Th e Socialist Republic of Vietnam is one of the world’s few remaining oneparty
states, where the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) holds the monopoly
of the political process. Since the reunifi cation in 1975, the country has been
governed by a troika composed of the President of the State, the Government
Prime Minister, and the CPV Secretary General.
Since the implementation  of the  open-door policy, the Party and the
Government of Vietnam have fostered the construction of a civilized democratic
society. During the last 15 years, a number of legal documents have been put
into practice in order to encourage the people’s active involvement in social
administration and public management as well as the process of decision making.
Accordingly, a supervision system and the practice of referendum have been
also adopted as a preventive mechanism against undemocratic decisions by the
administrative apparatus.
Th e public participation in political, social and economic decision-making
process has been leagalized in Vietnam’s Grassroots Democracy Ordinance. First,
it is the Decree No. 29/1998/NĐ-CP, issued by Government in May 1998, was
aimed at promoting democracy at commune levels. Th en, in replacement of this
Decree, the Decree No. 79/2003/ NĐ-CP was, launched on July 2003, together
with the Regulation on the exercise of democracy in communes, in order to
encourage people to involve actively in social and public management.