WRAP-UP OF THE 11TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 2ND SESSION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 003037

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON VM DPOL
SUBJECT: WRAP-UP OF THE 11TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 2ND SESSION

REF: HANOI 1780


1. (U) SUMMARY. THE 11TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (NA) CONCLUDED
ITS SECOND SESSION ON DECEMBER 16, HAVING BEGUN ITS USUAL
UNCLASSIFIED

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YEAR-END MEETING ON NOVEMBER 12. NA DELEGATES REVIEWED
REPORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION IN
2002, SET TARGETS FOR 2003, AND DISCUSSED AND PASSED SEVERAL
LAWS AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS, NAMELY THE LAW ON PROMULGATION OF
LEGAL DOCUMENTS, AND THE LAW ON THE STATE BUDGET. DELEGATES
QUESTIONED SELECTED CABINET MEMBERS DURING A THREE-DAY
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE COMPLAINTS
ABOUT THE LIMITED TIME AND THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY TO QUERY
THE NEW MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY. THE NA AT LAST
APPROVED A RESOLUTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
CONTROVERSIAL SON LA HYDROELECTRIC PLANT, WHILE PRIVATELY
CONTINUING TO EXPRESS SOME RESERVATIONS. RELATIONS WITH THE
U.S. CAME UNDER BRIEF SCRUTINY, ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL
ASSESSMENT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN POSITIVE. OVER 100 "FULL-
TIME" NA DELEGATES HAVE NOW BEEN APPOINTED AND SHOULD BEGIN
WORK AT THE CENTRAL AND LOCAL LEVELS SOON. END SUMMARY.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION
--------------


2. (U) DURING THE ANNUAL DISCUSSION ON THE GVN REPORT ON
SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS, SOME DELEGATES VOICED
DISSATISFACTION THAT THE GVN HAD FAILED TO PRESENT EFFECTIVE
MEASURES TO SOLVE MANY KEY PROBLEMS, IN PARTICULAR
WIDESPREAD OFFICIAL CORRUPTION AND WASTE, HIGH RATES OF
UNEMPLOYMENT, AND INADEQUATE ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM.
DELEGATES NONETHELESS PASSED THE RESOLUTION PROPOSED BY THE
GVN WITH THE FOLLOWING MAIN GOALS, INTER ALIA, FOR 2003:
-- GDP GROWTH BY 7-7.5 PCT
-- EXPORT VALUE UP BY 7.5-8 PCT
-- TOTAL INVESTMENT TO ACCOUNT FOR 35 PCT OF GDP
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HANOI 03037 01 OF 03 200759Z
-- 1.5 MILLION NEW JOBS
-- JOB TRAINING FOR OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE
-- HOUSEHOLDS UNDER THE POVERTY LEVEL DECLINE TO 12.5 PCT
-- MALNOURISHED CHILDREN REDUCED TO 28 PCT
-- BIRTH RATE REDUCTION OF 0.04 PCT


3. (U) THE NA, AS EXPECTED, PASSED THE 2003 BUDGET, IN
WHICH EDUCATION STILL RECEIVES THE LARGEST SHARE, AND ALSO
AMENDED BUDGETARY RESPONSIBILITIES TO GIVE MORE AUTHORITY TO
LOCALITIES.

LEGISLATION
--------------


4. (U) THE NA PASSED A LAW ON AMENDMENTS AND CHANGES TO
THE LAW ON PROMULGATION OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS (ALSO REFERRED TO
AS THE LAW ON LAWS),REGULATIONS ON SESSIONS OF THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY, REGULATIONS ON NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DELEGATES AND
PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENTARIAN DELEGATIONS. DELEGATES ALSO
DISCUSSED AND COMMENTED ON SEVERAL DRAFT LAWS, INCLUDING THE
LAW ON THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY'S SUPERVISORY ACTIVITIES AND
THE LAW ON NATIONAL BOUNDARIES. THE NA ADOPTED A RESOLUTION
ON ITS 2003-2007 WORKPLAN TO DRAFT AND PASS 137 LAWS,
ORDINANCES, AND RESOLUTIONS. (COMMENT: IT IS UNCLEAR
WHETHER THIS REFERS TO SPECIFIC LEGISLATION ALREADY IN THE
WORKS OR NOT. IT IS, AT BEST, A MODEST WORKPLAN GIVEN THE
LEGAL CHALLENGES FACING THE GVN OVER THIS DECADE. END
COMMENT)


