Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
01HANOI1020
2001-04-27 11:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Hanoi
Cable title:  

GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP CHANGES TO FOLLOW SHAKE-UP IN SENIOR COMMUNIST PARTY RANKS

Tags:  PGOV PREL ECON PINR VM DPOL 
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271137Z Apr 01

 2001HANOI01020 - CONFIDENTIAL
 
 
 
 CONFIDENTIAL PTQ2148

PAGE 01 HANOI 01020 01 OF 04 271154Z 
ACTION EAP-00 

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 SMEC-00 
 COME-00 CTME-00 DINT-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00 
 EXIM-01 E-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01 
 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 LAB-01 L-00 VCE-00 
 AC-01 NSAE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 OPIC-01 PA-00 PM-00 
 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00 STR-00 USIE-00 
 PMB-00 DSCC-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /012W
 ------------------E4AABC 271154Z /38 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2714
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
ASEAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
DEPTTREAS WASHDC PRIORITY
JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J5/FPA// PRIORITY
DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 001020 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP, EAP/BCLTV, DRL, INR
STATE ALSO FOR EB/ODF, EB/OMA, EB/OIA
STATE ALSO PASS USTR
NSC FOR EAST ASIAN DIRECTORATE
SECDEF FOR ISA/EAP STERN
CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 HANOI 01020 01 OF 04 271154Z
TREASURY FOR OASIA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/27/2011
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON PINR VM DPOL
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP CHANGES TO FOLLOW SHAKE-UP IN SENIOR COMMUNIST PARTY RANKS

REF: A) HANOI 985 B) HANOI 965 C) HANOI 952

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 001020 SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP, EAP/BCLTV, DRL, INR STATE ALSO FOR EB/ODF, EB/OMA, EB/OIA STATE ALSO PASS USTR NSC FOR EAST ASIAN DIRECTORATE SECDEF FOR ISA/EAP STERN CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 HANOI 01020 01 OF 04 271154Z TREASURY FOR OASIA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/27/2011 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON PINR VM DPOL SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP CHANGES TO FOLLOW SHAKE-UP IN SENIOR COMMUNIST PARTY RANKS REF: A) HANOI 985 B) HANOI 965 C) HANOI 952 ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR JAMES BRUNO; REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SESSION EXPECTED TO BEGIN MAY 21 OR 22 WILL UNVEIL A NEW ASSEMBLY CHAIRPERSON, LIKELY CPV ORGANIZATIONAL CHIEF AN. IT MAY ALSO GIVE CLUES AS TO THE RELATIVE STRENGTH OF RISING SOUTHERN REFORMERS NGUYEN MINH TRIET AND NGUYEN TAN DUNG, ONE OF WHOM COULD BE TELEGRAPHED AS KHAI'S HEIR APPARENT AS PRIME MINISTER. A HANDFUL OF MINISTERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE REPLACED, SINCE SEVERAL DROPPED FROM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE. THE ROLE OF THE PARTY SECRETARIAT WILL ALSO BE CLARIFIED OVER THE NEXT