These days, on some black websites, rumor has it that: in the next general assembly election, nomination is the sole authority of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and its affiliated organizations; Independent candidates who are not  chosen by the Party will be  eliminated “bluntly”. There also appeared the call for online “democrats” to “self-nominate” and support for the self-nominees to disrupt and sabotage the election.

Recently, with their prejudices against the country’s political regime, some people spread writings challenging the legitimacy of the election. In their opinions, elections in Vietnam are not legitimate. So what is the truth? As people all know, until the August Revolution in 1945, Vietnamese people had not had citizen rights and human rights, whereas people in those countries as Holland, England, America, France enjoyed their rights some centuries ago (after the bourgeois democratic revolution). As for our country, the French colonialist, and then the American imperialist carried out the two invasive wars which not only did not bring about citizen rights and human rights to Vietnamese people but also imposed their rules basing on the maintenance of the brutal feudal regime. Vietnamese people could only enjoy their rights after national liberation revolution led by the CPV and President Ho Chi Minh.

The first election of Vietnamese people took place on 6 January 1946 right at the time the French colonialist opened fire in Saigon. Soon after, the National Assembly, the Government of the  Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) were founded and the first Constitution of our people – the 1946 Constitution, was released. In multi-party countries, voters vote for the nominees of the party they support. Therefore, the majority of their parliament members are members of major parties. Only a very small number goes to independent candidates. In Vietnam and one-party country, of course, the majority of the members of the National Assembly are Party members.

So what is the legitimacy of an election?

First of all, the legitimacy of an election is based on political premise, i.e. the legitimacy of the political regime and the leading force of the society. It can’t be denied that at no time was the power taken by the mass or the people themselves. Only demagogues and politically immature people hold that people can rule the society by themselves. Class and social separations will inevitably lead to the inception of political trends and parties. In their turns, political parties, through constitution and the system of laws (also known as social contract) become the leading force of the state and the society. The leading parties will establish regimes for governing the state and the society in their own ways, including the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. Up to now, there have been various state institutions operated in reality, including the constitution’s regulation on election.

In our country, the legitimacy of the past elections is based on the political regime  which has been set up by the CPV for over 70 years since our people gained independence in 1945. How Vietnamese people decide their Constitution depends on the National Assembly. No one can replace Vietnamese people in deciding the way to approve their Constitution. Prior to the National Assembly’s approval of the 2013 Constitution, this document had been declared to public on mass medias for people’s feedback, including overseas Vietnamese. It is said that the 2013 Constitution of Vietnam is a progressive one which has included in common values of human kind, particularly the Constitution has ascribed all human rights.

For this reason, the fact that “the whole election procedure is influenced by the CPV” as said by the “democrats” is reasonable. Article 4 in the 2013 Constitution has described the leadership of the CPV over the State and the society. As a result, presiding over the General Assembly election is of its authority, not of “online democrats”.

Of course, the CPV’s leadership aims nothing but to ensure people’s rights to vote and nominee and the safety for the election, prevent bad-willed individuals from  taking use of democracy to sabotage the election.

The 2015 Law on the election of deputies of the National Assembly and the People’s Council also stipulates consultative conferences. Accordingly, this is the one between socio-political organizations and social organizations of the Fatherland Front. Consultative conferences  together with the National Election Council are an important democratic mechanism for the election. They are held to ensure the right nominees and social consensus for the election.

As shown in the reality, without consultative conferences, candidates will not fully represent for all social strata in the legislative power, hence unable to ensure people’s voice in the state management. Voters are usually said to take consultative results into account when voting.

The Directive 51-CT/TW dated 4 January 2016 of the Politburo (XI tenure) on presiding the election of deputies for the General Assembly XIV and People’s Council for 2016 – 2021 term required to ensure that the election is carried out in a democratic, equal and legal way; introduce notable candidates with firm political stand and viewpoint as ruled by law. Particularly, “not to nominate those who are political opportunist, power hungry, those who have local, conservative thinking, etc”. Absolutely in this Directive, there is no statement of the CPV’s monopoly over the election or the call to vote for Party’s members.

So the rumor that elections in Vietnam are just like ready-prepared meals in which Vietnamese people can not decide their own choice is a blunt distortion with the aim to discrediting the CPV and transforming social regime of the country into the imported “democratic” model which can not be accepted.

Trung Thanh