US embassy cable - 04HOCHIMINHCITY1060

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 001060 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PROP, SOCI, VM, DPOL 
SUBJECT: POLITBURO MEMBER WELCOMES CG: GOVERNMENT WORKINGS AND 
TENTH PARTY CONGRESS 
 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: In an initial courtesy call Consul General 
Winnick asked Secretary Triet about the relationship between the 
Communist Party and the legislative assemblies; the role of the 
Politburo in Vietnamese government, and preparations and 
expectations for the Tenth Party Congress.  On the latter, Triet 
said preparatory work for the Congress in early 2006 were 
underway.  He expected the Party Congress to provide for policy 
continuity and continuation of broad directives of the 1991 
Congress.  (Comment:  The Party's internal review process over the 
next 18 months will likely set Vietnam's course for the next five 
to ten years, a factor we should keep in mind as we orient our 
bilateral interactions. End Comment.) 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Newly-arrived CG Winnick met August 12 with Ho Chi Minh 
City Party Secretary Nguyen Minh Triet, the fourth-ranking member 
of the Politburo.  Triet also leads the HCMC delegation in the 
National Assembly and CG asked him to explain the role of the 
National Assembly.   According to Triet, the National Assembly 
operates like legislatures of other nations; issues discussed and 
resolved in the committees of the ruling party are brought up for 
debate and passage in the National Assembly.  (Comment:  Triet's 
multiple roles as Secretary of the HCMC Communist Party, leading 
member of the Politburo and leader in the National Assembly blur 
the distinction somewhat. End Comment) 
 
3.  (SBU) This relationship between the Central Communist Party 
and National Assembly plays out in similar fashion on the 
municipal level in HCMC.  Triet drew a parallel between the 
national level interplay and his own relationship, as Secretary of 
the HCMC Communist Party, with the People's Committee of HCMC and 
the People's Council of HCMC.  As secretary of the HCMC Communist 
Party, he mobilizes Party morale and establishes broad precepts 
for the local Party.  The Party's role is not to run the city's 
daily affairs, a task left to the People's Committee.  Rather the 
Party's mandate is to promote morale, educate members about their 
party and ensure that the Party is a positive force in the city. 
The Party drafts proposals for the broad orientation of policy for 
the next five years (the Five Year Plan) and submits these 
proposals to the People's Council for a vote.  Within the People's 
Committee and the People's Council, Party members are expected to 
apply Party precepts and advocate Party interests.  Accountability 
and reporting from the municipal level to the national level also 
separates the Communist Party from other Vietnamese political 
institutions.  Whereas the Chairman of the People's Council of 
HCMC is directly accountable to the Chairman of the National 
Assembly and the Chairman of the People's Committee reports to the 
Prime Minister, Triet reports directly to the General Secretary of 
the Central Communist Party. 
 
4.  (SBU) Triet also discussed the role of the HCMC delegation to 
the National Assembly.  The responsibility of the delegation is to 
represent the people of HCMC and express their concerns and 
proposals.  Triet heads the delegation, which has 26 members, of 
whom 18 are elected by the people of HCMC and 8 are allocated by 
the central government. The delegates receive direct petitions 
from HCMC constituents and listen to their concerns.  They then 
discuss the different ideas of their constituents and determine 
which proposals should be brought to the attention of the standing 
committees of the National Assembly.  There is normally a month 
between receiving petitions from constituents and the general 
session of the National Assembly, during which the HCMC delegation 
has ample time to debate the issues and proposals brought to their 
attention.  After the session at the National Assembly, the city 
delegation briefs its constituents to ensure that their concerns 
have been addressed. 
 
5.  (SBU) CG asked Triet to comment on the relationship between 
the Politburo and the National Assembly, specifically, if the 
Politburo directly advises Prime Minister Khai.  Triet explained 
that the Politburo only addresses general questions of policy and 
brings these issues to the attention of the Executive Committee of 
the Communist Party.  It is then the responsibility of the Party 
committees to ensure that Party members who serve at the National 
Assembly accurately reflect the Politburo directives at 
legislative sessions.  Therefore, the relationship between the 
Politburo and the National Assembly is an indirect one.  Of the 14 
Politburo members, 12 are from the Communist Party Central 
Committee, and the other two are the secretaries of the Hanoi and 
HCMC Communist Parties.  CG asked Triet if his tripartite role as 
a member of the Politburo, Secretary of the HCMC Communist Party 
and head of the HCMC delegation to the National Assembly provided 
an advantage to HCMC in the National Assembly in the formulation 
of policy.  Triet did not answer directly, but pointed out that it 
seemed logical in light of the dynamics of Vietnam for the heads 
of the local parties for the two most important municipalities in 
Vietnam to sit on the Politburo. 
 
6. (SBU) CG asked Triet about the upcoming Tenth Party Congress to 
be held early in 2006.  Triet indicated that preparations are 
underway.  In July 2004, the Central Party convened subcommittees 
to prepare for the Congress.  Thus far, four subcommittees have 
been formed.  The first subcommittee-the Documentation 
Subcommittee- will analyze the accomplishments of the past five 
years.  The second subcommittee, the Social-Economic Subcommittee 
will set the next Five Year Plan.  A third subcommittee-the Party 
Construction Subcommittee- will both reflect on the past Five Year 
Plan and look forward to the new Five Year Plan; it will review 
and criticize the Party over the past five years while mobilizing 
Party cadres and promoting party spirit and loyalty.  A fourth 
subcommittee will handle logistics, such as travel and scheduling. 
Triet did not provide a timeline for the work to be done in the 
subcommittees but indicated that at least two years of preparation 
was expected.   When their work is complete, the subcommittees 
will forward their recommendations to the Party's Central 
Committee and the Politburo.  Ultimately, the Central Committee 
will act by majority vote.  Triet indicated that the Tenth Party 
Congress would be open to new ideas in a way that will encourage 
"building socialism" in Vietnam and was careful to not give any 
indications that the Party Congress would usher in a new 
orientation.  He explicitly noted that the principles of the 1991 
Party Congress would remain the guiding force.  CG pointed out 
that the world had greatly changed since 1991.  Triet responded 
that these long-term guiding principles -- peace and stability and 
building socialism in Vietnam - have not changed. 
 
7. (SBU) CG asked about foreign observers at Party Congresses. 
Triet said that past Congresses have invited political figures 
from other Communist or Socialist Parties from abroad to attend. 
CG suggested that the Tenth Party Congress consider inviting 
foreign observers, including Americans.  Triet seemed surprised, 
commenting that it certainly would be a novel idea.  He added 
that, because some invitees had failed to attend in the past, the 
Party would need assurances in advance that invitees would accept 
their invitations. 
 
8.  (SBU) Bio Note: A southerner and long-time resident of HCMC, 
Nguyen Minh Triet, 62, has been Secretary of the HCMC Communist 
Party for four years.  Triet is ranked fourth in the Politburo, 
after the Party Chairman, the President, and the PM.  He is 
considered a candidate to succeed PM Phan Van Khai.  Triet also is 
a contender for the Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee, 
when this position becomes vacant in 2006.  A progressive force 
with the VNCP, Triet was the first provincial leader to promote 
special "red carpet" incentive programs to attract foreign 
investment and streamline bureaucracy when he was the CP Secretary 
of Binh Duong Province.  Triet is an engaging interlocutor, and 
appears to relish debate on more controversial topics.  He became 
leader of the HCMC delegation in the National Assembly in late 
2002.  Triet has good English comprehension. 
 
 
WINNICK