Government, Fatherland Front boost ties to enhance national unity

According to a report delivered at the meeting, the coordination between the two sides continued to be strengthened last year. They worked together to effectively implement joint works, especially communication activities among ethnic minority and religious people, organisation of the great national unity festivals, promotion of new-style rural area building and poverty reduction, and raising support for disaster victims.

Supervision and social criticism activities have been carried out in a more effective manner. Meanwhile, coordination in building the Party and administration and fighting corruption became more substantive.

Speaking at the meeting, President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man appreciated Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the Government’s strong support, which he said has created favourable conditions for activities of the VFF and its member organisations from central to grassroots levels.

He expected that the Government and the presidium of the VFF Central Committee will work together more strongly to listen to the voice of people from all social strata, ensure the timely settlement of problems, and attract resources to the care for people.

He also asked for stronger ties to further disseminate law to people, perfect mechanisms and policies to step up patriotic emulation movements, and call on the intelligentsia, entrepreneurs, prestigious persons in ethnic groups, religious dignitaries, and overseas Vietnamese to support the country’s development.

PM Phuc recognised the fruitful coordination between the Government and the presidium of the VFF Central Committee last year. Notably, they paid special attention to the poor, vulnerable groups and disaster victims, thereby helping to gain people’s trust. He also highly valued efforts by the VFF and member socio-political organisations to join the Government in performing socio-economic development tasks.

However, the Cabinet leader also pointed out certain shortcomings in understanding people’s aspirations and settling local problems, noting that the handling of people’s opinions and petitions remains slow and fails to meet people’s expectations.

To fix these shortcomings, he said in 2018, the two sides’ collaboration should focus on intensifying the great national unity bloc and social consensus. They also need to continue communication activities to encourage people to adhere to the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and law, while stepping up patriotic emulation movements to help foster economic growth and ensure social welfares.

The PM told both sides to promote democracy, people’s supervisory role, and social feedback, and collaborate to make people-oriented policies and law. Meanwhile, administrations at all levels also have to work more substantively with the VFF and its member organisations.