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271137Z Apr 01

 2001HANOI01020 - CONFIDENTIAL
 
 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ2148

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FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2714
INFO NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
ASEAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
DEPTTREAS WASHDC PRIORITY
JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI//J5/FPA// PRIORITY
DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 HANOI 001020 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP, EAP/BCLTV, DRL, INR 
STATE ALSO FOR EB/ODF, EB/OMA, EB/OIA 
STATE ALSO PASS USTR 
NSC FOR EAST ASIAN DIRECTORATE 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EAP STERN 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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TREASURY FOR OASIA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/27/2011 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON PINR VM DPOL
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP CHANGES TO FOLLOW SHAKE-UP IN SENIOR COMMUNIST PARTY RANKS 
 
REF: A) HANOI 985     B) HANOI 965     C) HANOI 952 
 
¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR JAMES BRUNO; 
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶2. (C) SUMMARY: THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SESSION EXPECTED TO 
BEGIN MAY 21 OR 22 WILL UNVEIL A NEW ASSEMBLY CHAIRPERSON, 
LIKELY CPV ORGANIZATIONAL CHIEF AN.  IT MAY ALSO GIVE CLUES 
AS TO THE RELATIVE STRENGTH OF RISING SOUTHERN REFORMERS 
NGUYEN MINH TRIET AND NGUYEN TAN DUNG, ONE OF WHOM COULD BE 
TELEGRAPHED AS KHAI'S HEIR APPARENT AS PRIME MINISTER.  A 
HANDFUL OF MINISTERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE REPLACED, SINCE 
SEVERAL DROPPED FROM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.  THE ROLE OF 
THE PARTY SECRETARIAT WILL ALSO BE CLARIFIED OVER THE NEXT 
MONTHS, AS WE SEE WHETHER TRADE MINISTER VU KHOAN WILL 
RETAIN HIS MINISTRY POST OR PERHAPS BE NAMED AS A DEPUTY PM. 
MORE WIDE-RANGING CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT, HOWEVER, ARE 
EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE IN JULY 2002 FOLLOWING NATIONAL 
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS NEXT SPRING.  END SUMMARY. 
 
