Vietnam’s 

11th National Party Congress
Carl Thayer
SAIS Indochina Roundtable
SAIS Indochina Roundtable
March 21, 2011
 11th Party Congress 2011
Party Congress 2011

• Adopted 4 key policy documents
• Party delegates elected a Central Committee 
y g
of 175 full and 25 alternate members
• The new Central Committee elected a 14
The new Central Committee elected a 14‐
person Politburo
• And elected Nguyen Phu
And elected Nguyen Phu Trong party Secretary 
party Secretary
General
 11th Party Congress
Party Congress
• 4. Development goals and tasks for the 2011‐15 period
• Overall goals set forth for the country in the next five years 
are: Continue to raise the Party’s leadership and combat 
capacity; step up the renewal process in a comprehensive 
manner; build a strong and pure political system; promote 
democracy and the entire people’s great unity; develop the 
economy in a fast and sustainable manner; further improve 
th
the people’s living conditions both materially and 
l ’ li i diti b th t i ll d
spiritually, maintain socio‐economic stability, enhance 
external activities; firmly defend national independence, 
sovereignty and territorial integrity; thus creating a
sovereignty and territorial integrity; thus creating a 
foundation for the nation to become a modern‐oriented 
industrialised country by 2020.
 Party State Relations
Party‐State Relations

Party Secretary 
Prime Minister
General

Structural problem: weak party leader strong PM
 VCP Membership 1986‐2011
VCP Membership 1986 2011
4.00

3.50

3.00

2.50

2.00
VCP Membership 
VCP Membership
1.50
(in millions)
1.00

0.50

0.00

6th 
6th 7th 
7th 8th 
8th 9th 
9th 10th 
10th 11th 
11th
1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
 P t M b hi b R i %
Party Membership by Region %
7.00%

6.00%

5.00%

4.00%

3.00%

2.00%

1.00%

0.00%
SMD SCV SCH S NTB NRR NCV N

South Mekong Delta, South Central Vietnam, Southern Central Highlands, South; 
South Mekong Delta South Central Vietnam Southern Central Highlands South;
North Tay Bac, North Red River, North Central Vietnam, North
Sectoral Composition of the VCP 
l
Central Committee 2011
11% 9%

Senior Party

Central Party‐
State
38%
Secondary/Provin
42%
cial
Armed Forces
 VCP CC Full Members
VCP CC Full Members
200

180

160

140

120

100
VCP CC Full Members
80

60

40

20

0
4th 1976 5th 1982 6th 1986 7th 1991 8th 1996 9th 2001 10th 2006 11th 2011
 Patronage, Policy or Interest
Patronage, Policy or Interest
• Patronage
Patronage and power as the key by‐
and power as the key by‐
product of Vietnam’s national party 
congress process
• Personality clashes, policy differences 
and ideology
• Leadership selection as a product of 
Leadership selection as a product of
sectoral (interest group) representation
Generational Change on the VCP 
Central Committee 2011

Full members 
F ll b
retained
Alternate members 
promoted
New full members
CC
CC Members Holding Central Party 
Members Holding Central Party
Posts N = 38
Politburo

Central Committee 
5
Commissions
3 13 Party media
2

2 Mass Organisation

Secretariat
13

Inspection Committee
CC Members Holding Central 
CC M b H ldi C t l
State Posts N = 47

17
11
Cabinet
7 National Assembly
5 7 Oth
Other central state
t l t t
Mass Organisation
Deputy Minister
Deputy Minister
12 Ministers Retained Seats on CC
12 Ministers Retained Seats on CC
• Defense
Defense Phung
Phung Quang Thanh
• Public Security Le Hong Anh
• Chairman of the Government Office Nguyen 
Ch i f h G Offi
Xuan Phuc
• Finance Vu Van Ninh
• Industry and Trade Vu Huy
y y Hoangg
• Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc
Phat
 12 Ministers Retained Seats on CC
12 Ministers Retained Seats on CC
• Labor
Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen 
War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen
Thi Kim Ngan
• Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh
Culture Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh
• Justice Ha Hung Cuong
• Education and Training Pham Vu Luan
• Chairman of the National Committee for 
Ethnic Groups Giang Seo Phu
• State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Van Giau
State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Van Giau
CC Members Holding Posts in the 
CC M b H ldi P t i th
Military N = 21 (full & alternate)
Minister and Deputy 
Ministers

