11/17/2017

Overview of the Government and

Political System of Viet Nam

Emeritus Professor Carlyle A. Thayer

21st Australian Delegation to Viet Nam
Australian Political Exchange Council
Department of Finance
Canberra, November 3, 2017

Outline of Presentation
Background
Current Political Structure and
Government
Comparison of Vietnamese and
Australian Political Systems
Current Issues
Protocols/Customs

1
 11/17/2017

Background
15th most populous
country 95.9m
(2017)
$556 billion GDP
(ppp) 34th in 2017
$201 billion GDP
(nominal) 47th 2017
Economic growth rate
6.2% (2016)
Poverty rate 11.3%
(2012)

Human Geography
Kinh 85.7%

Tay 1.9%

Thai 1.8

Muong 1.5

Khmer 1.5

Mong 1.2

Nung 1.1%

Others 5.3%

2
 11/17/2017

Still a Developing Country

Organisation Survey Ranking

World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness 55 out of

Report 2017-18 137

Heritage Foundation Index of Economic 63 out of

Freedom 2017 181

World Bank Ease of Doing Business 82 out of

Report, 2017 190

Transparency International Corruption Perceptions 113 out of

Index 2017 176

United Nations Development Human Development 115 out of

Programme Index 2016 188

Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press 175 out of

Freedom Index 2017 180

Current Political Structure

and Government
Leninist one-party/mono-organisational
Dual role elites
Gradual political liberalisation since 1992
No pluralism, multi-parties or opposition
Socialist market economy
Soft-authoritarian

3
 11/17/2017

Administrative Divisions
59 provinces
5 municipalities
Hanoi
Haiphong
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Can Tho

One-Party State

1. Vietnam Communist Party

3. Armed 4. Mass
2. The State
Forces Organisations

4
 11/17/2017

1. Vietnam Communist Party

12th National Congress Nguyn Ph Trng

January 2016 Secretary-General

Party Power Structure

Central
Congress Politburo
4.4 million Committee Secretary
1,510 19
members 200 General
delegates members
members

5
 11/17/2017

VCP Central Committee

180 full and 20 alternate members, Central

Committee required to meet in plenary
session at least twice a year.

VCP Political Bureau 2016

6
 11/17/2017

Vietnams Power elite

Secretary
General

State President Prime Minister

Permanent Chair National

Secretary Assembly
Party Standing
Secretariat Committee

Anything but Dung Coalition

7
 11/17/2017

2. The State

President

Prime National
Minister Assembly

Provincial and
Central
Cabinet Municipal
Agencies
governments

National Assembly
elections held May 20, 2016

Vietnam Fatherland Front sets quotas (896 candidates)

Pre-selection of candidates by Fatherland Front

Centrally and affiliated based nominations includes
carefully selected non-party members (quote 20-50)
Self-nomination
Three-gates register, pre-selection at work and at home
neighbourhood

Independents

Number of candidates/constituency restricted

8
 11/17/2017

Office of the President

President Trn i Quang April 2, 2016

Prime Minister Nguyn Xun Phc

Born July 1954 in

Quang Nam province
Head Government
Office (Cabinet affairs),
2007-2011 Heads
Was one of 5 Deputy Cabinet &
Prime Ministers
Elected by National
Member of
Assembly April 7, 2016 Politburo

9
 11/17/2017

Cabinet - Chnh Ph
(literally government)

Collective leadership and Ministerial responsibility

National
Assembly -
Quc Hi

500 deputies from 64

administrative units
Bi-annual sessions
Five-year term
Nguyn Th Kim Ngn National Assembly
1st female Chair Standing Committee
Elected March 31, 2016

10
 11/17/2017

Rule of Law or Rule by Law?

Proceedings broadcast on radio and television, voting results made

public, full-time deputies, Ministers grilled, legislation amended, two
of the Prime Ministers Cabinet nominees rejected, confidence
vote, reviewed bauxite contract with Chinese firm, high-speed rail
rejected

11
 11/17/2017

3. Vietnam Peoples Army

Explicit role in the political system in Party,

Cabinet, Natiional Assembly, Local Government
\

4.Vietnam Fatherland Front

Mt Trn T Quc
Ho Chi Minh Communist
Youth Union
Vietnam Womens Union
General Confederation of
Labour
Vietnam Youth Federation
Vietnam Farmers Union
Vietnam Veterans Union

12
 11/17/2017

Comparison of Vietnamese and

Australian Political Systems
No separation of power Separation of power
One-party Multi-party
Voting non-compulsory Compulsory voting
Unicameral legislature Bicameral legislature
Politically active armed
forces Politically neutral armed
forces
Mass organisations
state-controlled Civic organisations are
independent
Media state-controlled
Media independent

Current Issues
a. Dead fish/environmental pollution
b. Anti-corruption campaign
c. Human Rights
d. Economic Reform
e. South China Sea dispute/Repsol case

13
 11/17/2017

a. Environmental Pollution

Formosa Plastics chemical

spill, April 2016
Public protests
Slow government response
Compensation an issue

b. Anti-Corruption Campaign

PetroVietnam Construction JSC

$35.2 million fraud
CEO sentenced to death ($14m)
Member of Politburo and Da Nang City official
dismissed

Sacom, Ocean ($94m) and Vietnam Construction

Banks (>$400 million fraud)

14
 11/17/2017

Trnh Xun Thanh

kidnapped in Germany

c. Human Rights

Vague provisions in the Penal Code

Article 79 carrying out activities aimed at
overthrowing the peoples administration
Article 88 spreading propaganda against the
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and
Article 258 abusing democratic freedoms to
infringe upon the interests of the state, the
legitimate rights and interests of organizations
and/or citizens

15
 11/17/2017

Human Rights

36 cases where activists beaten by government

associated thugs (Jan 2015-Apr 2017)

Over 110 prisoners of conscience 2017 (HRW)

Dual citizen stripped of Vietnamese citizenship

Over 21 pro-democracy activists and bloggers arrested

in 2016, at least 17 arrested in 2017 Brotherhood of
Democracy

16
 11/17/2017

d. Economic Reform

Socialist market economy

Proactively pursue global integration with aim to

become middle income country by 2020

Reform of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)

Reform banking sector reduce public debt

Anti-corruption/vested interests (extra-legal)

PM Dungs cronies bankers, real estate salesmen

e. South China Sea Dispute

East Sea in Vietnamese

Vietnam claims sovereignty over Paracel and Spratly

Islands. Occupies 21-21 features (rocks, low tide
elevations)

HD 981 crisis mega-oil drilling rig (May-July 2014)

Repsol of Spain (Talisman-Vietnam) ceased operations

in Vanguard Bank after Chinese intervention

17
 11/17/2017

Protocols and Customs

Hierarchy/Politeness/Face
Photographs welcomed!
Family enquire
Mobile phones
Vietnamese names

Vietnamese Names

Thayer Alan Carlyle

Professor Carl
Duong Hoai NamDeputy Head of
Mission, Counsellor
Address as Mr. Nam
Thi identifies a female
Van identifies a male

18
 11/17/2017

Contact Details
carlthayer@webone.com.au
Mobile: 0437 376 429

Thayer Consultancy
P.O. Box 435
Jamison Centre, ACT 2614

19