MONTHS, AS WE SEE WHETHER TRADE MINISTER VU KHOAN WILL RETAIN HIS MINISTRY POST OR PERHAPS BE NAMED AS A DEPUTY PM. MORE WIDE-RANGING CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT, HOWEVER, ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE IN JULY 2002 FOLLOWING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS NEXT SPRING. END SUMMARY. AN EXPECTED TO HEAD NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BEGINNING IN MAY -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IS EXPECTED TO OPEN MAY 21 OR CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 01020 01 OF 04 271154Z 22 FOR ITS MONTH-LONG SPRING SESSION, ACCORDING TO A KEY SENIOR STAFFER AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (STRICTLY PROTECT). THE FULL ASSEMBLY MEMBERSHIP WILL MEET MAY 20 IN AN INFORMAL PRE-SESSION TO SET THE AGENDA FOR THE TERM. (OUR CONTACT WOULD NOT CONFIRM POLOFF'S QUERY THAT ASSEMBLY MEMBERS MIGHT BE "BRIEFED" AT THIS TIME ON THE CPV'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP CHANGES.) THE MAIN FORMAL BUSINESS OF THIS SPRING SESSION WILL BE LAWMAKING, AND THE ASSEMBLY HAS A FULL DOCKET, WITH AMENDMENTS BEING DEBATED TO THE LABOR CODE AND THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE, AND NEW LAWS ON PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE, FIRE-FIGHTING, AND TRAFFIC AND HIGHWAYS. (NOTE: THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE, ABOUT WHICH WE WILL REPORT FURTHER SEPTEL, WILL CONSIDER, AMONG OTHER THINGS, LIMITING THE ALLOWABLE TIME AND SI
MPLIFYING PROCEDURES FOR DETENTION OF SUSPECTS, AND SHORTENING THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE PERIOD BEFORE A PERSON MUST GO TO TRIAL AFTER ARREST. END NOTE.) ¶4. (C) THE BIGGEST TOPIC OF INTEREST IN THE MAY-JUNE SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY WILL BE WHICH GOVERNMENT AND ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP CHANGES WILL BE ANNOUNCED. CPV ORGANIZATIONAL AFFAIRS CHIEF NGUYEN VAN AN, WHO WAS THE RUNNER-UP TO NONG DUC MANH FOR GENERAL SECRETARY, IS EXPECTED TO BE ELECTED AS MANH'S SUCCESSOR AT THE ASSEMBLY, ACCORDING TO THE ASSEMBLY STAFFER. MANH WILL OPEN THE ASSEMBLY SESSION AND PRESIDE OVER THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING PRECEDING IT MAY 14-19, ACCORDING TO THE STAFFER, AND AN LIKELY WILL BE ELECTED "DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE SESSION." (NOTE: AFTER THE STAFFER MET WITH POLOFF APRIL 27, HE WAS GOING TO A CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 01020 01 OF 04 271154Z "FAREWELL MEETING" MANH WAS HAVING WITH HIS LONG-TIME STAFF AT THE ASSEMBLY. END NOTE.) ¶5. (SBU) ONE OF THE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MANH'S SUCCESSOR WILL BE PREPARING FOR VIETNAM'S YEAR-LONG LEADERSHIP OF THE ASEAN INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ORGANIZATION (AIPO) BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER. THIS WILL BE VIETNAM'S FIRST TIME HEADING AIPO, AND LIKE THE COUNTRY'S INITIAL VENTURE INTO THE ASEAN PRESIDENCY, THE ORGANIZATIONAL DEMANDS WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. (COMMENT: FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT, AN'S EXPERIENCE HONED OVER THE PAST YEAR IN HIS CPV ORGANIZATIONAL POST