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VietNamNet Bridge – With a different name, the model that is proposed by the central city of Da Nang, is the mayor model that is applied in many developed countries.
The torch of hope
Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, Party Secretary cum Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Council.
In the last two decades, Da Nang has been widely known in Vietnam as a model city in administrative reform, investment attraction, security, etc. The city’s success is so great, that the central government sometimes considered Da Nang’s breaking-the-rule moves as experimental steps for the country.
The city’s success is closely attached to the talent and determination of its officials, including Party Secretary cum Chairman of the People’s Council Nguyen Ba Thanh.
Being unsatisfied with the initial success, Thanh wanted to ensure long-run prosperity for Da Nang, even when officials of his generation retire, and to prepare the foundation of democracy in choosing leaders for the city in the future. On November 24, 2008, the Da Nang Party Standing Committee approved the plan on direct election of the city’s Chairperson to submit to the National Assembly and the Government for consideration.
Da Nang’s people felt elated with the plan because they would have the right to directly choose the city’s top official through an open election, where candidates compete publicly, democratically and transparently. Da Nang lit a torch of hope.
Regrettably, the plan could not become reality in 2008, owing to legal problems.
Steadily pursuing the plan
Da Nang people and authorities are not discouraged. They keep asking the central government and the National Assembly’s permission to elect the city’s top official (Mayor or Chair). The plan is added with new details.
On February 24, 2012, Thanh talked with over 4,000 officials at all levels of Da Nang city. The talk included three categories of content, as follow:
- The people will directly elect the Chair of the People’s Committee (Mayor).
- Candidates have to convene constituents by their action plans.
- The elected Chair has the right to select vice chairs. Thus, constituents not only choose the Chair but the Chair’s team.
With a different name, the model that proposed by the central city of Da Nang, is the mayor model that is applied in many developed countries. This is a popular model thanks to the following advantages:
Firstly, this is the most democratic form of election.
Secondly, the interest is closely bound between voters and the elected person. Constituents choose the mayor (or chair) and his team or choose “the provider of public services” like security, traffic, healthcare, education, environment, etc., with the hope of finding the provider of services of the highest quality, at low cost (low tax).
Voters are clients who buy “special public services.” Let these “special clients” speak out their voices when they choose the mayor. “The voice of interest is the most reliable voice.”
The Han River Bridge, Da Nang's symbol.
To win the election and to be re-elected, the mayor will have to please the people and consider voters as the real “masters.”
Thirdly, this is the most competitive model. The talent of candidates will be proved very clearly because they have to compete with each other. Without the assistance of superiors, candidates will have to directly show off their ability before constituents.
Fourthly, this is a “package solution”. When the mayor has the right to select his assistants, he will have no way to pass the buck to others. Moreover, to win the election, candidates have to prove the ability of not only himself/herself, but that of his/her team. Thus, they have to combine with talented people. Candidates also have to introduce specific policies and commitments that they will follow if they are elected.
However, this model requires some conditions to be successful: there are enough candidates, who are really competitive; intellectual standard of people is not too low; the law on election must be strict enough to hinder the incumbent mayor from abusing position to win unequal advantages over other candidates; ensuring equality in amount of PR time for candidates.
Conditions are ripe?
Vietnam has more than enough conditions in terms of intellectual standards and the development of the media. However, the lack of candidates was the weakness of Da Nang in its 2008 plan.
According to that plan, the Da Nang Party Committee will recommend two candidates, while the Da Nang Fatherland Front will introduce one.
The proposal can meet the condition on the number of candidates, but it doesn’t satisfy the condition on competitiveness because all candidates are chosen by one “director.” It is highly possible that two candidates only play the supporting role for the third candidate.
The plan should be amended towards “any Vietnamese citizen who meets conditions of the municipal People’s Council election can run for the mayor position to deal with the above weakness.
The last condition: the law on election must be strict enough to hinder the incumbent mayor from abusing position to win unequal advantages over other candidates, and ensuring equality in amount of PR time for candidates is also a weakness. However, with the development of Internet, this weakness is not a big problem.
In general, Da Nang in particular and centrally-governed cities (Hanoi, HCM City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho) have sufficient conditions for directly electing mayors. However, there are small matters related to the Law on Election of Deputies of People’s Councils, the Law on Organization of People’s Councils and People’s Committees and the Constitution 1992.
Big but small problems
Problems related to the Law on Election of Deputies of People’s Councils, the Law on Organization of People’s Councils and People’s Committees and the Constitution 1992 was part of the reasons that Da Nang’s 2008 proposal was rejected.
According to Article 123 of the Constitution 1992, the People’s Committee is elected by the People’s Council.
This matter is not small but it can be solved. In 2008, there were three proposals that were contrary to Article 123 of the Constitution 1992: experimentally abolishing district-level People’s Council, directly electing Chairs of communes and directly electing Chairs of centrally-governed cities on a trial basis.
The first proposal was approved by a resolution. The proposal has been applied in ten out of 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam.
The Constitution 1992 is scheduled to be amended in 2013, and this is an opportunity for Da Nang to turn its proposal into reality. That’s why the Da Nang People’s Committee and Mr. Thanh once again mentioned the proposal of directly electing the city’s mayor in early 2012.
The upcoming amendment of the Constitution should not only pave the way for building the municipal government in Da Nang, Hanoi, HCM City but also that of special regions like islands, mountainous regions, etc.
