Part 3: Provisional village heads, enduring responsibility

Parallel to reorganizing residential spaces, the contingent of hamlet and village heads has entered a transitional phase in which many individuals are assigned provisional duties. Official work must still proceed and local residents still require outreach and mobilization, yet the formal leadership position remains subject to an upcoming election process. Caught between a “provisional” title and pressing duties that brook no delay, grassroots cadres must independently build personal prestige, connect communities, and maintain local hamlet and village operations.

One title, dual states of mind

In the days following restructuring, Nguyễn Thị Thủy, provisional head of Tam Vạn hamlet, Sam Mứn commune, has regularly visited residential clusters to conduct outreach and mobilize the public. Formerly serving as Secretary of the Party Cell of Hamlet 3, Thủy understands the local terrain and residents reasonably well. Now overseeing an expanded hamlet, she must familiarize herself with several new residential clusters, including areas where she previously had few opportunities to interact. In her view, the most difficult aspect during the initial phase is not necessarily the increased workload, but figuring out how to help residents across new residential sectors become familiar with her presence, understand her working methods, and coordinate effectively with the person designated in charge. Consequently, during each field visit, beyond disseminating policy orientations and mobilizing citizens for collective undertakings, she takes the opportunity to converse, inquire about daily livelihoods, and listen to the concerns residents harbor post-merger.

During these grassroots visits, Thủy once heard a resident remark frankly: “Right now you are only provisional; in the upcoming hamlet head election, there is no guarantee you will get the job.” She noted that hearing such words made her feel somewhat disheartened at times, but upon reflection, she recognized that residents possess full democratic rights to select their hamlet head. “Hearing residents say that naturally brings moments of sadness. But having been assigned provisional leadership, I focus on doing my job well first. Whether the villagers choose to elect me later on is entirely their prerogative,” Thủy shared.

With that perspective, she consistently visits each residential quarter. Certain matters demand repeated explanations, and some households require follow-up visits to ensure thorough exchanges. She also proactively consults individuals who previously served as hamlet heads and Party cell secretaries across the former hamlets, as they understand the people, the terrain, and the issues uppermost in the minds of residents. “Having just taken charge of such an expansive area, I cannot grasp everything immediately. Those who worked in the former hamlets understand the villagers better, so seeking their advice and asking them to join in mobilization efforts makes work far smoother,” Thủy remarked.

In Huổi Tao village, Pu Nhi commune, Quàng Văn Đức was assigned as provisional village head following the consolidation of Huổi Tao A and Huổi Tao B, encompassing nearly 200 households. Taking up duties right when village boundaries were redrawn, his primary focus is ensuring collective work remains uninterrupted, with residents across both former areas kept informed and engaged. When deploying shared tasks, he proactively consults cadres who previously oversaw Huổi Tao A and Huổi Tao B to establish unified methods. “Now that two villages have merged into one, being the designated lead means shouldering responsibility for both sides. When there are matters I have not fully grasped, I consult the men and women who served in the old villages; they understand the people and individual household circumstances, so their feedback is very practical,” Đức explained.

The primary difficulty for Đức does not lie in the number of households added, but in how a new village head must adapt to a community that historically maintained two distinct ways of living. He must execute assigned duties while preserving balance among residential clusters, ensuring villagers perceive that their interests and voices receive equal attention post-consolidation. Đức noted: “Serving in a provisional capacity means one must work with even greater seriousness, as villagers observe our conduct to make their assessment. If we act fairly and discuss everything transparently, residents will understand and cooperate.”

Beyond Thủy and Đức, many hamlet and village heads across Điện Biên are performing provisional duties while awaiting personnel consolidations. Most communes have yet to conduct formal village head elections, while in newly formed units, grassroots tasks arise every day. Disseminating policy guidelines, tracking developments, mobilizing residents, and resolving emerging disputes all demand someone to step forward directly. Those assigned must fulfill immediate operational obligations while gradually building rapport and consensus within the new community. Cadres who were previously attached to the former hamlets and villages also serve as a vital support resource, assisting new leaders in understanding the population, mastering local conditions, and bridging residential clusters after restructuring.

