Grassroots Democracy in Parliament Debates

In its 21st Meeting held in August 2004, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam listened to the Government Report on the five years of implementation of the Decree on Grassroots Democracy, presented by Deputy Minister of Home Affair Dang Quoc Tien. It was said that grassroots democracy had made a significant contribution to the social-economic development of the country. However, deputies also pointed out the following:

The lack of details on shortcomings presented in the report
Weaknesses in practical implementation of the Decree, especially in State organizations and enterprises.

Regulation on Decentralization

Regulation on Grassroots Democracy

Regulation on the Exercise of Democracy in Communes

Regulation on Exercise of Democracy in State-owned Enterprises

Regulation on Exercise of Democracy in State Organizations

"Democracy creates good conditions for economic development which is also an essential condition to building a progressive democracy"

CPV General Secretary of Nong Duc Manh in the Conference on 6 years of Implementation of Grassroots Democracy. VietnamNet, Sept. 29, 2004

NA Chairman Nguyen Van An acknowledged that after five years of implementation of decrees on grassroots democracy (1998-2003), the direct participation of people in public issues and state works had still been weak... At the moment people exercise the direct democracy only through the elections of heads of villages, People's Councils and the National Assembly. Meanwhile many deputies are still bureaucratic.

Legislative Studies Magazine

The Standing Committee also raised the issue of direct participation. The NA Chairman Nguyen Van An pointed out that it is very important to have people involved directly in decision making process. A number of ideas were proposed by the deputies, including:

Preparation of a law on referendum or public consultation

Preparation of another decree on grassroots democracy that cover newly emerged economic entities, such as private enterprises, joint-stock enterprises, enterprises with foreign invested capital, non-state administrative units, cooperatives.

Provision of the rights of people to elect executive positions at commune level (similar to Chinese Case).

On the Government's proposal of preparing a law on ordinance on grassroots democracy, NA Chairman Nguyen Van An said that this issue should be considered, however, it would be "very difficult" to prepare such legal document at the moment, as no law or ordinance can regulate the exercise of democracy in all aspects and at all levels. He suggested that for the forthcoming period the focus should be made on the implementation of existing three regulations. The most important point, as he said, would be the move towards direct democracy, where people will be able to be aware of, to comment on, and to decide on the issues of public concerns.

More details can be found in the following articles published by Vietnamese media.

Vietnamese Media on Grassroots Democracy

Implementation of the Grassroots Democracy Decree Is Now Linked to the Economic Development (Phiên họp thứ 21 của Ủy ban Thường vụ Quốc hội: Việc thực hiện quy chế dân chủ đã gắn với phát triển kinh tế và xây dựng cơ sở hạ tầng) - 21st Session of the National Assembly. NA Website
The Essence of Democracy is in the Power of the People to Decide (Cốt yếu của dân chủ là dân phải được quyết định) – Legislative Studies Review, Office of the National Assembly
Grassroots democracy key to development - VietnamNet
Four key issues of attention for the forthcoming period (Bốn vấn đề cần quan tâm trong thời gian tới) - Lao Dong Newspaper.
Five Years of Implementation of the Grassroots Democracy Decree: Has Formal Democracy Been Overcome? (Sau 5 năm thực hiện quy chế dân chủ cơ sở: Liệu có khắc phục tình trạng dân chủ hình thức?) - Interview of the Deputy Minister of the Interior - Nhà báo và Công luận
Grassroots Democracy – The Party’s Policy is in Line With People’s Will (Dân chủ ở cơ sở - Ý Đảng hợp lòng dân) - Communist Party of Vietnam Website
Six Years of Implementation of the Grassroots Democracy Decree: "The Party’s Policy is in Line With People’s Will" (6 năm thực hiện Quy chế dân chủ ở cơ sở: "Ý Đảng hợp với lòng dân") - Lao Dong on-line
Six Years of Implementation of the Grassroots Democracy Decree (Tổng kết 6 năm thực hiện quy chế dân chủ ở cơ sở) - People’s Army’s Daily
Instruction to strengthen openness, democracy at communal level - Voice of Vietnam, Sept. 7, 2003
Linking the implementation of Decrees on Grassroots Democracy with administration reform (Gắn việc thực hiện quy chế dân chủ với cải cách hành chính) - Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper

Reports on Grassroots Democracy in Vietnam

Empowerment and the World Bank’s Work in Vietnam - 2002
Going public with power - Ramesh Adhikari, head of economics and governance at the Asian Development Bank in Hanoi (ADB). Vietnam Investment Review, No 676, September 27, 2004
Grassroots Democracy in Vietnamese Communes – Australian National University
How Can the Implementation of Grassroots Democracy Help the Poverty Reduction Strategy in Vietnam? - Institute of Sociology, National Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam. 2001
On Choosing a Right Partner in Promoting Grassroots Democracy in Vietnam - Institute for Asian and African Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland
Realizing grassroots democracy: actual situations in Vietnam and China - Communist Review - issue 51 – 2004
The Grassroots Democracy implementation is enhanced - Helvetas Vietnam
Human Development Report 2002: Gaining Power through Participation - UNDP Vietnam
A Study on the Implementation of Grassroots Democracy Decree in Vietnam - DO, Dau Hoan; SIDA, background paper for the Vietnam Development Report 2000, SIDA: 1999

Grassroots democracy statute has been implemented at 100% of the nation's communes, precincts and towns; 97% of its administrative offices; and 88% of State-owned enterprises.

Report of the National Steering Committee on Grassroots Democracy. Binh Dinh Newspaper, Oct. 1, 2004

Among 1000 surveyed people from different strata, 76% said grassroots democracy decrees indeed were effective and brought good results, 20% said it remained formalities. Regarding the quality of people's representatives' conferences, 32.4% said they were still formalities.
Voice of Vietnam, Sept. 13, 2004

According to CPV Central Committee among entities implementing decrees on grassroots democracy, only 38% communes, 29% state administrative units, and 32% SoEs did well.

Lao Dong Online, Oct. 1, 2004

According to CPV Secretary General Nong Duc Manh, in many places the decrees on grassroots democracy was implemented not regularly, with focus on formalities or without serious attention of local authorities, who saw this task as only of the steering committees. Complaints about infringement of democracy and economic disputes in a number of entities are being increased; mechanism for "inspection" by people and supervision by the Fatherland Front and other social organization has produced many results, especially in the area of anti-corruption, wastefulness, and bureaucracy.

Binh Dinh Newspaper, Oct. 1, 2004