1
Service Chiefs
Service Chiefs
2
6
Military Region
3

Other
2

7
General Political 
Department
General Staff
CC Members Holding Provincial 
CC Members Holding Provincial
Posts N = 94

5
11 Party Secretary
Deputy Party Secretary
Other
20
57
Regional
District Party Secretary
 New VCP Politburo
New VCP Politburo
• Truong Tang Sang
Truong Tang Sang • To Huy
To Huy Rua
• Phung Quang Thanh • Pham Quang Nghi
• Nguyen Tan Dung • Tran Dai Quang
iQ
• Nguyen Sinh Hung • Tong Thi Phong
• Nguyen Phu Trong • Ngo Van Du
• Le Hong Anh
Le Hong Anh • Dinh The Huynh
The Huynh
• Le Thanh Hai • Nguyen Xuan Phuc
 Politburo Work Assignments
Politburo Work Assignments
• Nguyen Phu Trong – VCP Secretary General
• To Huy Rua – head CC Organisation
Commission
• Phung Quang Thanh – Minister of National 
Defence
• Le Hong Anh – Minister of Public Security
• Pham Quang
h Nghi
h – Hanoi Party Secretary
• Le Thanh Hai – Ho Chi Minh City Party 
Secretary
 Presumptive Politburo Work 
Assignments

• Truong Tan Sang – state president 
• Nguyen Tan Dung – prime minister
• Nguyen Sinh
Nguyen Sinh Hung –
Hung Chairman NA SC
Chairman NA SC
 New Politburo Members
New Politburo Members
• Tran Dai Quang
Q g ((born 1956 Ninh Binh), next 
),
minister of public security?
• Tong Thi Phong (born 1954 Son La), Secretariat, 
head CC Mass Mobilisation Commission.
• Ngo Van Du – (born 1947 Vinh Phuc) CC Control 
C
Commission
i i
• Dinh The Huynh – (born 1953 Nam Dinh), CC 
Propaganda and Education Commission
Propaganda and Education
• Nguyen Xuan Phuc – (born 1954 Quang Nam) head 
of the Government Office
of the Government Office
Growing Power of the Office of the 
Prime Minister
 Ministers not Re‐elected
Ministers not Re elected to CC
to CC
1. Nguyen Hong Quan ‐ Construction 
2. Pham Gia Khiem – Foreign Affairs
3. Nguyen Quoc Trieu – Health
4
4. T V T
Tran Van Tuan – H
Home Affairs (Interior)
Aff i (I t i )
5. Le Doan Hop ‐ Information and Communications
6. Pham Khoi Nguyen 
Pham Khoi Nguyen ‐ Natural Resources and 
Natural Resources and
Environment
7. Vo Hong Phuc ‐ Planning and Investment
8 Hoang Van Phong
8. H V Ph ‐ Science and Technology 
S i dT h l
9. Tran Van Truyen – State Inspection Committee 
10 Ho Nghia
10. Ho Nghia Dung 
Dung ‐ Transportation
Five Deputy Prime 
Five Deputy Prime
Ministers

PM Nguyen 
Tan Dung

Nguyen  Pham Gia Truong Vinh Nguyen  Hoang 

Sinh Hung Khiem Trong Thien Nhan Trung Hai

Born 1946         Born 1944              Born 1942         Born 1953             Born 1959
Equilibrium
 Vietnam’ss Power Elite
Vietnam Power Elite
Secretary
General

State  Prime 
President Minister

Permanent  Chair National 
Secretary  Assembly 
Party 
y Standing
Standing 
Secretariat Committee