Preventing an extended “vacuum”

Observing Tam Vạn, Huổi Tao, and numerous other restructured hamlets and villages, consolidating leadership at the residential cluster level is clearly not merely about filling a title, but bears directly upon the operational efficacy of the newly formed entity. With broader perimeters, increased household counts, and former communities placed within a single administrative unit, hamlet and village heads require an established standing and public consensus to organize collective endeavors.

In Nậm Kè commune, restructuring reduced the total number of villages from 21 down to 12. To date, after nearly three months of operation, the newly formed villages have not conducted formal elections for village heads. Provisional appointees continue to shoulder daily responsibilities, ranging from policy outreach and situational monitoring to mobilizing public participation in communal programs. In areas fragmented by steep topography where each village spans substantial physical distances, the role of cadres maintaining a direct presence on the ground and staying close to the people becomes all the more critical.

Tẩn Láo Sử, provisional head of Pá Mỳ village, stated that the entire village comprises 188 households with nearly 1,000 residents. Serving in a provisional capacity does not diminish the scope of daily responsibilities. From announcing fresh policy orientations and urging compliance with civic regulations to mediating minor community disputes, everything must be handled promptly to prevent disruptions to public life. “Residents are accustomed to seeking out the village head whenever matters arise. Even without a formal election yet, our responsibility toward the people remains unchanged. What we hope for most is the swift completion of leadership consolidation so the grassroots machinery stabilizes, facilitating smoother execution of duties,” Sử shared.

Nguyễn Tiến Thành, Chairman of the Nậm Kè commune People’s Committee, remarked: “Over the past period, comrades assigned to provisional oversight have consistently fulfilled their responsibilities, ensuring that community affairs suffer no interruption. However, this remains a transitional phase. Once formal elections are held, residents will directly choose figures they trust, and cadres will execute their mandates with greater confidence. The commune will soon direct villages to prepare and organize village head elections in line with regulations to bring stability to the grassroots apparatus.”

Điện Biên province currently counts 888 hamlets, villages, and residential groups, a reduction of 558 units compared to the pre-restructuring period. Streamlining has reduced the volume of administrative units, but it has by no means lessened the requirements placed upon personnel working directly at the grassroots. On the contrary, in many localities, a single hamlet or village head must oversee a larger volume of households, a wider geographic perimeter, and more diverse population groups. Consequently, village leaders require not only experience, but the capacity to connect, listen, and mobilize communities that formerly belonged to separate administrative entities to participate in shared undertakings.

Nguyễn Tiến Đạt, Director of the Department of Home Affairs, emphasized that following restructuring, the cadre force in former hamlets and villages should not be viewed narrowly through who retains an official title and who does not. Individuals who previously served as hamlet heads, village heads, or Party cell secretaries can continue leveraging their experience and communal bonds through roles as reputable elders, participating in mediation, policy dissemination, mobilization, and assisting new leaders in grasping local conditions and organizing work. In large-scale villages with multiple residential clusters, enlisting the participation of experienced figures prevents the entire burden of communal affairs from resting upon the shoulders of a single individual.

The Director of the Department of Home Affairs maintained that the provisional status should be defined strictly as a transitional interlude that must not drag on. Once formal leadership is established, citizens know precisely who carries primary accountability, and cadres enjoy the conditions needed to exercise greater initiative in their work. Selecting hamlet and village heads must therefore be grounded in the specific attributes of the consolidated unit rather than relying solely on experience within a single former hamlet. Leaders of newly formed villages must possess the capacity to link disparate residential quarters, build consensus, and secure the trust of the local people.

Field realities across restructured hamlets and villages demonstrate that the provisional phase presents fresh demands for both designated appointees and commune-level administrations. Yet forming a cohesive community requires far more than adopting a new administrative name. It demands a leader with sufficient prestige, a coordinated team, and mechanisms enabling genuine public participation in communal affairs. When that is achieved, consolidating village leadership does not merely fill a vacant post, but provides the grassroots administrative apparatus with a dependable foundation for stable operation. Even so, once leadership is formalized, another pressing question remains: how can sufficient public spaces be created to bring the newly consolidated community together, ensuring that policies reach the people directly without passing through disjointed layers?