The Government in Vietnam

Vietnam is represented by a single-party socialist republic, the Communist Party of Vietnam. The fundamental role of the Communist Party in all bodies of Vietnamese government, politics, and society is stated in the 1992 Constitution. All policies of the Communist Party are defined by a 14-member Politburo (political bureau). The top 4 most important positions in the Politburo are the Party General Secretary (Nông Đức Mạnh), General Minister of Public Security (Le Hong Anh), State President (Nguyễn Minh Triết), and Prime Minister (Nguyễn Tấn Dũng). The remaining 8 members are part of the Party Secretariat which handles daily policy implementation. The offices of the president and prime minister are also powerful executive agencies. The President of Vietnam serves as the head of state and nominal chief of the armed forces. While the Prime Minister is the head of a cabinet that has 3 deputy prime ministers and 26 ministries and commissions. Despite the significant role of the Communist Party, the Constitution also states that the National Assembly is the only organization with legislative authorities and remains the highest representative body of the people. It is elected every 5 years and is currently composed of 493 members (12th National Assembly).

The country is an affiliate of about 63 international organizations such as the United Nations, ASEAN, APEC, and La Francophonie. Vietnam became a member of the World Trade Organization in 2006. Its foreign policy focuses on consistent implementation of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, and development.