AN EXPECTED TO HEAD NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BEGINNING IN MAY 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3. (C) THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IS EXPECTED TO OPEN MAY 21 OR 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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22 FOR ITS MONTH-LONG SPRING SESSION, ACCORDING TO A KEY 
SENIOR STAFFER AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (STRICTLY PROTECT). 
THE FULL ASSEMBLY MEMBERSHIP WILL MEET MAY 20 IN AN 
INFORMAL PRE-SESSION TO SET THE AGENDA FOR THE TERM.  (OUR 
CONTACT WOULD NOT CONFIRM POLOFF'S QUERY THAT ASSEMBLY 
MEMBERS MIGHT BE "BRIEFED" AT THIS TIME ON THE CPV'S 
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND GOVERNMENT 
LEADERSHIP CHANGES.)  THE MAIN FORMAL BUSINESS OF THIS 
SPRING SESSION WILL BE LAWMAKING, AND THE ASSEMBLY HAS A 
FULL DOCKET, WITH AMENDMENTS BEING DEBATED TO THE LABOR 
CODE AND THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE, AND NEW LAWS ON 
PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE, FIRE-FIGHTING, AND 
TRAFFIC AND HIGHWAYS.  (NOTE: THE AMENDMENTS TO THE 
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE, ABOUT WHICH WE WILL REPORT FURTHER 
SEPTEL, WILL CONSIDER, AMONG OTHER THINGS, LIMITING THE 
ALLOWABLE TIME AND SIMPLIFYING PROCEDURES FOR DETENTION OF 
SUSPECTS, AND SHORTENING THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE PERIOD 
BEFORE A PERSON MUST GO TO TRIAL AFTER ARREST.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶4. (C) THE BIGGEST TOPIC OF INTEREST IN THE MAY-JUNE 
SESSION OF THE ASSEMBLY WILL BE WHICH GOVERNMENT AND 
ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP CHANGES WILL BE ANNOUNCED.  CPV 
ORGANIZATIONAL AFFAIRS CHIEF NGUYEN VAN AN, WHO WAS THE 
RUNNER-UP TO NONG DUC MANH FOR GENERAL SECRETARY, IS 
EXPECTED TO BE ELECTED AS MANH'S SUCCESSOR AT THE ASSEMBLY, 
ACCORDING TO THE ASSEMBLY STAFFER.  MANH WILL OPEN THE 
ASSEMBLY SESSION AND PRESIDE OVER THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 
STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING PRECEDING IT MAY 14-19, 
ACCORDING TO THE STAFFER, AND AN LIKELY WILL BE ELECTED 
"DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE SESSION."  (NOTE: AFTER THE 
STAFFER MET WITH POLOFF APRIL 27, HE WAS GOING TO A 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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"FAREWELL MEETING" MANH WAS HAVING WITH HIS LONG-TIME STAFF 
AT THE ASSEMBLY.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶5. (SBU) ONE OF THE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MANH'S 
SUCCESSOR WILL BE PREPARING FOR VIETNAM'S YEAR-LONG 
LEADERSHIP OF THE ASEAN INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ORGANIZATION 
(AIPO) BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER.  THIS WILL BE VIETNAM'S 
FIRST TIME HEADING AIPO, AND LIKE THE COUNTRY'S INITIAL 
VENTURE INTO THE ASEAN PRESIDENCY, THE ORGANIZATIONAL 
DEMANDS WILL BE SIGNIFICANT.  (COMMENT: FROM THIS VANTAGE 
POINT, AN'S EXPERIENCE HONED OVER THE PAST YEAR IN HIS CPV 
ORGANIZATIONAL POST COULD BE A REASON HE WOULD BE TABBED 
FOR THIS JOB.  END COMMENT.) THE CONSTITUENT COMMITTEES OF 
AIPO MEET DURING THE YEAR, CULMINATING IN THE ANNUAL SUMMIT 
TO BE HELD IN HANOI IN SEPTEMBER 2003. 
 
SOME GOVERNMENT CHANGES NOW, MORE NEXT YEAR 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) BECAUSE OF CHANGES MADE IN THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE 
RANKINGS ANNOUNCED AT THE CPV CONGRESS, A NUMBER OF 
GOVERNMENTAL CHANGES ARE EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE 
ASSEMBLY.  SOME OF THESE CHANGES APPEAR EVIDENT.  FOR 
EXAMPLE, SEVERAL MINISTERS, SUCH AS THOSE FOR THE 
MINISTRIES OF PLANNING AND INVESTMENT (MPI), JUSTICE, 
CONSTRUCTION, INDUSTRY, AND TRANSPORTATION, WERE NOT 
ELECTED TO THE NEW CENTRAL COMMITTEE, WHILE THEIR DEPUTIES 
WERE.  THIS CLEARLY PRESAGES THEIR REPLACEMENT, THOUGH SOME 
SOURCES SUGGEST THAT A COUPLE OF THEM MIGHT SURVIVE UNTIL 
¶2002.  MPI MINISTER GIA, WHO WAS CRITICIZED BY THE CENTRAL 
COMMITTEE LAST YEAR, REPORTEDLY WILL BE REPLACED.  THE 
ASSEMBLY STAFFER SAYS JUSTICE MINISTER LOC IS EXPECTED TO 
GO TO TAKE A NATIONAL ASSEMBLY POST (LIKELY HEADING THE 
JUSTICE COMMITTEE) WHILE HIS DEPUTY, UONG CHU LUU, MOVES 
UP.  (HE DESCRIBES LUU AS A YOUNGER, IMPRESSIVE LAWYER WHO 
HAS MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF HEADING UP CHANGES TO THE 
CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE.)  INTERESTINGLY, BOTH GIA AND 
MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MOSTE) NHA, WHO 
NORMALLY ARE AMONG THE MOST SOCIALLY OMNIPRESENT MINISTERS, 
WERE NOT AT THE MANH-HOSTED RECEPTION FOLLOWING HIS 
ANNOUNCEMENT APRIL 22. 
 
