Vietnam to Become Semi-presidential System?

[Viet]

A quiet evolution is going on towards a semi-presidential system if approved by the National Assembly, similar to France and Russia: powers are divided between president and prime minister.





Proposed amendments expand President’s power

TUOITRENEWS| Tue, October 30, 2012,12:26 PM (GMT+0700)

President Truong Tan Sang (front R) with top leaders visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi before the National Assembly session this month (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Vietnam’s state President will have more influence with the power to appoint army generals and admirals under a proposed amendment to the current Constitution as being discussed by the National Assembly.

The nine proposed changes to the 1992 Constitution were read out loud by chairman of the Legislative Committee Phan Trung Ly yesterday (October 29) during the on-going fourth session of the 13th National Assembly, the country’s top law-making body, in Hanoi.

Only the President has power to appoint generals.

Accordingly, the President “leads the military forces and holds the position as chairperson of the National Defense Commission and Security”. He/she will have the power to appoint generals, admirals, vice admirals, rear admirals; appoint chiefs of staff, or chairpersons of the General Political Department of the People’s Army.

The President also has the power to abolish regulations issued by the Government or by the Prime Minister to ensure unity in the legal system. The President has the right to attend all meeting sessions of the Government besides being able to demand the Government to discuss issues falling within the President’s supervision scope.

Also, the proposal re-affirms Article 103 of the current Constitution regarding the President’s power to recommend to the National Assembly to elect or dismiss Vice Presidents or the Prime Minister.

As for the Prime Minister’s power, he/she is empowered to propose to the National Assembly to appoint or dismiss Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers, deputy ministers or other members of the Government.

The Prime Minister ratifies the appointment of, dismissal of chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of the provincial (city) People’s Committees.

The National Assembly will discuss the suggested changes on the 6th and 15th of November.

Vietnam’s current President is Truong Tan Sang while Nguyen Tan Dung is the incumbent Prime Minister.

The draft rule also affirms Article 4 of the Constitution: that the Communist Party of Vietnam is the vanguard of the working class adhering to Marxism –Leninism and President Ho Chi Minh thoughts. The Party is the leading force of the state and society.

Proposed amendments expand President

 

[ahfatzia]

If the current Presidency of Vietnam is a ceremonial position the change with the same two men in powers might be a little awkward. People in power normally don't like their power reduced or taken away. How about the Party Secretary? Isn't his power ceremonial also?

If you're talking about shared power I like the Chinese system better than the Russian one. The Chinese premier has much more power than his Russian counter part.

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

Just remember to feed the peasants

 

[Battle of Bach Dang River]

Perhaps this is the result of the struggle for power within the top positions of VCP and the relative weak situation of PM Dũng because of his weakness in economic management recently (Vinashin, Vinaline, bad debts of banks growing up ...)

I support the increased powers for the president.
Maybe the next trend will be included two titles of "president" and "general secretary of party" let one man holds them (like China did do).

If the current Presidency of Vietnam is a ceremonial position the change with the same two men in powers might be a little awkward. People in power normally don't like their power reduced or taken away. How about the Party Secretary? Isn't his power ceremonial also?

If you're talking about shared power I like the Chinese system better than the Russian one. The Chinese premier has much more power than his Russian counter part.

Vietnam President has been increased the power significantly in recent years, especially when Mr. Trương Tấn Sang held it.

 

[Viet]

If the current Presidency of Vietnam is a ceremonial position the change with the same two men in powers might be a little awkward. People in power normally don't like their power reduced or taken away. How about the Party Secretary? Isn't his power ceremonial also?

If you're talking about shared power I like the Chinese system better than the Russian one. The Chinese premier has much more power than his Russian counter part.

The proposed law will make the State President clearly as the number #1 holding the most powers!

Let me quote some articles out of the basic laws of Vietnam to better understand how the Vietnamese political systems work.

Basically the National Assembly elects the State President. The President recommends a candidate as Prime Minister to the National Assembly for approval. The elected Prime Minister leads the government.

The term of each legislature of the National Assembly is five years. So every five years the National Assembly decides about the post of the President, and thereafter the Prime Minister.

http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/polopoly_fs/1.90443.1351574769!/menu/standard/file/constitution.pdf




1992 CONSTITUTION OF THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIỆTNAM
(As Amended 25 December 2001)

Article 7
Elections to the National Assembly and the People's Councils are conducted by universal equal and direct suffrage through secret ballot.

Deputies to the National Assembly may be divested of their mandate by electors or by the National Assembly and deputies to the People's Councils may be divested of their mandate by electors or the People's Councils when they are no longer worthy of the people's confidence.


Article 84
The National Assembly has the following duties and powers:

7. To elect, suspend and revoke the President, the Vice-President, the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen and the members of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister of the Government; the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, the Chief Prosecutor of the People's Inspectorate General; to ratify the appointment, suspension and revocation of Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and other members of the Government upon the proposal of the Prime Minister; to ratify the list of members of the Defense and Security Council proposed by the President; and to take a vote of confidence in favor of officials elected or approved by the National Assembly;

8. To decide on the institution and dissolution of the Ministries and other Government bodies.

Article 102
The President is elected from among National Assembly representatives.
The President is responsible and accountable to the National Assembly.

