Emulation Congress opens in Ha Noi

Emulation Congress opens in Ha Noi

(05-10-2005)

Ha Noi — The seventh National Emulation Congress opened in Ha Noi yesterday with the participation of 1,270 delegates who are role models and exemplars in all spheres of society.

Among senior Party and Government officials attending the meeting were Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An, and Fatherland Front Central Committee President Pham The Duyet.

The Congress will review the five-year implementation of the national patriotic movement of 2001-2005 and extol collectives and individuals who have excelled in their fields.

In his speech opening the Congress, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai praised the solidarity and bravery of people in all sectors, including the armed forces and security forces for the high level of preparedness recently in countering Tropical Storm Damrey.

Khai said, “Our people have manifested their fibre and noble characteristics.”

Achievements in the past 20 years of doi moi (renewal) were the results of the emulation of people's creativity across the nation, said Khai. The emulation movement had accelerated the cause of industrialisation and modernisation and advanced social progress and equality, Khai said.

Viet Nam had set a target to become an industrial nation by 2020, and to make this into a reality, Viet Nam had tried to develop its culture and consolidate national defence and security while expanding its diplomatic relations and maintaining political and social stability.

Also addressing the Congress, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh emphasised the great significance of the emulation movement in the struggle for national liberation in the past and in the present cause of building and defending the socialist homeland. Manh said, “We have successfully raised the emulation movement to a new height . . . . The movement has taken deep root in all sectors ranging from economics, culture and society, to national defence and security, internal affairs and diplomacy, building the political system and building the Party.”

In this new era, we need to inject new contents and modes into the movement, Manh said. But the movement should be oriented towards achieving political goals in service of the development objectives of the economy, culture, education and the consolidation of national defence and security.

“The socialist-oriented market economic does not hamper the emulation movement. Instead, it acts as a catalyst to the movement,” Manh said. It was the mechanism that had allowed us to combine spiritual and material motivations to create new internal strengths.

Manh said participating in the movement was both the responsibility and right of the every citizen and Party member. The Congress, he said, was an occasion to share experiences and draw lessons learned for every person, family, and collective in the homeland. Success stories and role models were shining examples for others to follow.

In her report, Vice President Truong My Hoa said that, in the past five years, the emulation movement had taken deep root in all sectors and sizeably contributed to the implementation of targets and plans for socio-economic development as well as national defence and security.

In five years, 274 collectives had been awarded the title of Hero, of which 174 received the designation of Labour Hero and 100 received the title of Hero of the Armed Forces; 75 individuals were bestowed Hero titles and more than 1,650 individuals and collectives received other honourary titles.

Hoa said the revolution was the cause of the people, so the emulation movement should also gear towards encouraging all citizens and the entire political system to take part in socio-economic activities and in national defence and security.

In the afternoon, Hoa met with international delegates from Cuba, Laos, China, Russia, and Cambodia, as well as Viet kieu (overseas Vietnamese) who attended the Congress. On behalf of the Party, the State and Vietnamese people, Hoa thanked all for helping the Vietnamese people in building and protecting the country. — VNS