11/22/2018

Overview of the Government and

Political System of Viet Nam

Emeritus Professor Carlyle A. Thayer

22nd Australian Delegation to Viet Nam
Australian Political Exchange Council
Department of Finance
Canberra, November 16, 2018

Outline of Presentation

① Background
② Current Political Structure and
Government
③ Comparison of Vietnamese and
Australian Political Systems
④ Current Issues
⑤ Protocols/Customs

① Background

 96.2m - 15th most

populous country –
(2017)
 $647 billion GDP
(ppp) 36th in 2017
 $220 billion GDP
(nominal) 46th in
2017
 Economic growth
rate 6.8% (2018)
 Poverty rate 8%
(2017)

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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%

Still a Developing Country

Organisation Survey Ranking

World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness 77 out of

Report 2018-19 140 (-3)

Heritage Foundation Index of Economic 141 out of

Freedom 2018 180 (+0.7))

World Bank Ease of Doing Business 68 out of

Report, 2018 190 (+14)

Transparency International Corruption Perceptions 107 out of

Index 2017 180 (+6)

United Nations Development Human Development 116 out of

Programme Index 2018 189 (-1)

Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press 175 out of

Freedom Index 2018 180 (0)

② Current Political Structure

and Government
 One party system
 Dual role elites
 Gradual political liberalisation since 1992
 Constitution (amended 2013), new Electoral Law
 No pluralism, multi-parties or opposition
 Socialist market economy
 Soft-authoritarian

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Administrative Divisions
5 municipalities
58 provinces

Hanoi

Haiphong

Da Nang

Ho Chi Minh City

Can Tho

One-Party State

Armed Mass
The State
Forces Organisations

Vietnam Communist Party

4.4 million or 4.5% of population

Vietnam Communist Party

12th National Congress Nguyễn Phú Trọng

January 2016 Secretary-General
13th National Congress Two-term limit
Early 2021

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Party Power Structure

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

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

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Political Bureau 3 Vacancies 2018

Vietnams Power Elite,

1992-2018
Secretary General

President
Prime
Minister

Chair National
Assembly Standing
Committee

‘Four pillars’

The State

President

Chair
Prime
National
Minister
Assembly

Provincial and
Central
Cabinet Municipal
Agencies
governments

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National Assembly
elections held May 20, 2016
 Vietnam Fatherland Front sets quotas
 870 candidates for 500 seats (496 elected)
 35% must be women
 Pre-selection of candidates by Fatherland Front
 762 party members at central and local levels
 97 non-party members
 11 self-nominated/independents
 ‘Three-gates’– register, pre-selection at work and pre-
selection at home/neighbourhood
 Number of candidates/constituency restricted
 99% turnout

National
Assembly -
Quốc Hội

• 500 deputies from 63

Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân
1st female Chair
Elected March 31, 2016
administrative units
• Bi-annual sessions
• Five-year term
• National Assembly
Standing Committee

Two Sessions per Year

Proceedings broadcast on radio and television, voting results made

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

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Vote of Confidence 48 high-ranking Government officials by National Assembly

Chair, National Prime Minister

Assembly

Minister of Minister of
Transport Education &
Training

State President
(two 5-year terms)
Trần Đại Quang. 2016-18 Nguyễn Phú Trọng, 2018-21

From ‘four pillars’ to ‘three pillars’ – Trong holds the office of party
Secretary General and state President concurrently. Positions not
merged officially.

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Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc

• Born July 1954 in

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

Cabinet - Chính Phủ

(literally ‘government’)

Collective leadership and Ministerial responsibility

5 Deputy Prime Ministers

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21 Ministers

Vietnam’s Power Elite,

October 23, 2018-2021?

