Geopolemics.com :: Vietnam

Countries: Vietnam
Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2007 - 01:28 PM
	Identifying the problems The Communist Party will remain the dominant political force in 2005-2006, but its long-term hold on power will be under threat if it fails to tackle the endemic corruption within its ranks. In an effort to shore up public confidence, the party chief, Nong Duc Manh, has championed a tough anti-corruption stance over the past few years. He has been closely supported by the Prime Minister, Phan Van Khai, who has been displaying greater mettle in dealing with corrupted officials. Khai recently announced plan to establish an anti-corruption agency. Although this development is welcome, there remains some scepticism over whether its investigations will be extensive and fully impartial. The National Assembly (the legislature) is also becoming more assertive, ensuring that government ministers will be increasingly held to account for their performances. The leadership is also concerned about long-term threats to national unity as outbreaks of unrest among ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands appear likely to continue. The government has made some effort to boost the quality of life of these groups. Bird Flu In terms of more immediate concerns, another serious outbreak of bird flu has revealed the apparent ineffectiveness of the government's efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Since late December a further 12 people have died after contracting the virus, raising the number of human fatalities to more than 30 over the past year. In mid-January, the deputy minister, Nguyen Tan Dung called for the application of strong measures throughout the country to prevent the further spread of the virus to humans. Although containing the virus remains an immediate task for the authorities, the government is not expected to suffer any major public backlash if it continues to fail to do so. The main regional focus is on the potential for the virus to mutate into a form capable of human-to-human transmission. In Vietnam all the human victims of bird flu had had direct or indirect contact with infected poultry, and no evidence of human-to-human transmission has been found. However, in Thailand a probable case of human-to-human transmission has been claimed. Note: To read more, click here

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