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Vietnam's assembly shows growing independence with large vote against Communist Party candidate

HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam's National Assembly displayed its growing independence Tuesday with an unusually large vote against the ruling Communist Party's candidate for assembly chairman. Nguyen Van An, the party-selected sole candidate, was re-elected, but 99 of the assembly's 498 members voted against him, an assembly official said.

In the past, the lawmaking body has served largely as a rubber stamp for Communist Party decisions, with near-unanimous votes. But it has gained a degree of independence in recent years, sometimes sending bills back for revisions or deciding to postpone votes. "I want to bring the voice of the people to the assembly," said Luu Thi Giang, a new assembly member.

The newly elected assembly, however, is expected to approve a Cabinet reshuffle prepared by the ruling Communist Party. President Tran Duc Luong and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai are widely expected to have their terms extended, as the Communist Party seeks to maintain stability, in elections on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

The assembly is to vote on other Cabinet posts on Aug. 5. At least seven ministers are expected to be replaced and several new portfolios created. One of the main goals of some newly elected lawmakers is to enourage the assembly to crack down on corruption after the Communist party was rocked recently by a graft scandal in which scores of officials were implicated.

The Associated Press - July 23, 2002.


Re-elected national assembly chairman's biography

HANOI - Nguyen Van An was re-elected Chairman of Viet Nam's National Assembly (eleventh Legislature). Following is his brief biography: Nguyen Van An was born on October 1, 1937 into a poor peasant family in My Tan commune, Nam Dinh city, capital of the same province. He was a former worker at a power plant in Ha Noi.

An joined the Communist Party of Viet Nam on August 14, 1959. He obtained a diploma of electric engineering as well as a diploma of high-level political theory. He can speak Russian, English and French.

- 1954-1960: Worked in the Ha Noi power plant.
- 1962-1967: Studied at university in Donetsk city of Ukraine.
- 1967-1969: Worked at Construction site 8438 of the Ha Noi Electricity Company.
- 1970-1973: Deputy division director, secretary of a Party cell, member of the Party committee and head of its information and training board of the third electricity department, and vice-director of the Nam Ha provincial electricity company. In 1972, he was elected to the position of alternate member of the Nam Dinh provincial Party Committee.
- 1974-1976: Received training at the high-level Nguyen Ai Quoc Party school.
- 1976-1980: Member of the Executive Committee of the provincial Party Committee, head of its Information and Training Department, vice-chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Nam Ninh province and Secretary of Nam Dinh City's Party Committee.
- From November 1980-1987: Deputy secretary of the provincial Party Committee and chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Nam Ninh province. He was elected deputy of the National Assembly (seventh Legislature) and also member of its Economic, Planning and Budgetary Committee. < He was elected to the position of alternate member of the Party Central Committee (fifth Congress), Secretary of the Ha Nam Ninh provincial Party Committee (1982). An was re-elected as member of the Party Central Committee (sixth Congress) (December 1986).
- 1987-June 1996: Deputy chief of the Organizational and Personnel Commission of the Party Central Committee, and member of the Party Central Committee (seventh Congress) (June 1991).
From June 1996 to present: He was elected as member to the Party Central Committee at the eighth national Party congress and elected by the Party CC to serve on the Politburo and act as chief of the Organizational and Personnel Commission of the Party CC. He was also elected deputy of the National Assembly (tenth Legislature).
At the ninth national Party congress (April 2001), he was re-elected to the Party CC and also elected by the Party CC to the Politburo and to the positions of Secretary of the Party CC and chief of its Organizational and Personnel Commission.
An was elected Chairman of the National Assembly (tenth Legislature) at its ninth session in June 2001. He stopped working as Secretary of the Party CC and chief of its Organizational and Personnel Commission.
He was elected as deputy of the National Assembly (eleventh Legislature) in May 2002
At the first session of the National Assembly, An was re-elected Chairman of the National Assembly (July, 2002)

Vietnam News Agency - July 23, 2002.


Newly elected national assembly chairman interviewed

HANOI - Viet Nam's National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An gave an interview to the Viet Nam News Agency (VNA) immediately after he was re-elected as head of the Legislature this afternoon, July 23. Following are questions and answers:

Question: Would you please speak of the most important task and objective of the renewal of National Assembly operations at the eleventh Legislature?
Answer: I, together with the National Assembly, will strive to make the National Assembly's operations more effective. Over the past years, many changes have been seen in its operations and now more changes are needed to enhance democracy, responsibility and unity under the leadership of the Party as well as to build Viet Nam's law-governed socialist state of the people, by the people and for the people in order to step up national industrialization and modernization towards the goal of achieving a strong country, a prosperous people and an equitable and civilized society in Viet Nam. The National Assembly should devise a legislative strategy, making it suitable to the trend of international economic integration and cooperation. It is also necessary for the National Assembly to finalise Viet Nam's legal system as soon as possible, creating a necessary legal corridor in favour of all activities of the people.

Question: In his speech at the opening session of the National Assembly, Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh highlighted the instructive idea of the Party Central Committee about the building of a law-governed state, with a focus on the anti-corruption fight to make the state apparatus healthy. What should you do in your capacity as the National Assembly chairman to carry out this important task?
Answer: Combating corruption to make the state apparatus strong and healthy is a matter of constant concern for the entire Party, government and people. The state of corruption remains arduous in the country. The anti-corruption fight can not be conducted overnight as it is a complicated and difficult struggle that requires the firm and persistent determination and participation of organizations at all levels and people from all walks of life. For the National Assembly itself, the anti-corruption struggle must be concretised through its surpervision of law-enforcement activities and performances of relevant organizations and agencies. By so doing, the National Assembly will uncover all corruption cases and ask the concerned organizations and agencies to deal with them at an early date. The National Assembly will also give priority to completing the legal system. In fact, gaps in the legal system will serve as favourable conditions for corruption to develop. As a result, raising the quality of the legislative work remains a top priority of the National Assembly. National Assembly deputies are required not only to improve their ethical qualifications but also to set an example in abiding by the law and struggling against corruption and other law-breaking acts at any time and in any place.

Vietnam News Agency - July 23, 2002.