The Communist Party of Vietnam has held nine national congresses since its establishment. Every congress was a historical milestone, recording the achievements, lessons and experiences of the Vietnamese revolution.
The first National Party Congress
Tran Phu, Party General Secretary from 1930 1930 to 1931.
Le Hong Phong, Party General Secretary from 1935 to 1936.
Ha Huy Tap, Party General Secretary from 1936 to 1938.
Nguyen Van Cu, Party General Secretary from 1938 to 1940.
The first National Congress of the Indochinese Communist Party was held in Guangong Street, Macau, China, from March 27-31, 1935.
The congress worked out the party's key tasks for the period, which were to strengthen and develop the Party, win the public's support, and protest against imperial wars.
The congress passed the Party's Political Resolution; resolutions on mobilising workers, farmers, young people, women and soldiers, on the Anti-imperial Front, militia groups and ethnic minority people; as well as the Party's Statute; and charters of the Party's mass organisations.
The congress elected a 13-member Party Central Committee with Le Hong Phong as General Secretary. The committee appointed Nguyen Ai Quoc as the Indochinese Communist Party's representative to the Communist International.
The congress was an important historical event, marking the Party's victory in the struggle to maintain and strengthen its organisational system from grassroots to central levels, which was considered an essential condition for the Party to enter a new period of the struggle.
Le Hong Phong was Party General Secretary from March 1935-1936; Ha Huy Tap, from 1936-1938; Nguyen Van Cu, from March 1938-January 1940; and Truong Chinh, from May 1941-February 1951.
The second National Party Congress
The second National Party Congress was held in Vinh Quang commune, Chiem Hoa district, the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang, from February 11-19, 1951.
The congress heard and discussed a Political Report compiled and presented by Ho Chi Minh
Truong Chinh, Party General Secretary from 1941 to 1956 and July 1986 to December 1986.
Other reports at the congress included a report on Vietnam's revolution by Truong Chinh, a report on the Party's organisation and statutes by Le Van Luong, and supplementary reports on the Unified National Front, the People's Democratic Administration, the People's Army, finance-economy, and culture and arts.
The Political Report affirmed great victories of the Revolution, reviewed the Party's leadership and lessons from revolutionary mobilisation periods of the Party.
It highlighted the slogan of wiping out the French colonialism and fighting the US intervention to gain national unification and independence and protect world peace.
The report on Vietnam's Revolution by Truong Chinh analysed the characteristics of Vietnam's society after the August Revolution and during the resistance war against French colonialism.
The congress decided the Party should publicly operate under the new name of the Vietnam Labour Party, approved the Political Programme, Declaration and new Party's Statute.
The new Statute stipulated the Party's aim of developing the people's democratic administration, and taking forward socialism in Vietnam to bring freedom and happiness to workers, labourers and all majority and minority people in Vietnam.
The congress elected a Party Central Committee comprising 19 official members and 10 alternative members. Ho Chi Minh was elected as the Party President and Truong Chinh, the General Secretary.
The third National Party Congress
The third National Party Congress took place when socialist renovation and economic development in the North had obtained great achievements, and the revolution in the South had taken a leap forward.
The congress was held in Hanoi from September 5-10, 1960.
Ho Chi Minh delivered the opening speech, summarising the new tasks of Vietnam's Revolution and stressing that this was a congress to build socialism in the North and fight for national peace and unification. Le Duan presented the Party Central Committee's Political Report.
The congress adopted the tasks and orientations for the first five-year plan and the Party's amended Statute.
The congress elected a Party Central Committee with 47 official members and 31 alternative members.
Ho Chi Minh was re-elected as the Party’s President. Le Duan was elected as the first secretary of the Party Central Committee.
The fourth Party Congress
The fourth National Party Congress (fourth Congress) was held in Hanoi from December 14-20, 1976 after the Vietnamese people had overcome many challenges and won glorious victories. Vietnam was reunified and the Vietnamese revolution ushered in a new stage, when the independent as an unified country would implement the strategy of guiding Socialism.
Le Duan, Party General Secretary from 1960 to 1986.
Le Duan presented the Party Central Committee's political report. The Congress summed up the major lessons drawn from the anti-US war of resistance for national salvation. It was a Congress of a unified Vietnam, advancing the entire nation towards Socialism.
The Congress renamed the Party as "the Communist Party of Vietnam" and the Party's leader as General Secretary instead of First Secretary.
The Congress elected a Party Central Committee comprising 101 members and 32 alternative members. Le Duan was elected Party General Secretary.
The fifth Party Congress
The fifth National Party Congress (fifth Party Congress) took place in Hanoi on March 27-31, 1982 and heard General Secretary Le Duan present a political report.
The Congress reaffirmed its policies towards Socialism and the Socialist economy as set forth by the fourth Congress.
The Congress passed the Party's regulations (revised) and elected a new Party Central Committee comprising 116 members and 36 alternative members.
Le Duan was re-elected General Secretary.
The Congress marked a major renewal in the Party's leadership under a motto "everything for a Socialist fatherland and for people's happiness."