¶7. (C) DEPUTY PM NGUYEN MANH CAM TOLD THE AUSTRALIANS AFTER 
THE PARTY CONGRESS THAT THOUGH HE WAS NO LONGER A MEMBER OF 
THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, HE WOULD NOT RETIRE FROM GOVERNMENT 
UNTIL 2002, FOLLOWING ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS AND PROMULGATION 
OF A NEW CONSTITUTION (SEE FURTHER BELOW).  CAM TOLD THE 
AUSTRALIANS HE HOPED FOR VIETNAM TO ENTER THE WTO BEFORE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  01020  02 OF 04  271154Z 
HIS RETIREMENT. 
 
¶8. (C) IN ADDITION, OTHER GOVERNMENT POSTS NEED TO BE 
FILLED.  MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION NGUYEN KHOA 
DIEM MOVED UP TO THE POLITBURO, AND HE IS EXPECTED TO HEAD 
UP CPV IDEOLOGICAL AFFAIRS.  MOVING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, 
MINISTER OF SPORTS HA QUANG DU AND MINISTRY OF ETHNIC 
MINORITY AFFAIRS HOANG DUC NGHI WERE CENSURED BY THE 
CENTRAL COMMITTEE AND ARE EXPECTED TO RETIRE. 
 
¶9. (C) IN THE NEW CENTRAL COMMITTEE LINEUP (WITH 150 SEATS 
AS OPPOSED TO 170), MOST MINISTRIES ARE NOW REPRESENTED BY 
ONLY ONE MEMBER.  DESPITE A DROP IN PRESTIGE AT SENIOR 
LEVELS (WITH ONLY ONE MILITARY MEMBER IN THE POLITBURO), 
DEFENSE RETAINED 10 PERCENT OF THE SEATS IN THE CENTRAL 
COMMITTEE (15), WHILE PUBLIC SECURITY (4), AGRICULTURE AND 
RURAL DEVELOPMENT (2), FINANCE (2) AND EDUCATION AND 
TRAINING (2) ALSO HAVE MULTIPLE SEATS.  SOME MINISTRIES ARE 
NOT REPRESENTED IN THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, INCLUDING MOSTE, 
SPORTS AND MINORITY AFFAIRS. 
 
¶10. (C) TO OUR KNOWLEDGE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MEMORY 
THAT MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS ONLY ONE FORMAL 
REPRESENTATIVE, MINISTER NIEN, SINCE VICE MINISTER BIN WAS 
DROPPED.  (HOWEVER, CAREER DIPLOMAT AND CURRENT MINISTER OF 
TRADE VU KHOAN ALSO MAINTAINED HIS SEAT IN THE CENTRAL 
COMMITTEE, AND AS NOTED REFTELS, HAS NEW PROMINENCE AND 
CLOUT THROUGH THE CPV SECRETARIAT.)  OUR SOURCES SUGGEST 
BIN WILL RETAIN HIS POSITION AT MFA, INCLUDING HIS ROLE 
DEALING WITH OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE.  BIN'S DROP FROM THE 
CENTRAL COMMITTEE MAY BE DUE TO THE TIGHTER "NUMBERS GAME" 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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WITH A SMALLER CENTRAL COMMITTEE.  (NOTE: AMBASSADOR TO THE 
U.S. LE BANG, WHO ATTENDED THE CONGRESS, WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL 
IN HIS HOPE TO MAKE THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.  DURING THE 
CONGRESS' CLOSING SESSION HE SAT WITH SOME OTHER DELEGATES 
IN THE BALCONY, WHICH IS WHERE FOREIGN DIPLOMATIC OBSERVERS 
SAT.) 
 