Article 103
The President has the following duties and powers:
1. To promulgate the Constitution, law and ordinances;
2. To assume command of the People's armed forces and the position of Chairman of the Council for National Defense and Security;
3. To recommend to the National Assembly the election, removal or dismissal of the Vice President, the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, and Chief Prosecutor of the People's Inspectorate General;


Article 113
The term of the Government is co-extensive with that of each legislature of the National Assembly. When the term of a given legislature of the National Assembly expires, the Government will continue to perform its duties until the new legislature forms a new Government.

Article 147
Only the National Assembly has the power to amend the Constitution. Any amendments to the Constitution shall require, for their adoption, a majority vote of not less than two thirds of the total number of deputies to the National Assembly.

 

[Hellraiser007]

This development may be a step towards democracy.

 

[Viet]

This development may be a step towards democracy.

As I said it is a quiet evolution. All takes time.

 

[Battle of Bach Dang River]

Except setbacks for freedom of the press and of speech, other political activities I felt it step forward, such as cabinet members were interpellated by Parliament more often with the question quite frankly, even harshly, and be broadcast live on TVs.

 

[ahfatzia]

This proposed amendment if it does put it on a vote will have a great implication on the political struggle between two men, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dang and President Troung Tan Sang. Even the proposal itself is political and because the fact it becomes a proposal, clearly indicates the edge goes to Truong. Now the amendment will force other assembly members to take side on the struggle.

If the amendment goes through the Assembly Troung, the second most powerful man in Vietnam, becomes the number one man. Clearly at this stage of Vietnam politic whoever appoints military generals has the absolute power. If it doesn't come to a vote or fell through the voting Nguyen remains number one. Either way this voting process is not about changing the political system, but rather, the political struggle between two men and the other assembly members are forcing to take sides.

That's why I said earlier if you want constitutional changes the best time to change in an authoritarian state is when both leaders' terms are about to expire if they do expire about the same time. Otherwise some heads will roll if not handled well.

 

[Viet]

This proposed amendment if it does put it on a vote will have a great implication on the political struggle between two men, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dang and President Troung Tan Sang. Even the proposal itself is political and because the fact it becomes a proposal, clearly indicates the edge goes to Truong. Now the amendment will force other assembly members to take side on the struggle.

If the amendment goes through the Assembly Troung, the second most powerful man in Vietnam, becomes the number one man. Clearly at this stage of Vietnam politic whoever appoints military generals has the absolute power. If it doesn't come to a vote or fell through the voting Nguyen remains number one. Either way this voting process is not about changing the political system, but rather, the political struggle between two men and the other assembly members are forcing to take sides.

That's why I said earlier if you want constitutional changes the best time to change in an authoritarian state is when both leaders' terms are about to expire if they do expire about the same time. Otherwise some heads will roll if not handled well.

If I correctly understand the laws, both posts the president as well as the prime minister are about to expire at the same time, after 5 years. They can be re-elected for another 4-year term by National Assembly.

 

[ahfatzia]

Vietnam PM faces unprecedented call to quit

HANOI: Vietnam's embattled premier on Wednesday faced an unprecedented call in the communist-dominated parliament to step down over mistakes in his stewardship of the troubled economy.

It is believed to be the first time ever that a Vietnamese prime minister has been publicly urged to resign by a member of the one-party state's 500-strong National Assembly.

"It's time to take real responsibility not just apologise," lawmaker Duong Trung Quoc said as Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung looked on calmly.

Quoc, an outspoken historian and one of the less than 10 per cent of lawmakers who do not belong to the Communist Party, urged Dung to "start the government's progress towards a resignation culture".

"The people are asking why it seems the prime minister does not value his responsibilities to the people as highly as he does those to the party," he said.

Quoc's comments attracted an outpouring of support on Vietnamese-language online forums and blogs, which are hugely popular in the heavily-censored country, where the communist party tightly restricts political debate.

A second lawmaker, Nguyen Ba Thuyen, said Dung's failure to set out a plan to overcome the country's economic woes had damaged public trust in the Communist leadership.

The growing pressure comes as Vietnam grapples with slowing economic growth, resurgent inflation, falling foreign direct investment and rising fears about toxic debts in the fragile banking system.

Dung, 62, escaped punishment at a key Communist Party meeting last month over a string of scandals that have tainted the country's leadership.

But in an attempt to deflect increasing criticism, the party issued a rare self-rebuke and Dung apologised for corruption, inefficiencies and major losses at state-run giants such as shipbuilder Vinashin.

Responding to Wednesday's rare public attack, a cheerful-looking Dung said that he had never sought high office for himself.

"The party assigned me to continue to be the prime minister," he said, adding that he had been a loyal party member for 51 years.

