Multi-Party Regime in Vietman -- Where Lies the Ultimate Truth?

A party is a political organization regrouping people sharing the same goal and ideal existing in a specific society. The direct goal of a party is to enter politics. The ultimate goal is to win and keep the state power (government). History of Vietnam and the world has shown that all revolutions to overthrow a social regime or to change the ruling forces, which are called 'colored revolutions', are often the results of mobilization and rally of the mass, sometimes underground sometimes open of political parties. When they become the ruling party, depending on concrete situation, they will opt for multi or mono party system.

Nevertheless, in many countries often there is no pure multi party or one ruling party system. In a multi party regime, there is always a ruling party governing for many years, even decades. In the case of a sole ruling party system, usually the power is complemented by the participation of official organizations (in the political system) or non official ones (Non-Governmental Organizations -- NGOs).

When studying the relationship between a political party and the social system, many people either deliberately or by political naivety tend to omit other factors such as specific historical background or national security concern, social order. Not a few people were lured into the playground of democracy or human rights of anti-communist forces. To them, the relationship between a ruling political regime (multi or mono party) and democracy is a sole one. Reality has proved the contrary. Multi-party system is not bad, as well as one-party system is not without reason. The recent 'hanging' parliament situation in the United Kingdom or the riots and conflicts of the 'red shirts' with the incumbent Thai government should provide foods for thought on the difficulties and complications of multi-party democratic regimes.

In Vietnam, to this date, what are the viewpoints on multi-party regime, based on political views?

First, there is the viewpoint of academic democrats. For them, democracy is the driving force of development. A democratic regime must inevitably be linked to a multi-party system with political competition. Naturally, the viewpoint of these academic democracy followers is not wrong in theory, but they have left out the particular historical characteristics and political realities of different countries.

Second, there is the viewpoint of pragmatic democrats. They believe that in our country at present, there exist too many mass frustrations over the bureaucratic, corrupted and irresponsible situation created by cadres and government employees. This situation can be reduced if there are other political parties to joint the state and society governance. But these pragmatic democrats did not see that in many 'multi-party' countries, bureaucracy and corruption are not lessened. On the other hand, this viewpoint did not take account of the fact that hostile forces could take advantage of the multi-party system to realize their dark schemes.
Third, there is the viewpoint of the demagogues. In theory, they do not differ from the academic democrats. To give more weigh to their view, they reason that in Vietnam 'there was a multi-party system' before. For example, the 'first National Assembly in 1946 was a multi-party one (with 72 non-elected seats reserved for the Vietnam Nationalist Party and Vietnam Revolutionary Party)'or 'the 1992 Constitution 'implicitly' recognizes multi-party system' as it does not stipulate the Vietnam Communist Party (CPV) is the sole ruling force... (In this article the author does not intend to argue over these issues).

The basic difference between the demagogues and the academic democrats lies in the political intention. For the sham democrats, this is not solely to propagate the doctrine, but to realize their ambition to change the political regime of Vietnam and to create a legal basis for overseas political parties such as 'Viet Tan (New Vietnam)', 'Democracy and Human Rights Alliance', 'People Action Party', 'Vietnam Democr atic Party' and others to 'repatriate'. These parties are not only anti-communist political organizations but they are also terrorist organizations in nature aiming at the overthrow the state of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This is completely against the Charter of the United Nations and the principle of International Law. At the same time, the propagation of their viewpoints is targeted in creating opportunities for 'domestic' political organizations that are still in the 'embryonic' stage such as the 'Vietnam Socialist Party', the 'Vietnam Democratic Party' created by Tran Huynh Duy Thuc and Le Cong Dinh.

Advocating Pluralism, Multi-Party System
Among those advocating 'pluralism', 'multi-party system', it cannot be excluded that there were people who had once implemented the '10/59 Law that outlaws all communists' clearing the way to the killing of tens of thousands communists and patriotic people during the last years of the fifties of the 20th century. The majority of overseas people who are propagating political pluralism and opponent multi-party system for Vietnam still hold a deep grudge towards the revolution or they are trying to distort and negate all achievements made by our people in the great war to defend the country and the leading role of the Vietnam Communist Party in the resistance against the aggressors, among which there is the anti-american imperialists war. After 35 years of liberation of the South and reunification of the country (1975-2010), while the whole nation is expressing with pride its gratitude towards heroes and martyrs, among whose were tens of thousand Vietnamese communist cadres and members who had sacrificed their life, Bui Tin is calling for 'all people should ask the ruling communist state to sincerely apologize to the people'! There are people who consider the liberation day as the 'national humiliation day'. This is the portrait of the overseas people demanding multi-party regime.