COULD BE A REASON HE WOULD BE TABBED FOR THIS JOB. END COMMENT.) THE CONSTITUENT COMMITTEES OF AIPO MEET DURING THE YEAR, CULMINATING IN THE ANNUAL SUMMIT TO BE HELD IN HANOI IN SEPTEMBER 2003. SOME GOVERNMENT CHANGES NOW, MORE NEXT YEAR -------------- ¶6. (C) BECAUSE OF CHANGES MADE IN THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE RANKINGS ANNOUNCED AT THE CPV CONGRESS, A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTAL CHANGES ARE EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE ASSEMBLY. SOME OF THESE CHANGES APPEAR EVIDENT. FOR EXAMPLE, SEVERAL MINISTERS, SUCH AS THOSE FOR THE MINISTRIES OF PLANNING AND INVESTMENT (MPI),JUSTICE, CONSTRUCTION, INDUSTRY, AND TRANSPORTATION, WERE NOT ELECTED TO THE NEW CENTRAL COMMITTEE, WHILE THEIR DEPUTIES WERE. THIS CLEARLY PRESAGES THEIR REPLACEMENT, THOUGH SOME SOURCES SUGGEST THAT A COUPLE OF THEM MIGHT SURVIVE UNTIL ¶2002. MPI MINISTER GIA, WHO WAS CRITICIZED BY THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE LAST YEAR, REPORTEDLY WILL BE REPLACED. THE ASSEMBLY STAFFER SAYS JUSTICE MINISTER LOC IS EXPECTED TO GO TO TAKE A NATIONAL ASSEMBLY POST (LIKELY HEADING THE JUSTICE COMMITTEE) WHILE HIS DEPUTY, UONG CHU LUU, MOVES UP. (HE DESCRIBES LUU AS A YOUNGER, IMPRESSIVE LAWYER WHO HAS MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF HEADING UP CHANGES TO THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE.) INTERESTINGLY, BOTH GIA AND MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MOSTE) NHA, WHO NORMALLY ARE AMONG THE MOST SOCIALLY OMNIPRESENT MINISTERS, WERE NOT AT THE MANH-HOSTED RECEPTION FOLLOWING HIS ANNOUNCEMENT APRIL 22. ¶7. (C) DEPUTY PM NGUYEN MANH CAM TOLD THE AUSTRALIANS AFTER THE PARTY CONGRESS THAT THOUGH HE WAS NO LONGER A MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, HE WOULD NOT RETIRE FROM GOVERNMENT UNTIL 2002, FOLLOWING ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS AND PROMULGATION OF A NEW CONSTITUTION (SEE FURTHER BELOW). CAM TOLD THE AUSTRALIANS HE HOPED FOR VIETNAM TO ENTER THE WTO BEFORE CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 01020 02 OF 04 271154Z HIS RETIREMENT. ¶8. (C) IN ADDITION, OTHER GOVERNMENT POSTS NEED TO BE FILLED. MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION NGUYEN KHOA DIEM MOVED UP TO THE POLITBURO, AND HE IS EXPECTED TO HEAD UP CPV IDEOLOGICAL AFFAIRS. MOVING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, MINISTER OF SPORTS HA QUANG DU AND MINISTRY OF ETHNIC MINORITY AFFAIRS HOANG DUC NGHI WERE CENSURED BY THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE AND ARE EXPECTED TO RETIRE. ¶9. (C) IN THE NEW CENTRAL COMMITTEE LINEUP (WITH 150 SEATS AS OPPOSED TO 170),MOST MINISTRIES ARE NOW REPRESENTED BY ONLY ONE MEMBER. DESPITE A DROP IN PRESTIGE AT SENIOR LEVELS (WITH ONLY ONE MILITARY MEMBER IN THE POLITBURO), DEFENSE RETAINED 10 PERCENT OF THE SEATS IN THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE (15),WHILE PUBLIC SECURITY (4),AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (2),FINANCE (2) AND EDUCATION AND TRAINING (2) ALSO HAVE MULTIPLE SEATS. SOME MINISTRIES ARE NOT REPRESENTED IN THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, INCLUDING MOSTE, SPORTS AND MINORITY