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS IN 2002 WILL BRING FURTHER CHANGES 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶11. (C) IN LATE APRIL (OR PERHAPS EARLY MAY NEXT YEAR) 
NATION-WIDE ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD TO ELECT A NEW 450- 
MEMBER NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR THE BODY'S 11TH SESSION, 
ACCORDING TO THE ASSEMBLY STAFFER WITH WHOM WE SPOKE 
(PROTECT).  THE ELECTION ITSELF WILL BE HELD ON A SUNDAY, 
POSSIBLY APRIL 28, THOUGH THIS WILL BE FINALIZED BY THE 
ASSEMBLY'S STANDING COMMITTEE LATER THIS YEAR OR EARLY 
NEXT.  THE PRE-ELECTION PERIOD WILL RUN ROUGHLY THREE 
MONTHS, RUNNING FROM FORMAL VETTING OF CANDIDATES BY THE 
VIETNAM FATHERLAND FRONT, CAMPAIGNING IN LOCAL DISTRICTS BY 
CANDIDATES BEFORE SELECTED GROUPS OF VOTERS, AND THEN 
NATION-WIDE BALLOTING IN POLLING STATIONS AROUND THE 
COUNTRY.  THE STAFFER CONFIRMED THE PROCESS WOULD BE 
SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL ELECTIONS OF 18 
MONTHS AGO, WHICH POLOFFS WITNESSED AT VARIOUS POLLING 
STATIONS (SEPTELS).  (COMMENT: IN THAT BALLOTING, THERE WAS 
NO TRANSPARENCY IN COUNTING AND TALLYING OF VOTES, AND THUS 
NO CHECK ON THE CPV'S MANIPULATION OF THE FINAL TALLIES.  A 
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF PEOPLE'S COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS 
IN HANOI BY EMBOFFS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THE RESULTS WERE 
DOCTORED, GIVEN THE RECURRENT PATTERNS IN VOTE TOTALS IN 
DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶12. (C) AFTER THE NEW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IS ELECTED NEXT 
YEAR, IT LIKELY WILL MEET IN ITS FIRST SESSION IN JULY 
2002, ACCORDING TO THE ASSEMBLY STAFFER.  THIS WOULD LIKELY 
BE THE TIME WHEN A NEW PRIME MINISTER WOULD BE NAMED TO 
REPLACE PHAN VAN KHAI.  NUMEROUS SOURCES SUGGEST THAT HCMC 
PARTY BOSS NGUYEN MINH TRIET IS THE LEADING CANDIDATE FOR 
THE POST, GIVEN HIS STRONG SUPPORT AMONG SOUTHERNERS AND 
REFORMERS IN THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.  THE OTHER PROMINENT 
CANDIDATE, ALSO MENTIONED FREQUENTLY, IS FIRST DEPUTY PRIME 
MINISTER DUNG.  ONE CPV-CONNECTED SOURCE TOLD US DUNG 
LIKELY WILL BENEFIT FROM THE RETIREMENT OF SOME OF THE OLD 
GUARD, INCLUDING SENIOR ADVISORS, AT THE PARTY CONGRESS 
(REFS A AND B).  DUNG REPORTEDLY MADE ENEMIES AMONG SOME OF 
THE OLDER MEMBERS BY HIS "OUTSPOKEN" AND SOMETIMES SOMEWHAT 
"INDEPENDENT" ACTIONS; ACCORDING TO THIS SOURCE, DUNG WAS 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  01020  03 OF 04  271154Z 
NOT SEEN AS SUFFICIENTLY DEFERENTIAL TO SOME OF THE CPV 
ELDERS.  NOW THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE SENIOR RANK, HE MAY 
FLOURISH.  (NOTE: CPV ECONOMIC COMMISSION CHAIRMAN TRUONG 
TAN SANG ALSO CANNOT BE COUNTED OUT, THOUGH AS REF A NOTED, 
ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION APPEAR TO HAVE PLACED HIM 
SOMEWHAT ON THE DEFENSIVE FOR THE TIME BEING.) 
 