What is the historical, political and legal foundation of the leading and ruling role of the Vietnam Communist Party?

Historically speaking, everyone knows that for the last 80 years (since the party establishment 3-2-1930 to date), the CPV led and formed by President Ho Chi Minh is the sole vanguard organization that spare no sacrifices and hardships to mobilize and lead the August Revolution in 1945 to regain national independence and sovereignty and build a modern Vietnam under the democratic republic regime. For the first time in history, all citizen and human rights of the people are recognized in the Constitution (1946). Next, the CPV is the sole force that leads the Vietnamese people to carry on the resistance wars against aggressive colonialists to defend the revolutionary achievements. The CPV is also the sole political force to initiate the renewal work and the integration into the international community thus helping to elevate the Vietnam's position in the world.

Political and Ideological Aspect
On the political and ideological aspect, CPV follows the Marxist-Leninist doctrine and Ho Chi Minh's thoughts with a revolutionary and creative spirit. The goal of the Party is: National independence and sovereignty with emphasis on building a 'rich people, strong country, equitable, democratic and civilized society' society and speeding up international integration under the spirit of 'Vietnam want to befriend with all countries in the world regardless of differences in social regime'.

Those who are advocating for multi-party regime are often the same people who are trying to smear the repute of the CPV. Their arguments follow a deceitful logic: that as Marxism-Leninism has collapsed (their arguments often copy the views of anti-communist people such as Brezinsky in his 'The Grand Failure' or Fukuyama in his book 'The End of History and the Last Man'), the CPV with Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thoughts as the guiding ideology, would inevitably becomes an outdated political force and the socialist society in Vietnam would soon collapse. Hence, the need for a new political party in Vietnam to lead the country is obvious! The initial step would be to accept a multi-party political system!

Naturally, most of the professors, doctors, 'historians,' 'academicians', 'biographers', writers and journalists who advocate for democracy and pluralism only read Marx superficially or indulge in sophistic thinking. They deliberately conceal or naively pass over the new thinking, political lines and policy of the CPV on socialism and the path to socialism in which the party has acknowledged its past mistakes and errors during the era before the renewal work ( such as subjective voluntarism, abolition of commodity economy, market mechanism and so on). Our party has asserted to build a market economy with socialist orientation; to build a state of law of the people, by the people and for the people; to bring into full play the role of the National Fatherland Front and other social organizations and to push forward deeper integration into the international community.

Degenerating Individuals
On the leading role of the party, it has been written in the documents of the 10th National Party Congress: 'The party operates within the framework of the Constitution and the Law and will not do the work of other organizations in the political system. So, it cannot be said that the CPV is a 'monopolistic' party. It is true that within the party, there are still a number of degenerate individuals who take advantage of the party's prestige to indulge in bureaucratic and corrupted activities and violate the mastery right of the people but they are being eliminated by the party's redressing process.

On the legal aspect, the leading role of the CPV has been unanimously endorsed by the National Assembly and stipulated in Article 4 of the SRV Constitution (1992). This totally conforms to international law. In Article 1, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1996), it has been written: 'All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

Hence, multi-party or mono-party -- where is the truth? The truth lies in the realities, in the best benefits to the people. The choice of multi-party or a one ruling party regime must be based on the actual situation of each country. In any case, it is first and foremost to put national interest above everything else and make national security, stability and sustainable development as the prerequisites (for other requirements).The next step, naturally, would be that the choice of any political system must be endorsed and supported by the mass majority via their legitimate representatives at the National Assembly.

Sri Lankan Government To Halt Corruption for Country’s Economy To Prosper

A few days ago we carried an analysis by Prof Harsha de Silva, one of the much acclaimed financial analysts in Sri Lanka, on how the imprudent economic proposals enunciated in the Mahinda Chintanaya had dragged this country into an irreversible economic collapse. He pointed out that the country had lost a gigantic 460 billion rupees (SIRe) because of the mismanagement, waste, corruption, and fraud which have infested the current administration.

Prof Silva stressed that 'fraud' had been a major elections platform issue that reverberated throughout the country during the recent presidential election. The charges of fraud and corruption raised mainly on opposition party platforms have begun to rumble on the southern region as well which is believed to be a stronghold of the ruling alliance.

The responses of the government to these criticisms have funnily enough been tantamount to an admission rather than a rejection of those charges. Why? Because, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government in its first term in office claimed that its prime objective was that of eradicating terrorism is now pledging to fight corruption, waste and fraud, in its second term.