AFFAIRS. ¶10. (C) TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MEMORY THAT MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS ONLY ONE FORMAL REPRESENTATIVE, MINISTER NIEN, SINCE VICE MINISTER BIN WAS DROPPED. (HOWEVER, CAREER DIPLOMAT AND CURRENT MINISTER OF TRADE VU KHOAN ALSO MAINTAINED HIS SEAT IN THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, AND AS NOTED REFTELS, HAS NEW PROMINENCE AND CLOUT THROUGH THE CPV SECRETARIAT.) OUR SOURCES SUGGEST BIN WILL RETAIN HIS POSITION AT MFA, INCLUDING HIS ROLE DEALING WITH OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE. BIN'S DROP FROM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MAY BE DUE TO THE TIGHTER "NUMBERS GAME" CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 01020 02 OF 04 271154Z WITH A SMALLER CENTRAL COMMITTEE. (NOTE: AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. LE BANG, WHO ATTENDED THE CONGRESS, WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN HIS HOPE TO MAKE THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE. DURING THE CONGRESS' CLOSING SESSION HE SAT WITH SOME OTHER DELEGATES IN THE BALCONY, WHICH IS WHERE FOREIGN DIPLOMATIC OBSERVERS SAT.) ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS IN 2002 WILL BRING FURTHER CHANGES -------------- -------------- ¶11. (C) IN LATE APRIL (OR PERHAPS EARLY MAY NEXT YEAR) NATION-WIDE ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD TO ELECT A NEW 450- MEMBER NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR THE BODY'S 11TH SESSION, ACCORDING TO THE ASSEMBLY STAFFER WITH WHOM WE SPOKE (PROTECT). THE ELECTION ITSELF WILL BE HELD ON A SUNDAY, POSSIBLY APRIL 28, THOUGH THIS WILL BE FINALIZED BY THE ASSEMBLY'S STANDING COMMITTEE LATER THIS YEAR OR EARLY NEXT. THE PRE-ELECTION PERIOD WILL RUN ROUGHLY THREE MONTHS, RUNNING FROM FORMAL VETTING OF CANDIDATES BY THE VIETNAM FATHERLAND FRONT, CAMPAIGNING IN LOCAL DISTRICTS BY CANDIDATES BEFORE SELECTED GROUPS OF VOTERS, AND THEN NATION-WIDE BALLOTING IN POLLING STATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE STAFFER CONFIRMED THE PROCESS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL ELECTIONS OF 18 MONTHS AGO, WHICH POLOFFS WITNESSED AT VARIOUS POLLING STATIONS (SEPTELS). (COMMENT: IN THAT BALLOTING, THERE WAS NO TRANSPARENCY IN COUNTING AND TALLYING OF VOTES, AND THUS NO CHECK ON THE CPV'S MANIPULATION OF THE FINAL TALLIES. A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF PEOPLE'S COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS IN HANOI BY EMBOFFS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THE RESULTS WERE DOCTORED, GIVEN THE RECURRENT PATTERNS IN VOTE TOTALS IN DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. END COMMENT.) ¶12. (C) AFTER THE NEW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IS ELECTED NEXT YEAR, IT LIKELY WILL MEET IN ITS FIRST SESSION IN JULY 2002, ACCORDING TO THE ASSEMBLY STAFFER. THIS WOULD LIKELY BE THE TIME WHEN A NEW PRIME MINISTER WOULD BE NAMED TO REPLACE PHAN VAN KHAI. NUMEROUS SOURCES SUGGEST THAT HCMC PARTY BOSS NGUYEN MINH TRIET IS THE LEADING CANDIDATE FOR THE POST, GIVEN HIS STRONG SUPPORT AMONG SOUTHERNERS AND REFORMERS IN THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE. THE OTHER PROMINENT CANDIDATE, ALSO MENTIONED FREQUENTLY, IS