Vietnam PM tenders resignation before term
VIETNAM'S Prime Minister Phan Van Khai today asked the National Assembly to officially accept his resignation one year before the end of his term.
"I do hope that the National Assembly will approve (my resignation)", Mr Khai told parliamentarians during a speech broadcast live on national television.
The 72-year-old Khai, who has served two terms since 1997, said on the sidelines of the opening session of the National Assembly last month that he would retire.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, 56, has been groomed for the top job for years. He is due to be appointed prime minister in the coming days, party sources said.
In theory, Mr Khai could have stayed in the job until July 2007. But his departure was almost obvious after he left the politburo and central committee of the ruling Communist Party during the last national congress, in April.
"Because I am old now, I had a wish of not being a member of the party's central committee anymore and my proposal was accepted", Mr Khai said at the time.
"The central committee also accepted my proposal to ask the National Assembly to approve my resignation before ending my term, and choose a candidate ... for the job," he said.
During Mr Khai's nine years as prime minister, Vietnam has benefited from a reform policy of "doi moi," or renewal.
Formally launched in 1986, this saw gross domestic product (GDP) expand by 8.4 per cent last year, the fastest rate in South-East Asia.
The communist country hopes to join the WTO before November, when it hosts an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, its largest ever international meeting set to be attended by world leaders including US President George W. Bush.
His designated successor, Dung, has held key security and economic positions.
A former governor of the state bank, he will now have the task of running the country of 83 million people as it appears set to join the global trade club and open its doors to international competition.
In what could be his last speech as prime minister, Khai admitted today to some failures, especially in the fight against corruption.
"I am very worried about the serious continuation of wastefulness, bureaucracy and especially corruption in the state apparatus ... hindering the progress of our nation and threatening the survival of our system," he said.
As prime minister, "failing to early detect and prevent serious and prolonged (corruption) cases, I would like to admit my mistakes and my irresponsibilities before the people, the party, the government and the National Assembly," he said.
Vietnam has been rocked this year by a scandal in which millions of dollars, including foreign funds intended for infrastructure projects, were syphoned off by the transport ministry's now notorious Project Management Unit 18.
The transport minister was forced to resign. His deputy and several other officials have been detained.
Agence France Presse - June 16, 2006.
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