World > Asia > Vietnam > Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

Vietnam - Government and Political Conditions (Notes)

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS A new state constitution was approved in April 1992, reaffirming the central role of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in politics and society, and outlining government reorganization and increased economic freedom. Though Vietnam remains a one-party state, adherence to ideological orthodoxy has become less important than economic development as a national priority. The most important powers within the Vietnamese Government--in addition to the Communist Party--are the executive agencies created by the 1992 constitution: the offices of the president and the prime minister. The Vietnamese President, presently Nguyen Minh Triet, functions as head of state but also serves as the nominal commander of the armed forces and chairman of the Council on National Defense and Security. The Prime Minister of Vietnam, presently Nguyen Tan Dung, heads a cabinet currently composed of three deputy prime ministers and the heads of 26 ministries and commissions, all confirmed by the National Assembly. Notwithstanding the 1992 constitution's reaffirmation of the central role of the Communist Party, the National Assembly, according to the constitution, is the highest representative body of the people and the only organization with legislative powers. It has a broad mandate to oversee all government functions. Once seen as little more than a rubber stamp, the National Assembly has become more vocal and assertive in exercising its authority over lawmaking, particularly in recent years. However, the National Assembly is still subject to party direction. More than 80% of the deputies in the National Assembly are party members. The assembly meets twice yearly for 7-10 weeks each time; elections for members are held every 5 years, although its Standing Committee meets monthly and there are now over 100 'full-time' deputies who function on various committees. There is a separate judicial branch, but it is still relatively weak. Overall, there are few lawyers and trial procedures are rudimentary. The present 14-member Politburo, elected in April 2006 and headed by Communist Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, determines government policy, and its Secretariat oversees day-to-day policy implementation. In addition, the Party's Central Military Commission, which is composed of select Politburo members and additional military leaders, determines military policy. A Party Congress, which most recently was comprised of 1,176 delegates at the Tenth Party Congress in April 2006, meets every 5 years to set the direction of the party and the government. The 160-member Central Committee (with an additional 21 alternate members), was elected by the Party Congress and it usually meets at least twice a year. Principal Government Officials President--Nguyen Minh Triet Prime Minister--Nguyen Tan Dung National Assembly Chairman--Nguyen Phu Trong Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs--Pham Gia Khiem Ambassador to the United States--Nguyen Tam Chien Ambassador to the United Nations--Le Luong Minh Politburo (Tenth Party Congress Politburo, named April 25, 2006; listed in the order it was announced, including the individuals? current positions.) General Secretary of CPV Central Committee, 10th Party Congress--Nong Duc Manh Minister of Public Security--Le Hong Anh Prime Minister--Nguyen Tan Dzung State President--Nguyen Minh Triet Standing Secretariat Member--Truong Tan Sang National Assembly Chairman--Nguyen Phu Trong Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs--Pham Gia Khiem Minister of Defense, General Chief of Staff--Phung Quang Thanh Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman, Party Internal Affairs Commission--Truong Vinh Trong Secretary of HCMC Party's Committee--Le Thanh Hai Standing Deputy Prime Minister--Nguyen Sinh Hung Secretary of Hanoi Party's Committee--Pham Quang Nghi Chairman, Party Organization and Personnel Commission--Ho Duc Viet Chairman, Party Control Commission--Nguyen Van Chi Vietnam maintains an embassy in the U.S. at 1233-20th Street, NW, #400, Washington DC 20036 (tel. 202-861-0737; fax 202-861-0917); Internet home page: www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/. There is also a consulate general located in San Francisco at 1700 California Street, Suite 430, San Francisco, CA 94109 (tel. 415-922-1707; fax 415-922-1848; Internet homepage: http://www.vietnamconsulate-ca.org/home.asp.