NEW SECRETARY GENERAL OF CENTRAL FATHERLAND

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 000728 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/KFOSTER DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR INR/EAP/SEA AND INR/IL/B E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR VM SUBJECT: NEW SECRETARY GENERAL OF CENTRAL FATHERLAND FRONT COMMITTEE REF: A. HCMC 0562(01) B. HCMC 0224(01) ¶1. ON JULY 2, MR. HUYNH DAM, FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HO CHI 00728 221034Z HCMC PEOPLE'S COUNCIL AND DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE HCMC COMMUNIST PARTY COMMITTEE, TOOK OFFICE AS THE NEW SECRETARY GENERAL OF VIETNAM'S CENTRAL FATHERLAND FRONT SIPDIS COMMITTEE, FOLLOWING THE RETIREMENT OF FORMER SECRETARY GENERAL TRAN VAN DANG. ¶2. HUYNH DAM, WHO TURNED 53 IN DECEMBER 2001, WAS BORN IN CA MAU, VIETNAM'S SOUTHERNMOST PROVINCE, AND HOLDS THREE BA DEGREES - IN ECONOMICS, LAW, AND POLITICS. DAM FIRST BECAME A MEMBER OF THE HCMC PARTY COMMITTEE IN 1995. IN JANUARY 1998, HE BECAME THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HCMC PEOPLE'S COUNCIL. HE WON ELECTION TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THE SAME YEAR. IN FEBRUARY 2000, DAM REPLACED TRUONG TAN SANG AS HEAD OF THE HCMC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DELEGATION. SINCE 1998, DAM'S PHOTOGRAPH HAS APPEARED REGULARLY ON THE FRONT PAGE OF HCMC NEWSPAPERS. WHEN THE POSITION OF CHAIRMAN OF THE HCMC PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE BECAME VACANT IN MAY 2001, POST REPORTED THAT DAM ONE OF THE FRONT-RUNNERS (SEE REFTELS). THE JOB ULTIMATELY WENT TO THE INCUMBENT FIRST VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE. ¶3. IN MEETINGS WITH CONGENOFFS, DAM HAS GIVEN THE IMPRESSION OF BEING A MODERATE. HE SUPPORTS PRIVATE SECTOR GROWTH AS NECESSARY TO A MODERN SOCIETY, BUT MAINTAINS THAT REGULATING PRIVATE SECTOR GROWTH AND CREATING A STABLE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH TO DO BUSINESS ARE LEGITIMATE ROLES FOR THE GOVERNMENT. IN HIS NEW POSITION, DAM WILL WORK TO STRENGTHEN THE PARTY'S GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS - THE WOMEN'S UNION, FARMERS' ASSOCIATION, YOUTH UNION, AND LABOR UNION ALL FALL UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HO CHI 00728 221034Z UNDER THE FATHERLAND FRONT UMBRELLA. AS BOTH THE RECIPIENT AGENCY FOR CITIZENS' COMPLAINTS AND A SUPERVISORY BODY FOR OTHER STATE AND PARTY AGENCIES, THE FATHERLAND FRONT ALSO PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION. YAMAUCHI UNCLASSIFIED