Vietnam legislature evolving, but still communist ANALYSIS 06/25/2010

Vietnam legislature evolving, but still communist

ANALYSIS 06/25/2010 HANOI — When Vietnam’s communist legislators rejected the government’s controversial $56-billion proposal for a bullet train last weekend, many Vietnamese hailed them as brave representatives of the people. Other observers, while seeing the vote as significant, were less quick to view it as a democratic breakthrough. In its rare decision last Saturday, the National Assembly failed to approve the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City link and asked the government to further study the country’s transport options. “As far as I know, the National Assembly’s vote against the proposed bullet train is the first time that body has knocked back a high-profile proposed project from the government,” said Ben Kerkvliet, emeritus professor and Vietnam specialist from The Australian National University. “A significant threshold in national political institutional development has been crossed.” Some Vietnamese said the elected deputies — more than 90 percent of whom are Communist Party members — had shown they were truly acting in the people’s interests. Readers who posted their views on the VietnamNet online news site praised the legislators as “brave” and “good representatives.” “Many Vietnamese are overly enthusiastic” about the vote, said Le Dang Doanh, a former economic adviser to the government.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100625com3.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Sorry, all seats taken FRONTLINE Shabby treatment ANALYSIS Vietnam legislature evolving, but still communist MR. EXPOSE Jojo says nay to Noy NO HOLDS BARRED Losing much too early DIE HARD III Keeping the revolution alive LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Clarification focus McChrystal’s radical war plan losing early luster