FIRST DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER DUNG. ONE CPV-CONNECTED SOURCE TOLD US DUNG LIKELY WILL BENEFIT FROM THE RETIREMENT OF SOME OF THE OLD GUARD, INCLUDING SENIOR ADVISORS, AT THE PARTY CONGRESS (REFS A AND B). DUNG REPORTEDLY MADE ENEMIES AMONG SOME OF THE OLDER MEMBERS BY HIS "OUTSPOKEN" AND SOMETIMES SOMEWHAT "INDEPENDENT" ACTIONS; ACCORDING TO THIS SOURCE, DUNG WAS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 01020 03 OF 04 271154Z NOT SEEN AS SUFFICIENTLY DEFERENTIAL TO SOME OF THE CPV ELDERS. NOW THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE SENIOR RANK, HE MAY FLOURISH. (NOTE: CPV ECONOMIC COMMISSION CHAIRMAN TRUONG TAN SANG ALSO CANNOT BE COUNTED OUT, THOUGH AS REF A NOTED, ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION APPEAR TO HAVE PLACED HIM SOMEWHAT ON THE DEFENSIVE FOR THE TIME BEING.) ¶13. (C) AT THE EXPECTED JULY 2002 ASSEMBLY SESSION, THERE ARE EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AS WELL. THE STAFFER SUGGESTED THAT MANH'S SUCCESSOR AS ASSEMBLY CHAIRMAN, PRESUMABLY AN, COULD SERVE ONLY ONE YEAR IN THE POST, PERHAPS BEING REPLACED IN ¶2002. AT THAT TIME, NEW STANDING COMMITTEES AND A NEW LEADERSHIP LINEUP IN THE ASSEMBLY WOULD BE NAMED. THE ROLE OF THE SECRETARIAT AND THE CPV INSPECTORATE -------------- -------------- ¶14. (C) ONE OF THE KEY CHANGES COMING OUT OF THE PARTY CONGRESS WAS THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE CPV SECRETARIAT, WHICH WILL OVERSEE THE DAY-TO-DAY AFFAIRS OF THE POLITBURO. BASED ON THE MAKE-UP OF THE NEW BODY AND INITIAL REPORTS WE HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT ITS FUNCTIONS, THE SECRETARIAT MAY HELP IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY AND WORK OF CPV SENIOR LEADERS. KEY FIGURES TO WATCH IN THE NEWLY RECONSTITUTED SECRETARIAT ARE LE HONG ANH, NEW HEAD OF THE CPV'S INSPECTORATE (CONTROL COMMISSION),AND CURRENT TRADE MINISTER VU KHOAN. PRIOR TO 1996, WHEN THE SECRETARIAT EXISTED, POLITBURO AND CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO SERVED IN THE BODY DID NOT ALSO HOLD GOVERNMENT POSTS, AND THUS THERE IS WIDESPREAD SPECULATION THAT VU KHOAN WILL HAVE TO GIVE UP HIS TRADE MINISTER POST CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 HANOI 01020 03 OF 04 271154Z IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE ON CPV BUSINESS. ACCORDING TO THIS ARGUMENT, HE ALSO WOULD NOT ASSUME THE DEPUTY PM SLOT THAT HAS BEEN REPORTEDLY DISCUSSED FOR HIM. (THE ABOVE REPORT ABOUT CAM MAINTAINING HIS POSITION TO 2002 WOULD TEND TO SUPPORT THIS LATTER VIEW.) A LEADING REFORMER WHO GETS RESULTS, VU KHOAN IS SEEN AS ONE OF THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF REFORMERS HERE. ¶15. (C) ASSISTANT TRADE MINISTRY LUONG, WHO SERVED AS KHOAN'S CHIEF ADVISOR ON BTA NEGOTIATIONS, TOLD ECONOFF THAT KHOAN WOULD OVERSEE AND MANAGE VIETNAM'S TRADE AND FOREIGN POLICY PORTFOLIOS FROM HIS NEW POSITION. LUONG IMPLIED THAT NOT ONLY WOULD KHOAN EFFECTIVELY TAKE OVER DPM CAM'S ENTIRE PORTFOLIO, IF NOT THE FORMAL POSITION AT THIS POINT. HE SAID KHOAN WOULD HAVE AN EVEN HIGHER STATURE AND POSITION IN HIS NEW JOB THAN THAT OF A DEPUTY PM. LUONG ALSO MADE CLEAR THERE WAS NO REASON WHY KHOAN COULD NOT SERVE IN HIS NEW SECRETARIAT POSITION