5. (U) NA DELEGATES TURNED DOWN ONE OF THE MOST
CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW ON LAWS. THE
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 HANOI 03037 01 OF 03 200759Z
GVN HAD PROPOSED THAT INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS SHOULD
PREVAIL IN CASES IN WHICH THEY CONFLICTED WITH DOMESTIC
LAWS. (NOTE: THIS WAS A DIRECT ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE
OF CONFORMITY WITH THE BTA AND EVENTUALLY, THE WTO
AGREEMENTS, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO BACK AND CHANGE UPWARDS OF
200 LAWS AND REGULATIONS THAT WILL CONFLICT. END NOTE) THE
DELEGATES DECLINED TO APPROVE THE CHANGE, CITING
"SOVEREIGNTY" REASONS. JUSTICE MINISTER UONG CHU LUU, ON
BEHALF OF THE GVN, INFORMED THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THAT THE
ITEM WOULD BE RE-WRITTEN IN A NEWER VERSION OF THE LAW. IN
ANOTHER MOVE, DELEGATES ALSO VOTED TO AMEND EXISTING GVN LAW
SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT ALL LAWS BECOME EFFECTIVE ONLY AFTER
PUBLICIZED IN THE PUBLIC GAZETTE (ANOTHER BTA REQUIREMENT ON
TRANSPARENCY). THERE WAS SOME OPPOSITION TO THIS MOVE; SOME
DELEGATES DECLARED IT WAS "IRRATIONAL" AND OTHERS CLAIMED
THE CHANGE WAS TOO VAGUE AND PREFERRED TO HAVE EACH LEGAL
DOCUMENT SPECIFY EFFECTIVE DATES.


6. (U) NA DELEGATES ALSO VOTED TO ESTABLISH AN AD-HOC
COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE MORE CAREFULLY THE DRAFT LAW RELATED TO
ITS OWN SUPERVISORY AND INSPECTION ACTIVITIES. THE NEW BODY
WILL BE HEADED BY A MEMBER OF THE NA STANDING COMMITTEE,
WILL INCLUDE 25 MEMBERS, AND WILL ALSO SEEK INPUT FROM
EXPERTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE NA. ACCORDING TO A SENIOR
STAFF MEMBER FROM THE OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (ONA),
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS AD-HOC COMMITTEE IS

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ5631

PAGE 01 HANOI 03037 02 OF 03 200759Z
ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00
DODE-00 DOEE-00 ITCE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00
EXME-00 OIGO-00 E-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 UTED-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 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01
PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00
STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00
DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W
-------------- 1AADF7 200800Z /38
R 200716Z DEC 02
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8432
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 03 HANOI 003037

SIPDIS



"UNPRECEDENTED" AND IS SEEN AS A SIGN OF THE NA'S GROWING
ASSERTIVENESS.


7. (U) SEVERAL DELEGATES DURING THE SESSION EXPRESSED
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HANOI 03037 02 OF 03 200759Z
FRUSTRATION OVER WHAT THEY PERCEIVED AS AUTHORITARIAN
BEHAVIOR BY SOME AMONG THE NA LEADERSHIP WHEN DELIBERATING
ON DRAFT LEGISLATION DURING PLENARY SESSIONS. IN TRYING TO
PERSUADE DELEGATES TO ACCEPT THE GVN DRAFTS, THESE LEADERS
APPEARED TO DAMPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR DELEGATES TO HAVE FRANK
AND OPEN DISCUSSIONS ON SOME OF THE MORE CONTROVERSIAL
ISSUES. NA CHAIRMAN NGUYEN VAN AN AT SEVERAL TIMES DURING
THE PLENARY SESSIONS APPARENTLY HAD TO BEG THE PARDON OF THE
DELEGATES IN RESPONSE TO THEIR DISCONTENT.