Party General Secretary Le Duan died in July 1986 and was replaced by Truong Chinh after a vote was taken by the Party Central Committee
The sixth Party Congress
The sixth Party Congress was held in Hanoi from December 15-18, 1986 and heard Party General Secretary Truong Chinh deliver a polilical report prepared by the Party Central Committee.
Nguyen Van Linh, Party General Secretary from 1986 to 1991
The Congress affirmed a renewal of the Party's leadership in the spirit of the revolution and of science.
The Congress decided to adjust and supplement some articles of the Party's regulations to fit the new situation, and elected a new Party Central Committee comprising 124 members and 49 alternative members.
Nguyen Van Linh was elected Party General Secretary while Truong Chinh, Pham Van Dong and Le Duc Tho were elected Advisors to the Party Central Committee.
The seventh Party Congress
The Party held the seventh Congress in Hanoi on June 24-27, 1991 amidst complicated domestic and international developments.
The Congress was attended by 1,176 Party members who represented the Party membership of over 2 million across the country. Nguyen Van Linh presented a political report prepared by the Party Central Committee.
The Congress reviewed the implementation of the sixth Party resolution, and worked out orientations, targets and major tasks for the next five year plan.
Do Muoi, Party General Secretary from 1991 to 1997
The Congress passed a political Platform, worked out basic outlines and orientations on the transitional period towards Socialism, passed a strategy for stabilisation and socio-economic development up to 2000. The Congress voted to take Ho Chi Minh Thought and Marxism-Leninism as an ideological foundation and a compass for the Party's action programme, and consider Ho Chi Minh Thought as a creative application of Marxism-Leninism for the situation in Vietnam. The seventh Congress worked out a model of socialist society towards which the Party and people of Vietnam were trying to advance. That is a society where:
- People are masters.
- The economy is developed on the basis of a modern workforce and public ownership of key production materials.
- There is an advanced level of culture full of national characteristics.
- People are liberated from supression, exploitation, inequality, work according to their capacity and get paid according to their work, live a prosperous, free and happy life and enjoy good conditions for personal development.
- All ethnic groups across the country are given equal rights, and should unite and help each other to progress.
- External relations with other nations all over the world are developed.
The Congress approved the Party's regulations (revised).
The Congress elected a new Party Central Committee comprising 146 members.
Do Muoi was elected Party General Secretary.
The seventh Party Congress was considered a "Congress for a Party of intelligence and for renewal, democracy, disciplines and unity."
The eighth National Party Congress
The eighth National Party Congress met in Hanoi from June 28-July 1, 1996.
Party General Secretary Do Muoi, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, delivered a political report to the Congress.
Evaluating ten years of renewal, the congress made great achievements of huge significance. The tasks set by the 7th Party Congress for the 1991-1995 period had been basically fulfilled.
The 8th Party Congress also summed up the major lessons to be learnt and targets to be achieved between 2000 and 2020. The orientations and duties of the five-year plan in the 1996-2000 period were to focus all forces, and take every opportunity to overcome challenges and continue developing the multi-sector economy to operate in the market-oriented economy under the State management in line with socialism.
Le Kha Phieu, Party General Secretary from 1997 to 2001.
The 8th Party Congress concluded that to strive to reach and surpass the targets set in the strategy of stability and socio-economic development till 2000 it was necessary to: boost economic growth, rapidly, efficiently, and sustainably, and to settle urgent issues on society, security and national defence, to improve people’s living conditions, raise accumulations and create a firm basis for higher development in the first half of the next century.
The congress approved the Party’s regulations (amendment).
The congress elected a Party Central Committee with 170 members. Do Muoi was re-elected as General Secretary of the Party, and Nguyen Van Linh, Pham Van Dong and Vo Chi Cong were elected Advisors to the Party Central Committee.
The ninth National Party Congress
The ninth National Congress of the Party was convened in Hanoi from April 19-22, 2001.
The ninth National Party Congress was a congress of intellect, democracy, unity and renewal, manifesting the whole nation’s consistent will and great hope at the important stage of entering the new century.
Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu delivered a report of the Party Central Committee (8th Congress) on documents to be submitted at the ninth Congress: Bringing into full play the strength of the whole nation, continuing with renewal, boosting industrialisation and modernisation, building and defending the socialist country –Vietnam.
The Congress approved the political report, the strategy for national socio-economic development in the 2001-2010 period and the Party Central Committee (8th Congress)’s report on the orientations and tasks of the five-year plan for socio-economic development in the 2001-2005 period.
The Congress also approved the Statutes of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which were amended and supplemented.
The Congress elected the 9th Party Central Committee comprising 150 members.
Nong Duc Manh, Party General Secretary from 2001.
The Congress called on the entire Party, entire people and all the army to value revolutionary heroism, bringing into full play glorious traditions, the strength of unity, of the nation, and of the entire Party, constantly following the objectives of national independence and socialism, taking every opportunity, overcoming challenges, continuing with national renewal, speeding up industrialisation and modernisation, building and defending Vietnam as a socialist country, for a wealthy people, a strong country, a fair, democratic, and civilised society, firmly advancing towards the 21st century. (VNA)