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Democracy of the Vietnam’s electoral system
Democracy of the Vietnam’s electoral system
2/11/14
As Hong Kong protests are demanding their own voting rights,
we just take a look at our electoral system. How do we choose our leaders? And
does it take place democratically? In my opinion, Vietnam’s voting system is quite
democratic in its own way.
First, let see what the West countries, who
always consider themselves democracy, talk about us. They say Vietnam is a
communist state, right, a single-party
state, one-party state, one-party system, or single-party system. It is a type of
state in which a single political party has the right to form the
government, usually based on the existing constitution. All other parties are
either outlawed or allowed to take only a limited and controlled participation
in elections. Sometimes the term de facto single-party state is used to describe a dominant-party system that, unlike the
single-party state, allows democratic multiparty elections, but the existing
practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from
winning the elections. Maybe they are right, I must confess.
Vietnam elects on national level a head of state
- the president
- and a legislature.
The National Assembly has 498 members, elected for a five-year term.
Vietnam
is a single-party state. This means that only one
political party, the Communist Party of Vietnam is legally
allowed to hold effective power. The president is elected for a five-year term
by the parliament. More than 99% of all candidates were selected by Communist
Party and most of them were from the party.
Perhaps one of the most important ideas to go
global over the last century has been “democracy”. The simple idea that every
adult has the right to vote on a regular basis for those who they wish to
govern them is a powerful one. For example, the current turmoil in the Middle
East in part reflects the desire of populations, long afflicted with the rule
of a corrupt elite, to have a say in the choice (or rejection) of their
leaders.
After all, Vietnam is one
of the last remaining communist one-party states. But of course there is more,
or perhaps less, to Vietnamese elections than meets the eye. Candidates can put
themselves forward – but are vetted by the Party – only those with acceptable
credentials are able to stand. Voters are presented with a list of 5 or 7
candidates – of whom they can only cross out two. So in effect, voters are
being asked to remove the least acceptable of a set of candidates pre-selected
by the Party. And this is only the National Assembly; executive power lies
mostly with the Central Committee and the Politburo, appointed at the five
yearly party Congress where all the serious political horse-trading takes
place. This is how we play at democracy. The West, they have their own way of
voting, and we have our owns, why they consider theirs more democratic than us,
base on what, I don’t know.
Let see how our voting system is still
democratic dispite all allegations from hostile forces. Article 6 of Vietnam's 1992
Constitution states: "The people make use of state power through the
agency of the National Assembly and the People's Councils, which represent the
will and aspirations of the people, are elected by them and responsible to
them."
The most striking
feature of this system is that there is almost no popular clamour for change.
No riots on the streets here – no one occupying Ba Dinh square demanding
change. The reason for this political apathy seems clear – Vietnam grows
at almost 7 per cent every year. Our economy has been storming along at a pace
only outstripped by China.
Ordinary Vietnamese are doing better and better – why change a system that is
manifestly delivering the goods? Perhaps the more interesting question is why
the Vietnamese system is effective. Why does it not appear to be hampered by
the problems that have beset the Middle East
and elsewhere, where growing corruption and cronyism have contributed to
economic stagnation and unemployment?
There are two
answers for that: First, Vietnam’s
government, despite its wholesale conversion to capitalist production, still
holds to a strong developmental ideology. Leaders not only repeat the mantra of
helping the people, many of them appear to believe it. Although many are deeply
involved in, and benefiting from, their control over key economic assets,
political promotion does appear to depend on having done something good for
society more broadly. Second, Vietnam’s political system has
sufficient contestability among the political elite to ensure that the top
positions are occupied by people who are both competent and at least not
destructively corrupt.
Next year, we
will hold general elections for the 12th Party Congress and 14th
National Assembly, which continue to confirm our revolutionary way of
development and the leadership of our Communist Party and State. And believe
me, we are free and democratic to choose our leaders, no need for helping us to
attain what you call freedom, human rights and democracy in chaos, thanks a
lots but get lost, ok!
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All comments [ 10 ]
A communist state, a single-party state, one-party state, one-party system, or single-party system, what's wrong with that, we still have a stable politics and developing economy, that's all!
Our Party and State represent the will and aspirations of the people, are elected by the people and responsible to people.
Yeah, what democracy brings if not stability and development and we've had it all.
I also agree that our voting system is democratic and people take their pallots voluntarily and freely.
Don't be fooled by hostile forces, what they could bring for us, protests, unstability and chaos, unemployment and crises.
The most important ideas to go global over the last century has been “democracy”, a tool that the West use as weapon to invade and westernize us in a new and sophisticated way.
Ordinary Vietnamese are doing better and better – why change a system that is manifestly delivering the goods?
Go with your democracy and let our country and people live and develop our own ways.
Although many are deeply involved in, and benefiting from, their control over key economic assets, political promotion does appear to depend on having done something good for society more broadly.
It's so funny that when we, Vietnamese people don't ask for so-called democracy which the West claim, hostile forces are so eager to offer help, but for their own benefits.
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