8. (U) ADDITIONALLY, SOME DELEGATES WERE REPORTEDLY UPSET
THAT THEIR "RATIONAL" COMMENTS WERE NOT REFLECTED IN FINAL
LEGISLATION. THERE WERE APPARENTLY OPEN ARGUMENTS BETWEEN
SOME DELEGATES AND CABINET MINISTERS (WHO REPRESENTED
CHAIRMEN OF THE DRAFTING UNITS) DURING PLENARY MEETINGS OF
THE NA. DELEGATE NGUYEN DINH LOC, THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE
UNTIL AUGUST 2002, AT ONE POINT PUBLICLY CALLED UPON
MINISTER OF FINANCE NGUYEN SINH HUNG "TO LISTEN TO RIGHT
COMMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY" AFTER HUNG DECLINED TO
ACKNOWLEDGE POINTS RAISED BY DELEGATES ABOUT THE REVISED LAW
ON STATE BUDGET.

QS-AND-AS WITH CABINET MEMBERS
--------------


9. (U) TO THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF MANY DELEGATES, MINISTER
OF PUBLIC SECURITY LE HONG ANH WAS NOT ONE AMONG THE FEW
CABINET MINISTERS TO ATTEND THE 3-DAY Q&A SESSION, WHICH WAS
CARRIED LIVE ON NATIONAL TELEVISION. SOME DELEGATES SAID
THAT ANH SHOULD BE OBLIGED TO RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS THAT THE
MPS HAD FAILED EFFECTIVELY TO DEAL WITH THE NAM CAM MAFIA
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 HANOI 03037 02 OF 03 200759Z
GANG AND THE ALLEGED INVOLVEMENTS OF MPS OFFICIALS
(INCLUDING TWO MPS MINISTERS WHO LOST THEIR POSITIONS AND
WERE ALSO DEMOTED IN RANK).


10. (U) SEVERAL OBSERVERS NOTED THAT THE Q&A SESSION
APPEARED MORE STAGED THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS, WITH MINISTERS
USING THEIR ALLOCATED TIME MERELY TO READ PREPARED REMARKS,
LEAVING LITTLE TIME FOR DISCUSSION. SOME DELEGATES HAVE
COMPLAINED THAT THE TIME ALLOCATED FOR THE Q&A SESSION WAS
TOO SHORT OVERALL. PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE LIVE COVERAGE
APPEARED MINIMAL.

SON LA DAM-- AT LAST!
--------------


11. (U) AFTER YEARS OF DESIGN, DEBATE, INTERNATIONAL
CRITICISM, AND THE REFUSAL OF THE NA IN EARLIER SESSIONS TO
APPROVE A LARGER VERSION OF THE SON LA HYDROELECTRIC DAM IN
THE PROVINCE OF THAT SAME NAME, THE NA APPROVED A SCALED-
DOWN VERSION THAT WILL BE BETWEEN 205-215 METERS HIGH AND
REQUIRE THE RELOCATION OF BETWEEN 79-91,000 MOSTLY ETHNIC
MINORITY PEOPLE (ACCORDING TO ONE NA DELEGATE, ALL WITHIN
THE SAME PROVINCE). ESTIMATED COSTS WERE PROJECTED AT
BETWEEN USD 2-2.5 BILLION, WITH THE GVN CLAIMING 70 PCT WILL
BE FINANCED DOMESTICALLY. AFTER THE VOTE, ONE NA DELEGATE
TOLD POL/C THAT NA DELEGATES NOW WERE "MORE SATISFIED, BUT
NOT SATISFIED" WITH THE COMPROMISE PROJECT. SEPTEL WILL
EXAMINE THE DAM PROJECT AND ITS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
IMPLICATIONS.

