuong said recent experience shows otherwise. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted, domestic agriculture sustained nearly 100 million people amid global supply shortages, while the military and police played key roles in maintaining logistics and community support.
In the defence sector, he added, Vietnam has mastered multiple core technologies, citing indigenously developed high-tech equipment showcased at a recent military exhibition near Hanoi. “Self-reliance is not a slogan. It is happening in practice,” he said.
The draft also proposes a significant theoretical shift, by adding the theory of renovation policy based on the country’s nearly four decades of economic reform to the ideological foundation alongside Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought. In addition, four previous congress reports will be merged into a single integrated document aligned directly with the action program,e following the congress.
According to Cuong, the move reflects more than procedural adaptation. “Summarizing reform from 1986 to 2026 contributes not only to Vietnam’s development path but may also add to global theoretical discussions within the international labour and socialist movements,” he said.
For the first time, the draft sets a National Happiness Index as a development target, alongside quantifiable economic benchmarks through 2045 and a 50-year outlook. The scholar said measurable goals are designed to prevent vague policymaking and enhance accountability.
“When goals are quantified, citizens have the right to evaluate and demand responsibility,” he explained. “If targets fall short, accountability must be clear; if they are exceeded, claims of credit or blame-shifting are avoidable. This establishes a transparent mechanism linking the Party, the State and the people.”
Cuong emphasised that the open consultation, accessible to citizens at home and abroad, including through automated translation tools, demonstrates a willingness to receive broad input. However, he drew a distinction between constructive contributions and attempts to exploit the process for political disruption.
“Feedback that serves the national interest and aligns with people’s development priorities will be welcomed,” he said. “But misinformation or distorted claims meant to undermine the consultation cannot be considered constructive.”
VOV.VN - Party General Secretary To Lam has called for stronger application of digital tools and scientific and technological advances in the process of collecting public feedback on proposed amendments to the 2013 Constitution.
VOV.VN - Vietnamese authorities have recently summarised the results of collecting feedback from officials, Party members, and the people on the draft documents for the coming 14th National Party Congress, covering the period from October 15 to November 6.
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