Vietnamese/Nat
The ruling Vietnamese Communist Party has opened its eighth Party Congress with speeches from party leaders and visiting dignitaries from other communist parties around the world.
The party faces critical economic and political issues, but few decisions are likely to emerge from the congress.
Months of preparation have been marred by backstage debates over the best way to maintain Communist rule in an increasingly capitalist world.
One of the world’s last ruling communist parties opens its national congress.
They were united in pride over Vietnam’s economic progress over the past five years but divided over the consequences of continued economic reform.
In his opening speech, President Le Duc Anh boasted his party has lifted Vietnam out of economic crisis and plans to lead the nation into a new period of industrialization and prosperity.
But the party is divided about just how to handle the future, and leaders were unable to resolve their disagreements despite months of closed meetings in advance of the congress.
However, none of that is expected to surface at the congress, which is scripted to display unity in a bid to inspire public confidence.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
“I think the broad trend of Vietnam, I think is going to continue to open the economy because the economic reforms which were launched in 1986, 10 years ago, have produced remarkable results. Vietnam today is in a much better shape than it was ten years ago. And people have improved their lives and there is no way the party can
take them back.”
SUPER CAPTION: Nayan Chanda, Far East Economic Review
Analysts say the congress, which is held every five years, may not replace any of the nation’s top three leaders because they haven’t been able to strike an acceptable balance between reformers and conservatives.
Party General Secretary Do Muoi is a grandfatherly middle-roader who can mediate between conservatives like President Anh and the reform-minded Prime Minister, Vo Van Kiet.
Kiet and other reformers say Vietnam is still one of the poorest countries in Asia.
They say free market reforms must be pushed even harder to lift its people out of poverty and keep Vietnam from falling behind other nations in Southeast Asia.
But conservatives fear the reform process is shaking the party’s grip on power.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
“You have a huge amount of prostitution. People are also because of the availability of goods, the greed to obtain those goods has gone up. Officials are taking bribes, so the social structure has been weakened by the presence of lots of money and temptations, so
the conservatives are trying to clamp down on the consequences of the economy opening up.”
SUPER CAPTION: Nayan Chanda, Far East Economic Review
The party’s political report reaffirmed the present mix of limited free-market activity with strong state control over the economy and cultural life.
It also emphasized the party’s need to rid itself of corrupt members in order to retain its credibility, and maintained the current ban on party members getting involved in private business.
The report offered little encouragement to foreign investors, who have been waiting to see whether the party would push for reform enabling foreigners to make money.
Although the party acknowledged Vietnam needs capital investment in order to develop, the report emphasized the need for the party to stay in control of the future.
SOUNDBITE: (Vietnamese)
“In recent years, my family has built a new house. We bought some bicycles for our children. Life in the family is stable. We have bought some furniture, and have been preparing for the future of our children.”
SUPER CAPTION: Chu Thu Yen, Rice Farmer
SOUNDBITE: (Vietnamese)
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