FOREIGN POLICY
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 HANOI 03037 02 OF 03 200759Z
--------------


12. (U) FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN DY NIEN ON DECEMBER 4 GAVE
A BROAD OVERVIEW OF THE GVN'S SUCCESSES IN THE INTERNATIONAL
ARENA OVER THE PAST YEAR, BUT LOCAL MEDIA MERELY SUMMARIZED
HIS REMARKS BRIEFLY. ONA CONTACTS DECLINED TO PROVIDE
EMBASSY A COPY OF HIS REPORT. ACCORDING TO ONE NA DELEGATE,
FM NIEN PRAISED POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN US-VIETNAM
RELATIONS, BUT NOTED SOME "NEGATIVE" INFLUENCES. ANOTHER NA
DELEGATE SEPARATELY SAID THAT HE HAD INFERRED FROM FM NIEN'S
COMMENTS ABOUT THE U.S. THAT THERE WERE "NEGATIVE FORCES" IN
THE U.S. TRYING TO INFLUENCE US POLICYMAKERS, BUT THAT THE
USG ITSELF MAINTAINED A CONSTRUCTIVE POLICY TOWARD VIETNAM
AND BOTH GOVERNMENTS WERE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND
RELATIONS REGARDLESS.

STAFFING
--------------


13. (U) ONE OF THE NEW FEATURES OF THE 11TH NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY WAS THE DESIGNATION OF 125 "FULL-TIME" MEMBERS, WHO
WERE APPARENTLY NAMED IN AUGUST, ALTHOUGH THEIR IDENTITIES
WERE NOT PUBLICIZED AND THE MEDIA HAS YET TO REPORT ON THEM
OR THEIR EXACT ROLES. AFTER MONTHS OF EMBASSY REQUESTS FOR
CONFIRMATION OF THEIR EXISTENCE AND A NAME LIST, THE NA
ADDED THEIR NAMES TO ITS WEBSITE IN EARLY DECEMBER AND SENT

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ5632

PAGE 01 HANOI 03037 03 OF 03 200800Z
ACTION EAP-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00 CTME-00
DODE-00 DOEE-00 ITCE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 EB-00
EXME-00 OIGO-00 E-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 UTED-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 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01
PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SSO-00
STR-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00
DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W
-------------- 1AADF8 200800Z /38
R 200716Z DEC 02
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8433
INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 03 HANOI 003037

SIPDIS


EMBASSY A NOTIFICATION TO THIS EFFECT. VIRTUALLY ALL ARE
ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THE EIGHT MAJOR COMMITTEES.


14. (U) THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF "FULL-TIME" MEMBERS:
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 HANOI 03037 03 OF 03 200800Z
CENTRAL, AND LOCAL. THOSE AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL WILL HAVE
OFFICES IN HANOI, ALBEIT WITHOUT PERSONAL STAFFS AS OF YET.
THE LOCAL FULL-TIME MEMBERS WILL MAINTAIN AN OFFICE IN EACH
PROVINCE, AND ARE SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO CONSTITUENT
COMPLAINTS AND REQUESTS. ONE NA DELEGATE FROM BINH DINH
ADMITTED TO POL/C ON DECEMBER 27 THAT THE PROVINCIAL OFFICES
HAD NOT YET BEEN SET UP BUT WOULD GET GOING SOON IN 2003.
HE LAMENTED THE LACK OF ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE FULL-
TIME MEMBERS, MUCH LESS THE REGULAR DELEGATES. HE NOTED
THAT THE NA RECEIVES AT LEAST 200,000 LETTERS FROM
CONSTITUENTS EACH YEAR. TO REPLY TO HIS CONSTITUENTS, HE
MUST UNDERTAKE WHATEVER RESEARCH HIMSELF AND DRAFT HIS OWN
LETTERS, ALTHOUGH THERE IS IN PRINCIPLE CLERICAL SUPPORT IN
THE ONA TO TYPE OUTGOING LETTERS.
BURGHARDT

UNCLASSIFIED