¶13. (C) AT THE EXPECTED JULY 2002 ASSEMBLY SESSION, THERE 
ARE EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD CHANGES IN THE GOVERNMENT AND 
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AS WELL.  THE STAFFER SUGGESTED THAT 
MANH'S SUCCESSOR AS ASSEMBLY CHAIRMAN, PRESUMABLY AN, COULD 
SERVE ONLY ONE YEAR IN THE POST, PERHAPS BEING REPLACED IN 
¶2002.  AT THAT TIME, NEW STANDING COMMITTEES AND A NEW 
LEADERSHIP LINEUP IN THE ASSEMBLY WOULD BE NAMED. 
 
THE ROLE OF THE SECRETARIAT AND THE CPV INSPECTORATE 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶14. (C) ONE OF THE KEY CHANGES COMING OUT OF THE PARTY 
CONGRESS WAS THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE CPV SECRETARIAT, 
WHICH WILL OVERSEE THE DAY-TO-DAY AFFAIRS OF THE POLITBURO. 
BASED ON THE MAKE-UP OF THE NEW BODY AND INITIAL REPORTS WE 
HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT ITS FUNCTIONS, THE SECRETARIAT MAY HELP 
IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY AND WORK OF CPV SENIOR LEADERS.  KEY 
FIGURES TO WATCH IN THE NEWLY RECONSTITUTED SECRETARIAT ARE 
LE HONG ANH, NEW HEAD OF THE CPV'S INSPECTORATE (CONTROL 
COMMISSION), AND CURRENT TRADE MINISTER VU KHOAN.  PRIOR TO 
1996, WHEN THE SECRETARIAT EXISTED, POLITBURO AND CENTRAL 
COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO SERVED IN THE BODY DID NOT ALSO HOLD 
GOVERNMENT POSTS, AND THUS THERE IS WIDESPREAD SPECULATION 
THAT VU KHOAN WILL HAVE TO GIVE UP HIS TRADE MINISTER POST 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        HANOI  01020  03 OF 04  271154Z 
IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE ON CPV BUSINESS.  ACCORDING TO THIS 
ARGUMENT, HE ALSO WOULD NOT ASSUME THE DEPUTY PM SLOT THAT 
HAS BEEN REPORTEDLY DISCUSSED FOR HIM.  (THE ABOVE REPORT 
ABOUT CAM MAINTAINING HIS POSITION TO 2002 WOULD TEND TO 
SUPPORT THIS LATTER VIEW.)  A LEADING REFORMER WHO GETS 
RESULTS, VU KHOAN IS SEEN AS ONE OF THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF 
REFORMERS HERE. 
 
¶15. (C) ASSISTANT TRADE MINISTRY LUONG, WHO SERVED AS 
KHOAN'S CHIEF ADVISOR ON BTA NEGOTIATIONS, TOLD ECONOFF 
THAT KHOAN WOULD OVERSEE AND MANAGE VIETNAM'S TRADE AND 
FOREIGN POLICY PORTFOLIOS FROM HIS NEW POSITION.  LUONG 
IMPLIED THAT NOT ONLY WOULD KHOAN EFFECTIVELY TAKE OVER DPM 
CAM'S ENTIRE PORTFOLIO, IF NOT THE FORMAL POSITION AT THIS 
POINT.  HE SAID KHOAN WOULD HAVE AN EVEN HIGHER STATURE AND 
POSITION IN HIS NEW JOB THAN THAT OF A DEPUTY PM.  LUONG 
ALSO MADE CLEAR THERE WAS NO REASON WHY KHOAN COULD NOT 
SERVE IN HIS NEW SECRETARIAT POSITION AND ALSO SERVE  AS 
TRADE MINISTER. 
 