Secretary-
General and
concurrently
President

Prime Chair
Minister National
Assembly

From ‘Four Pillars’ to ‘Three Pillars’’

Vietnam People’s Army

Explicit role in the political system – in Party,

Cabinet, National Assembly, Local Government
\

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Vietnam Fatherland Front

Mặt Trận Tổ Quốc
•Ho Chi Minh Communist
Youth Union
•Vietnam Women’s Union
•General Confederation of
Labour
•Vietnam Youth Federation
•Vietnam Farmers Union
•Vietnam Veterans’ Union
22 mass organisations and
people’s organisations

③ Comparison of Vietnamese and

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

④ Current Issues
a. Laws on Special Administrative and
Economic Zones and Cyber Security
b. Anti-corruption campaign
c. Economic Reform
d. Maritime Strategy to 2030
e. Party-building
f. Human Rights
g. Planning for next party congress

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a. Law on Special Economic Zones

Mass Anti-China Protests

Erupt Across Vietnam

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)

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Former Oil Executive Kidnapped

from Germany 2017

Trịnh Xuân Thanh sentenced to two life terms

Politburo Member Đinh La Thăng

convicted of mismanagement

Sentenced twice, 13 years plus 18 years, for losses of U.S. 35 million

Real Estate Tycoon Jailed

and Minister Dismissed

Phan Văn Anh Vũ, a real

Minister of Information and
estate tycoon in Da Nang,
Communications Trương Minh
sentenced to 9 years in prison
Tuấn dismissed (23 October
for ‘deliberately disclosing
2018)
state secrets’ (30 July 2018)

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Public Security & Military

 Deputy Minister of  Colonel Đinh Ngọc Hệ

Public Security Bùi Chairman Thái Sơn
Văn Thành, August Joint Stock Company,
2018 August 2018

c. Economic Reform

 Proactively, actively pursue global integration with the

aim to become middle income country by 2020
 Socialist market economy
 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR)

 Reform of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)

 Reform banking sector reduce public debt

 Ratification of Comprehensive and Progressive

Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP 11)

d. Vietnam Maritime Strategy to 2030

Block 118 Blue

Whale ExxonMobil

Block 128 ONGC

(India)

Block 136-03
Repsol (Spain)

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e. Party-Building

7th Plenum Party Central Committee May 2018:

 the building of a contingent of senior officials,
especially at strategic level with sufficient virtue,
capacity and prestige on par with their assigned tasks
in the new circumstance;
 ideological, moral and lifestyle education
 new performance assessment method for officials
 prevent bribery for job titles, fight against individualism
in personnel work
 Timely handling of violations of Party regulations and
State’s law

f. Human Rights

 Vague provisions in the Penal Code

 Article 79 ‘carrying out activities aimed at
overthrowing the people’s 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’

Human Rights

5 members of Coalition for Self- Lê Đình Lượng, environmental

Determination protested Chinese
activity in the South China Sea and the
toxic Formosa spill, charged under
Article 79 of the Criminal Code for
subversion, October 5.
and pro-democracy activist,
sentenced by a court in Nghe An
to 20 years in prison on charges
of subversion, August 16. His
sentence was upheld on 18 Oct
2018.

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Human Rights

Ngô Văn Dũng (Facebook Biển Mặn) awaiting trial for ‘disturbing security’ and
Huỳnh Trương Ca, arrested on September 4 for ’making, storing, spreading
information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State of the
Socialist Republic of Vietnam’ under Article 117 of the Penal Code. Both are
members of Hiến Pháp, a group promoting constitutional rights.

Human Rights

Lưu Văn Vịnh and Nguyễn Văn Đức Độ attend a pro-environment protest,
Linh holds a sign that reads, "Return Clean Sea to the People’. Vinh and Do
entenced to 15 and 11 years, respectively, under under Article 79 of the
1999 Criminal Code for subversion.

Released from Prison/Exiled

Lawyer Nguyễn Văn Nguyễn Ngọc Như

Đài released and Quỳnh, ‘Mother
exiled to Germany Mushroom’, released and
(June 2018) exiled to U.S., Oct. 2018)

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g. Planning for Next National

Party Congress, 2021

 8th plenum of Central Committee (October

2018) established five sub-committees to
prepare for the 13th National Party Congress:
 Congress’ documents;
 Socio-economic issues;
 Party statutes;
 Personnel matters and
 Organisational work.

⑤ Protocols and Customs

Hierarchy/Politeness/’Face’
Photographs welcomed!
Enquire about family
Mobile phones ubiquitous
Commonly used during meetings

Vietnamese Names

 Thayer Alan Carl (Surname, Middle, First

names)
 Vietnamese address me as Professor Carl
 Pham Anh Ngoc and Nguyen Bao Chung
 Address as:
 Ms Ngoc and Mr. Chung
 Thị – identifies a female
 Văn identifies a male

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Contact Details

 carlthayer@webone.com.au
 Mobile: 0437 376 429

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

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