Corruptions and Frauds
Mahinda Rajapaksa rode into power on the back of promises given in the first election campaign. It however does not look like he is going to do anything about these serious allegations. Instead, it appears as though his objective is to project himself as a man who will vengefully hunt down anyone who dares to reveal anomalies, corruptions and frauds and use his position to oppress them. This is the gut feeling one gets when one assimilates the news pouring out in relation to these issues.

Transparency International in Sri Lanka is an organization committed to revealing corruption, fraud, waste, tyrannies, transgressions and anomalies in state administration. It also monitors incidents of the ruling alliance abusing state resources and assets to promote its election campaign.

The Asian Human Rights Commission has said it has reliable information that indicates a government plan to place impediments in the way of its investigations in Sri Lanka and to render it impotent by putting its Chief Executive Attorney J.C Weliamuna behind bars by framing false charges against him. The commission expressed deep concern over recent obstructions against it by the government similar to those unleashed on a wider scale against various other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in the country by making false allegations against them as well.

People's Responsibility
In the meantime, M. J. M. Muzammil, a Muslim candidate contesting in the Colombo district from the United National Party has made some observations in this regard. He has drawn our attention to a remark made by Wimal Weerawansa, one of the prominent governing alliance candidates in the forthcoming election, at an election campaign meeting, while President Mahinda Rajapaksa was present also on the same stage.

Various constraints exist which make it almost impossible for political parties to totally weed out corrupt members from their ranks and they are compelled to coexist with these bad eggs. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the people to identify those corrupt politicians and remove them from the political realm by not voting for them. Muzammil, while quoting this remark by Weerawansa, has said that Weerawansa should then help identify those bad guys since Weerawansa appears to know who these bad eggs are!

Wishful Thinking
It is mere wishful thinking to hope that anything of this nature would ever happen here in Sri Lanka. The reality is that people are arrested on trumped up charges and committed social activists in the NGOs are arrested when they reveal the wrongdoings of the government and this will continue.

In the context of these realities in the political realm it would then seem logical to contend that an economic revival in Sri Lanka is light years away.

Punjab Police Launches Anti-Drug Smuggling Drive

The positive outcome is likely to emerge from the green signal given by the Punjab Government to the police to start a drive to prevent smuggling of narcotics in the state. For a long time, Punjab has been the epicenter of narcotic products, especially heroin smuggling. Recently, the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered the biggest consignment of heroin which value in the international market is estimated at $27.5 million.

The contraband was pushed into Punjab from across the border and the same was to be sent to Delhi, Mumbai, and abroad. This process has been ongoing for a long time. Smugglers across the border have been transacting this trade in connivance with their counterparts on the Indian side.

It cannot be denied that this trade could not be made possible without collusion with the security forces and custom authorities on either side. Yet, nevertheless, the credit for recovering such a large consignment of heroin goes to the BSF personnel.

Impact on the Youth
The smuggling of narcotics obviously leaves a massive impact on the youth of Punjab. Not only do they fall victim to the adverse effect of the drug addition, they also play into the hands of smuggles. In order to meet the requirement of their drug addiction habit they get involved into smuggling activity being carried out by antisocial and unlawful elements.

In addition to heroin, other narcotic products are also used by the youth. There are certain areas of the state where the youth find themselves entrapped in the quagmire of drugs. Owing to this, not only the state's economy is being adversely affected but the progress of development projects also is being hampered.

It is not that steps have not been taken by the state administrative machinery to stem this trend. From time to time, steps have been taken toward this end at the social and administrative level, but no positive result has emerged so far.

Special Anti-Drug Addiction Campaign
Now that state Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has directed the Punjab Police chief to start a special anti-drug addiction campaign, it is to be hoped that some positive results would emerge in the near future. In 2007, a total of 111 kg heroin was seized.

In the current year, up to mid August, 125 kg heroin has been seized so far. A major part of this seizure is likely to be consumed by the youth in Punjab. Badal has underlined the need to secure the cooperation and coordination of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) so that the menace of drug addiction could be controlled in an effective manner.

Tight Security Needed
In addition to foreign smugglers and intelligence agencies, anti-social elements also must be behind this large-scale smuggling of narcotics from the long border with Pakistan. Given that a large number of youth in Punjab are suffering from drug addition, its fallout in the form of threat to the security of the Indian borders and regional integrity cannot be ruled out.

Hence, it has become imperative to beef up vigilance along the border along with endeavors to keep the young generation away from drug addiction, through the cooperation of NGOs at the social, religious, and political level.