AND ALSO SERVE AS TRADE MINISTER. ¶16. (C) THE MEMBERS OF THE SECRETARIAT SEEM CAREFULLY BALANCED FOR DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND REGIONS OF THE CPV. OF THE FOUR CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ONE IS ARMED FORCES CHIEF OF STAFF (LE VAN DUNG),TWO ARE CPV CHIEFS FROM SOUTHERN DONG THAP AND NORTHERN SON LA PROVINCES (TONG THI PHONG AND TRUONG VINH TRONG) AND ONE (VU KHOAN) HAS A STRONG BACKGROUND IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE. OVERALL, THE SECRETARIAT IS SEEN AS STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY (COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS STANDING BOARD OF THE POLITBURO) SINCE THE OTHER EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE SECRETARIAT ARE ALMOST ALL MUCH JUNIOR TO HIM. SIPDIS ¶17. (C) LE HONG ANH, ONLY 51 AND NOW IN THE POLITBURO, IS PERHAPS THE BIGGEST "SHOOTING STAR" TO COME OUT OF THE CONGRESS. NAMED NINTH IN THE POLITBURO, AND PROMOTED TO HEAD THE CONTROL COMMISSION, ANH HAS MOVED UP RAPIDLY. FROM KIEN GIANG PROVINCE IN THE MEKONG DELTA, WE HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL SOURCES THAT ANH IS A "PROTEGE" OF NGUYEN TAN DUNG AND MAY HAVE RIDDEN HIS COATTAILS TO HANOI FIVE YEARS AGO. ANH FOLLOWED DUNG AS PARTY CHIEF IN KIEN GIANG AND GAINED GOOD MARKS FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION THERE. AS DEPUTY TO MS. XUAN MY ON THE CONTROL COMMISSION SINCE 1998, ANH MANAGED TO GET POSITIVE REVIEWS FOR HIS ORGANIZATIONAL EFFORTS, THOUGH MY FELL FROM THE POLITBURO FOR HER POOR MANAGEMENT OF THE CRITICISM/SELF-CRITICISM CAMPAIGN. ¶18. (C) ANH SEEMS TO BE WELL POSITIONED FOR GREATER HEIGHTS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 HANOI 01020 04 OF 04 271155Z IF HE PERFORMS WELL. THE CONTROL COMMISSION HAS A LARGELY "INSPECTORATE" ROLE IN THE CPV: IT CHECKS UP ON CPV MEMBER AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE, CONSIDERS POSSIBLE VIOLATION, SETTLES COMPLAINTS AMONG CPV MEMBERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, AND CHECKS ON FINANCIAL ISSUES AT LOWER LEVELS. AFTER BEING NAMED GENERAL SECRETARY, MANH STATED IN HIS OPENING REMARKS THAT FIGHTING CORRUPTION IS ONE OF HIS MAIN PRIORITIES, ALONG WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THUS, ANH IS IN THE CENTER OF THE ACTION. COMMENT -------------- ¶19. (C) AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SESSION NEXT MONTH, WE EXPECT TO SEE FURTHER MANIFESTATIONS OF THE GENERATIONAL CHANGE SEEN DRAMATICALLY AT THE NINTH PARTY CONGRESS. THAT PROCESS WILL PLAY ITSELF OUT MORE FULLY THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR AND THE LIKELY PROMOTION OF EITHER TRIET OR DUNG TO BE THE NEW HEAD OF GOVERNMENT IN ¶2002. OVER TIME, THIS PROCESS OF GENERATIONAL CHANGE WILL HAVE RIPPLING EFFECTS THAT WE EXPECT WILL RESHAPE VIETNAMESE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL LIFE. IN ADDITION, THE RECONSTITUTED SECRETARIAT, WITH A PROMINENT ROLE PLAYED BY VU KHOAN AS A VIRTUAL POLITBURO CHIEF OF STAFF, INDEED COULD BODE WELL FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN CPV DECISION- MAKING AND A MORE VIGOROUS COMMITMENT TO REFORM. END COMMENT. PETERSON CONFIDENTIAL

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