The Constitution should also ensure equal opportunities among provinces and cities in reforms of local governments of the remaining provinces and cities.
Dr. Vo Tri Hao
The torch of hope
Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, Party Secretary cum Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Council.
The city’s success is closely attached to the talent and determination of its officials, including Party Secretary cum Chairman of the People’s Council Nguyen Ba Thanh.
Being unsatisfied with the initial success, Thanh wanted to ensure long-run prosperity for Da Nang, even when officials of his generation retire, and to prepare the foundation of democracy in choosing leaders for the city in the future. On November 24, 2008, the Da Nang Party Standing Committee approved the plan on direct election of the city’s Chairperson to submit to the National Assembly and the Government for consideration.
Da Nang’s people felt elated with the plan because they would have the right to directly choose the city’s top official through an open election, where candidates compete publicly, democratically and transparently. Da Nang lit a torch of hope.
Regrettably, the plan could not become reality in 2008, owing to legal problems.
Steadily pursuing the plan
Da Nang people and authorities are not discouraged. They keep asking the central government and the National Assembly’s permission to elect the city’s top official (Mayor or Chair). The plan is added with new details.
On February 24, 2012, Thanh talked with over 4,000 officials at all levels of Da Nang city. The talk included three categories of content, as follow:
- The people will directly elect the Chair of the People’s Committee (Mayor).
- Candidates have to convene constituents by their action plans.
- The elected Chair has the right to select vice chairs. Thus, constituents not only choose the Chair but the Chair’s team.
With a different name, the model that proposed by the central city of Da Nang, is the mayor model that is applied in many developed countries. This is a popular model thanks to the following advantages:
Firstly, this is the most democratic form of election.
Secondly, the interest is closely bound between voters and the elected person. Constituents choose the mayor (or chair) and his team or choose “the provider of public services” like security, traffic, healthcare, education, environment, etc., with the hope of finding the provider of services of the highest quality, at low cost (low tax).
Voters are clients who buy “special public services.” Let these “special clients” speak out their voices when they choose the mayor. “The voice of interest is the most reliable voice.”
The Han River Bridge, Da Nang's symbol.
Thirdly, this is the most competitive model. The talent of candidates will be proved very clearly because they have to compete with each other. Without the assistance of superiors, candidates will have to directly show off their ability before constituents.
Fourthly, this is a “package solution”. When the mayor has the right to select his assistants, he will have no way to pass the buck to others. Moreover, to win the election, candidates have to prove the ability of not only himself/herself, but that of his/her team. Thus, they have to combine with talented people. Candidates also have to introduce specific policies and commitments that they will follow if they are elected.
However, this model requires some conditions to be successful: there are enough candidates, who are really competitive; intellectual standard of people is not too low; the law on election must be strict enough to hinder the incumbent mayor from abusing position to win unequal advantages over other candidates; ensuring equality in amount of PR time for candidates.
Conditions are ripe?
Vietnam has more than enough conditions in terms of intellectual standards and the development of the media. However, the lack of candidates was the weakness of Da Nang in its 2008 plan.
According to that plan, the Da Nang Party Committee will recommend two candidates, while the Da Nang Fatherland Front will introduce one.
The proposal can meet the condition on the number of candidates, but it doesn’t satisfy the condition on competitiveness because all candidates are chosen by one “director.” It is highly possible that two candidates only play the supporting role for the third candidate.
The plan should be amended towards “any Vietnamese citizen who meets conditions of the municipal People’s Council election can run for the mayor position to deal with the above weakness.
The last condition: the law on election must be strict enough to hinder the incumbent mayor from abusing position to win unequal advantages over other candidates, and ensuring equality in amount of PR time for candidates is also a weakness. However, with the development of Internet, this weakness is not a big problem.
In general, Da Nang in particular and centrally-governed cities (Hanoi, HCM City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho) have sufficient conditions for directly electing mayors. However, there are small matters related to the Law on Election of Deputies of People’s Councils, the Law on Organization of People’s Councils and People’s Committees and the Constitution 1992.
Big but small problems
Problems related to the Law on Election of Deputies of People’s Councils, the Law on Organization of People’s Councils and People’s Committees and the Constitution 1992 was part of the reasons that Da Nang’s 2008 proposal was rejected.
According to Article 123 of the Constitution 1992, the People’s Committee is elected by the People’s Council.
This matter is not small but it can be solved. In 2008, there were three proposals that were contrary to Article 123 of the Constitution 1992: experimentally abolishing district-level People’s Council, directly electing Chairs of communes and directly electing Chairs of centrally-governed cities on a trial basis.
The first proposal was approved by a resolution. The proposal has been applied in ten out of 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam.
The Constitution 1992 is scheduled to be amended in 2013, and this is an opportunity for Da Nang to turn its proposal into reality. That’s why the Da Nang People’s Committee and Mr. Thanh once again mentioned the proposal of directly electing the city’s mayor in early 2012.
The upcoming amendment of the Constitution should not only pave the way for building the municipal government in Da Nang, Hanoi, HCM City but also that of special regions like islands, mountainous regions, etc.
The Constitution should also ensure equal opportunities among provinces and cities in reforms of local governments of the remaining provinces and cities.
Dr. Vo Tri Hao
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