Background Briefing: Vietnam Party Leadership Follow Up Carlyle A. Thayer March 27, 2010 [name deleted]: What is the difference between Plenum and Congress as in 12th Plenum and 11th Congress? When is the 12th Plenum exactly? ANSWER: A plenum or plenary session is an executive (decision‐making) meeting of the Central Committee (hoi nghi ). Party statutes currently require two plenums a year. Party plenums are numbered, starting at 1, after each party congress. So the twelfth plenum is the 12 th meeting of the Central Committee since the tenth congress in 2006. So: hoi nghi lan thu 12 (khoa X ). A congress (dai hoi ) is a five yearly event and is the most authoritative decision‐ making body. They are numbered consecutively from the first congress in 1930, second congress in 1951, third congress in 1960 and from the fourth congress in 1976 every five years. The twelfth plenum is being held from 22nd‐28th March. We will hear next to nothing until the last day when extracts from Nong Duc Manh’s closing speech will be reported along with an official account of discussions. A little lid will be opened but most of what was discussed will remain secret. [name deleted]: Isn't there an age limit for election or re‐election to the Politburo of 65, with exceptions made for General Secretary? And if so, wouldn't that put Pham Gia Khiem and possibly Nguyen Sinh Hung (though he might squeak in if the congress is before his birthday, which is Jan. 18, 1946) on the retirees list? Nguyen Phu Trong and Nguyen Van Chi would be above the limit, too. Has it been the practice in Vietnam that retiring Politburo members are included in the new Central Committee, or are not included? When Jiang Zemin and Zhu Rongji, et al. retired at the CCP's 16th Party Congress in 2002 the first piece of hard evidence confirming widespread rumours that they were gone was that the list of candidates for the new Central Committee didn't include their names. ANSWER: Eight members of the current Politburo are eligible to serve as party Secretary General on age grounds: Nguyen Tan Dung and Truong Tan Sang (both with the most seniority), Le Hong Anh, Ho Duc Viet, Pham Quang Nghi, Phung Quang Thanh, Nguyen Sinh Hung and Le Thanh Hai. I have discounted Anh (unlikely for a Thayer Consultancy ABN # 65 648 097 123
