Reporter: Much headway has been made in the Doi Moi (Renewal) process towards a socialist-oriented market economy. Do we now need to begin a new period dedicated to promoting democracy?

Mr An: Promoting democracy in all aspects of social life but especially in economics has always been central importance to the renewal process initiated and led by the Communist Party of Vietnam over the past 20 years.

Previously, there were two economic sectors, state-owned and collective. Now all legal Vietnamese citizens are entitled to run service businesses. This shows that the nature of economic renewal is to exercise democracy in the economy and the bottom line of the renewal process is to promote democracy. In the truest sense of the word, democracy is both objective and motivation.

Democratic republic became part of the official name of Vietnam in 1945. The nature of the 1945 August Revolution was to enhance democracy. We are pursuing this goal in the new period and in the new situation. Democracy is the driving force of the Vietnamese revolution and of human kind.

Reporter: Could you elaborate on how to promote democracy during the renewal process?

Mr An: Currently, people are exercising their self-determination but there remain some limitations. For example, they only directly elect village chiefs, deputies to the People’s Council at all levels and NA deputies.

In the 1946 Constitution, late President Ho Chi Minh said that issues related to constitutional amendments and national welfare and the people’s livelihood should be directly decided by the people but his ideas have not yet been implemented. No law is built on referendum to ensure the people’s right to make direct decisions.

Promoting democracy plays an important role in politics. If democracy in politics is better exercised, democracy in socio-economic development will be further promoted.

Reporter: As you put it, in the platform draft of the National Party Congress, you favour replacing the proposal taking the word” democracy” before “ justice”. Consequently, the motto “ A just, democratic and civilised society” should be changed into “A democratic, just and civilised society”. What effect would that change have?

Mr An: Theoretically, it has an important value but in reality it all depends on what we do.

I favour the phrase “A democratic, just and civilised society” because democracy is the foundation of society. The essence of the August Revolution of 1945 totally departs from the previous institution because it is a democratic republic. Society must have democracy first and then justice and civilisation. Without democracy, society won’t have justice and civilisation. Logically, people will enjoy freedom in a democratic society. Therefore, democracy and freedom are both the target and the motivation of the revolution.

Reporter: What do you think of the Party’s pilot guidelines for the near future, for example Party committees directly electing their leaders?

Mr An: It is a lucid and sound guideline. I wanted to apply it a long time ago because in fact it was applied in 1945 and the second National Party Congress when Uncle Ho was Party Chairman cum State President.

The Party congress will strengthen direct democracy by electing the head of the Party committee as it helps to promote both the leadership role of executive committees and Party members’ responsibility. At the Central level, if the model is better applied it will help promote the leadership role of the Politburo and the Central Committee and the direct democracy of the National Party Congress’ participants.

Reporter: One of the major tasks of the democratic mechanism is to clearly define the function, duty and authority of the Party and the State. How does Vietnam perform this task?

Mr An: I find something vague in the mechanism described as “the Party as leader, the people as master, and the State  as manager”. The State has legislative, executive and judicial powers. In some cases, the Party performs the State’s job, mainly in judicial powers. The fundamental reason for this is that the Party was born and grew from leading the people to seize power, since the Party did not initially have any power. The Party’s leadership in that period certainly affects the current period. In the new period, the Party should revise its organisation and leadership method.

On the other hand, the State must be ruled by laws and State officials must speak and act according to the law. Each agency must have its own function, task and authority and not interfere in each others’ work. It is very important for us to clarify the mechanism “the Party as leader, the people as master, and the State  as manager”. 

Reporter: Thank you very much.