"I did not lobby, I did not ask for, nor refuse, any assignment given by the party and state," he said.

The National Assembly is currently considering a resolution that could force senior leaders to win a vote of confidence to remain in office, but it is unclear whether the vote would be anything more than symbolic.

Dung, a former central bank governor whose second five-year term was approved by the communist-controlled parliament in July 2011, is said to have become the country's most powerful prime minister ever.

The National Assembly, however, has also gradually become more outspoken. In 2010, a lawmaker called in vain for Dung to face a confidence vote after the near-collapse of Vinashin.

The lawmaker's attack on Dung highlights rising dissatisfaction in Vietnamese society over the political dominance of the Communist Party, according to one Hanoi-based analyst speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.

"What is good for the party is not necessarily good for the people. (Quoc's) question raises a key issue: is the supreme leadership of the party good for the country? And is it the only correct choice?" he said.

Vietnam PM faces unprecedented call to quit - Channel NewsAsia


It seems the whole ordeal has been planned after all, the Presidency will assume the highest power with Truong as incumbent and Nguyen would be the fall guy whether he retains his less powerful position or not

 

[Battle of Bach Dang River]

I watched the questioning session of Vietnam National Assembly for the government members on TVs lastnight.
It seems Vietnam National Assembly is gradually shown their power.

Dũng and his cabinet had some big mistakes, the NAMs asked him steps down instead of just repeating "I admit my political responsibility and apologize to the people"

VCP assigned him PM seat, it does not mean that he should not resign.

If in Japan, PM stepped down without having to ask.

A few years ago, a minister of Ministry of Transport who did not want to resign after NAMs had asked him, but eventually he had to do it because too much pressure of NA and public opinion.

However, I personally think that we should for him an opportunity once again to try to fix his mistakes in the next few years.

 

[Obambam]

I watched the questioning session of Vietnam National Assembly for the government members on TVs lastnight.
It seems Vietnam National Assembly is gradually shown their power.

Dũng and his cabinet had some big mistakes, the NAMs asked him steps down instead of just repeating "I admit my political responsibility and apologize to the people"

VCP assigned him PM seat, it does not mean that he should not resign.

If in Japan, PM stepped down without having to ask.

A few years ago, a minister of Ministry of Transport who did not want to resign after NAMs had asked him, but eventually he had to do it because too much pressure of NA and public opinion.

However, I personally think that we should for him an opportunity once again to try to fix his mistakes in the next few years.

14 November 2012 Last updated at 15:12

Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged to resign

A member of the Communist-dominated parliament in Vietnam has in a rare show of dissent told PM Nguyen Tan Dung that he should resign for his mistakes in handling the economy.

Nguyen Tan Dung dismissed Wednesday's call for him to resign

Duong Trung Quoc said that it was time for the prime minister to take responsibility, not just apologise.

He urged Mr Dung to lead what he called a resignation culture.

Mr Dung responded to the attack by saying the Communist party had appointed him the top job.

"The party assigned me to continue to be the prime minister," he said.

"I did not lobby, I did not ask for, nor refuse, any assignment given by the party and state."

Mr Dung has been grappling with Vietnam's stagnating economy and a string of scandals.

Correspondents say that the attack on the prime minister on Wednesday was so unusual because it was made in front of TV cameras in parliament.

A second lawmaker, Nguyen Ba Thuyen, was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying that Mr Dung's failure to set out a plan to deal with Vietnam's economic woes had damaged public trust in the Communist leadership.

Vietnam is currently battling slow economic growth, high inflation, falling foreign direct investment and rising concern over the high level of debt in its fragile banking system.

Mr Dung, 62, was spared disciplinary action at a key Communist party meeting last month over a series of scandals that have tainted the country's leadership.

His government is accused of overseeing a culture of corruption at state-owned enterprises like Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin) and Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines).

In March, nine top officials were jailed for their roles in the near-bankruptcy of Vinashin.

In September, the former chairman of Vinalines was arrested abroad and extradited for ''alleged economic crimes''.

Mr Dung has been prime minister since 2006 and came into office amid expectations that he would continue economic and political reforms in the country.

However, a global financial crisis two years later saw Vietnam's economy slump after decades of high growth.

BBC News - Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged to resign

 

[Battle of Bach Dang River]

Correspondents say that the attack on the prime minister on Wednesday was so unusual because it was made in front of TV cameras in parliament.

This has been done from several years ago, so far it is normal in Vietnam National Assembly. [live broadcast, then playback at night on many channels].

It is not "dissent", that is the normal operation of the NAMs of the questioning session. It is quite outspoken and even harsh...

BTW: I hope that the next generation that will be the men trained professional economic management, instead of grew-up from the resistance wars.
Today, lot of Drs trained from the west who are working in ministries.

 

[Viet]

Under some new proposed laws, the National Assembly will have the power to impeach the President as well as the Prime Minister by confidence votes (two-thirds of deputies required).


Lawmakers advance bill on confidence votes - News VietNamNet