¶16. (C) THE MEMBERS OF THE SECRETARIAT SEEM CAREFULLY 
BALANCED FOR DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND REGIONS OF THE CPV. 
OF THE FOUR CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ONE IS ARMED FORCES 
CHIEF OF STAFF (LE VAN DUNG), TWO ARE CPV CHIEFS FROM 
SOUTHERN DONG THAP AND NORTHERN SON LA PROVINCES (TONG THI 
PHONG AND TRUONG VINH TRONG) AND ONE (VU KHOAN) HAS A 
STRONG BACKGROUND IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE.  OVERALL, 
THE SECRETARIAT IS SEEN AS STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF THE 
GENERAL SECRETARY (COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS STANDING BOARD 
OF THE POLITBURO) SINCE THE OTHER EIGHT MEMBERS OF THE 
SECRETARIAT ARE ALMOST ALL MUCH JUNIOR TO HIM. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
¶17. (C) LE HONG ANH, ONLY 51 AND NOW IN THE POLITBURO, IS 
PERHAPS THE BIGGEST "SHOOTING STAR" TO COME OUT OF THE 
CONGRESS.  NAMED NINTH IN THE POLITBURO, AND PROMOTED TO 
HEAD THE CONTROL COMMISSION, ANH HAS MOVED UP RAPIDLY. 
FROM KIEN GIANG PROVINCE IN THE MEKONG DELTA, WE HAVE HEARD 
FROM SEVERAL SOURCES THAT ANH IS A "PROTEGE" OF NGUYEN TAN 
DUNG AND MAY HAVE RIDDEN HIS COATTAILS TO HANOI FIVE YEARS 
AGO.  ANH FOLLOWED DUNG AS PARTY CHIEF IN KIEN GIANG AND 
GAINED GOOD MARKS FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION THERE. 
AS DEPUTY TO MS. XUAN MY ON THE CONTROL COMMISSION SINCE 
1998, ANH MANAGED TO GET POSITIVE REVIEWS FOR HIS 
ORGANIZATIONAL EFFORTS, THOUGH MY FELL FROM THE POLITBURO 
FOR HER POOR MANAGEMENT OF THE CRITICISM/SELF-CRITICISM 
CAMPAIGN. 
 
¶18. (C) ANH SEEMS TO BE WELL POSITIONED FOR GREATER HEIGHTS 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        HANOI  01020  04 OF 04  271155Z 
IF HE PERFORMS WELL.  THE CONTROL COMMISSION HAS A LARGELY 
"INSPECTORATE" ROLE IN THE CPV: IT CHECKS UP ON CPV MEMBER 
AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE, CONSIDERS POSSIBLE 
VIOLATION, SETTLES COMPLAINTS AMONG CPV MEMBERS AND 
ORGANIZATIONS, AND CHECKS ON FINANCIAL ISSUES AT LOWER 
LEVELS.  AFTER BEING NAMED GENERAL SECRETARY, MANH STATED 
IN HIS OPENING REMARKS THAT FIGHTING CORRUPTION IS ONE OF 
HIS MAIN PRIORITIES, ALONG WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
THUS, ANH IS IN THE CENTER OF THE ACTION. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶19. (C) AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SESSION NEXT MONTH, WE 
EXPECT TO SEE FURTHER MANIFESTATIONS OF THE GENERATIONAL 
CHANGE SEEN DRAMATICALLY AT THE NINTH PARTY CONGRESS.  THAT 
PROCESS WILL PLAY ITSELF OUT MORE FULLY THROUGH THE 
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR AND THE LIKELY PROMOTION OF 
EITHER TRIET OR DUNG TO BE THE NEW HEAD OF GOVERNMENT IN 
¶2002.  OVER TIME, THIS PROCESS OF GENERATIONAL CHANGE WILL 
HAVE RIPPLING EFFECTS THAT WE EXPECT WILL RESHAPE 
VIETNAMESE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL LIFE.  IN ADDITION, THE 
RECONSTITUTED SECRETARIAT, WITH A PROMINENT ROLE PLAYED BY 
VU KHOAN AS A VIRTUAL POLITBURO CHIEF OF STAFF, INDEED 
COULD BODE WELL FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN CPV DECISION- 
MAKING AND A MORE VIGOROUS COMMITMENT TO REFORM.  END 
COMMENT. 
PETERSON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL