Vietnam

I

Communications

There are 10 national daily newspapers published in Vietnam, including Nhân Dân Daily (“The People”), the official paper of the Communist Party, published in Hanoi with a circulation of 200,000, and the Saigon Times Daily (10,000), published in Ho Chi Minh City. Around 191 telephones per 1,000 people were in use in 2005. Two national radio stations broadcast from Hanoi and one from Ho Chi Minh City. There are an estimated 8 million radios and 15 million televisions throughout the country (2000 figures). Communications in Vietnam are under the broad control of the state.

V

Government

A constitution enacted in 1992 assigns to the Communist Party a leading role in Vietnamese government and society. The party acts through the Vietnam Fatherland Front, which includes representatives of the nation’s political parties, trade unions, and social organizations.

A

Executive and Legislature

Under the 1992 constitution, the head of state is a president, elected by the legislature from among its members; as commander of the armed forces, the president chairs the Council on National Defence and Security. The prime minister, who heads the government, appoints a Cabinet, subject to legislative approval. Real political power is located within the structures of the Communist Party, led by the Secretary-General. In 1998 the Communist Party announced the creation of a five-member Politburo Standing Board, comprising an inner core of high government officials.

The unicameral National Assembly, composed of 498 members, is the highest legislative body in Vietnam. It is led by a chairman. Governmental appointments are ratified by the legislature, which is elected for a five-year term.

B

Political Parties

The Vietnamese Communist Party is the leading political institution. All legislative candidates must be approved by the Vietnam Fatherland Front. A few independent candidates stood in the 1997 elections to the legislature, without success. Two such candidates were successful in the 2002 elections.

C

Judiciary

Judges of the people’s courts are elected to their offices. Organs of Control can initiate prosecutions against governmental bodies or individuals deemed to be violating the law. The highest court in Vietnam is the Supreme People’s Court.