Vietnam PM takes hit in 1st-ever confidence vote
Source: Agencies |
June 12, 2013, Wednesday
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VIETNAMESE lawmakers handed the prime minister a grudging mandate in the country's first ever confidence vote.
Premier Nguyen Tan Dung is under pressure because of his mishandling of the economy, previously one of Asia's best performing but now mired in massive levels of bad debt and a lackluster investment climate. Last year, he survived a leadership challenge at a meeting of top party leaders.
Dung and 46 other ministers and top state officials faced the vote by members of the national assembly, the first in what will be an annual process aimed at showing an increasingly assertive public that its leaders are more responsive to their demands. Voting in the secret ballot took place on Monday. Results were announced yesterday.
Given that more than 90 percent of the 498 members of the assembly are Communist Party cardholders, no one expected any of the officials to get the kind of poor showing that could trigger resignations.
Still, more than 30 percent gave Dung a "low confidence" vote, a clear sign of the divisions within the party over his second term in office, due to end in 2016. Analysts said this showing by itself wouldn't impact his position, but could be used by rivals in internal negotiations over his future.
Assembly members got to vote on whether they had "high confidence," "confidence" or "low confidence" in the officials. The rules of the secret ballot state that officials with over 60 percent "low confidence vote" might have to resign.
Dung got 160 "low confidence" votes out of 492 ballots, the third highest number of negative votes cast. President Truong Tan Sang, seen as his main political challenger behind the tightly-closed doors of party meetings, got just 28 negative votes.
The central bank governor received 209 "low confidence" marks, presumably a reflection of his handling of the economy. The education minister got 177.
Premier Nguyen Tan Dung is under pressure because of his mishandling of the economy, previously one of Asia's best performing but now mired in massive levels of bad debt and a lackluster investment climate. Last year, he survived a leadership challenge at a meeting of top party leaders.
Dung and 46 other ministers and top state officials faced the vote by members of the national assembly, the first in what will be an annual process aimed at showing an increasingly assertive public that its leaders are more responsive to their demands. Voting in the secret ballot took place on Monday. Results were announced yesterday.
Given that more than 90 percent of the 498 members of the assembly are Communist Party cardholders, no one expected any of the officials to get the kind of poor showing that could trigger resignations.
Still, more than 30 percent gave Dung a "low confidence" vote, a clear sign of the divisions within the party over his second term in office, due to end in 2016. Analysts said this showing by itself wouldn't impact his position, but could be used by rivals in internal negotiations over his future.
Assembly members got to vote on whether they had "high confidence," "confidence" or "low confidence" in the officials. The rules of the secret ballot state that officials with over 60 percent "low confidence vote" might have to resign.
Dung got 160 "low confidence" votes out of 492 ballots, the third highest number of negative votes cast. President Truong Tan Sang, seen as his main political challenger behind the tightly-closed doors of party meetings, got just 28 negative votes.
The central bank governor received 209 "low confidence" marks, presumably a reflection of his handling of the economy. The education minister got 177.
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