Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Sat, 25 Jul 1992 06:28:05 PDT
From:         "Indonesia Publications/Task Force" <apakabar@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      VN: Elections & Democracy
X-To:         seasia-l@msu.edu

/* Written 12:04 am  Jul 25, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "VIETNAM: INCHING TOWARDS DEMOCRACY" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Opecna Morning Transmission
Title: VIETNAM: INCHING TOWARDS DEMOCRACY


bangkok, jul 22 (ips/yuli ismartono) -- the recent national assembly
elections in vietnam raised some hopes that the south-east asian
bastion of communism could be slowly but surely moving closer
towards democracy.

only two out of the 602 candidates vying for the 395 legislative
seats on sunday were independents, but their participation is seen
as a first, though small step towards greater political freedom.

''it may not seem much to the world, but to us it means changes
are slowly but surely coming,'' said a vietnamese journalist in
hanoi.

the polls may hold special hope for the vietnamese in the south,
who saw their u.s.-backed government fall to the victorious northern
forces in 1975, uniting the country under the communist party's
leadership.

this was the first election since a new constitution was enacted
last april, aimed at transforming the national assembly into a more
effective legislative body.

the party is currently experiencing a drastic drop in membership.
at the seventh party congress last year, just a little more than two
million cadres were reported, and few new recruits have since
joined.

according to the 'nhan dan' newspaper, out of 226 party
committees in the provinces, 57 have not admitted a single new
member in the past few years.

the new constitution liberalised the selection process of
candidates by allowing mass organisations such as youth and women's
groups to nominate their own candidates, rather than rubber-stamp a
list approved by the communist party's fatherland front.

''this is in line with the party's policy of making the
government more democratic within existing party structures and
without questioning its leadership,'' said a bangkok-based vietnam
watcher.

officials admit candidates must still undergo a strict process,
having to meet the major criteria of being ''absolutely faithful to
the socialist fatherland of vietnam... (and) determined to renovate
the country following the directions of socialism'', the official
army newspaper 'quan doi nhan' said recently.

reflecting the desired changes, however, over 48 percent of the
candidates had university degrees, 22 percent were women, up from 17
percent in the last elections five years ago, and representation
from minority ethnic groups rose from 12 to 17 percent. (more/ips)



vietnam: inching (2)

and for the first time, candidates were required to appear before
their constituents to answer questions publicly, mostly complaints
on corruption, unemployment and poor social services.

''this election is more democratic than before... the quality of
the candidates is higher and democracy has been widened,'' communist
party chief do muoi told reporters after he cast his vote on sunday.

but with its members accounting for 90 percent of the candidates,
the communist party remains the dominant political group, while 38
out of the 40 independents were disqualified or withdrew after
failing to get the proper backing from authorities.

under election rules, an independent candidate must first be
endorsed by the people in their respective neighbourhoods and places
of work, then get final approval from the fatherland front.

''it's true the elections are much freer than before,'' said a
young vietnamese man. ''but we still have a feeling that something
is imposed from above.''

still, with over 90 percent of eligible voters turning up on
election day, officials hailed it as the most democratic poll to
date.

observers in hanoi said the government spared no expense in
ensuring a high voter turnout, putting up colourful banners at 158
electoral districts around the country. it also offered free bus
rides to voters in rural areas and placed special ballot boxes in
hospital wards.

the 'nhan dan' newspaper even reported that troops stationed at
the distant spratly islands, currently a source of conflict between
hanoi and beijing which both lay claim to the south china sea island
chain, were also able to vote.

analysts say the small number of independent candidates allowed
to run in the polls indicate the party's bid to dampen hopes for
political liberalisation which may have been inspired by the
government's revolutionary free market reforms in 1986.

following the example of singapore, where the government ruled
with a political iron hand while rapidly developing the economy,
vietnam's leaders are pushing economic reforms while gradually
allowing political freedoms.

''we have renovated politically, and will continue to renovate,
to organise a state of the people, by the people, for the people,''
said do muoi. (end/ips/yi/ln/92)
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