Vietnam goes to the polls on Sunday to elect members of the National Assembly, the country's top legislative body that serves mainly to ratify decisions by the ruling Communist Party.
The Southeast Asian nation of 100 million is both an economic success story, boasting eight percent growth last year, and a repressive one-party state that often jails its critics.Â
kAm~FE @7 gec 42?5:52E6D 7@C E96 d__\D62E A2C=:2>6?E[ @?=J ed 2C6 ?@E >6>36CD @7 E96 r@>>F?:DE !2CEJ \\ 5@H? 7C@> fc :? E96 =2DE G@E6 7:G6 J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAmx? E96 42A:E2= w2?@:[ A2EC:@E:4 C65\2?5\J6==@H 32??6CD 7=FEE6C 7C@> =2>AA@DED 2?5 EC277:4 =:89ED[ 6IE@==:?8 E96 Q?2E:@?2= 76DE:G2=Q H96C6 A6@A=6 Q6286C=J 42DE 32==@EDQ]k^Am
kAmqFE :? 2 4@F?ECJ H96C6 >2;@C A@=:4:6D 2?5 AC@;64ED 2C6 564:565 3J D6?:@C 425C6D[ >2?J 4:E:K6?D 766= =F<6H2C> 23@FE 6=64E:@?D]k^Am
kAmQx 5@?VE G@E6 3642FD6 x E9:?< >J G@E6 5@6D?VE >2EE6C[Q D2:5 !9F@?8 p?9[ ad[ H9@ H@C<D 2? 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 ;@3 :? s2 }2?8]Â k^Am
kAm|2?J A6@A=6 D96 <?@HD 766= D:>:=2C=J[ D96 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E QA6@A=6 766= E96J 92G6 E@ 2446AE H9@6G6C 6?5D FA :? E9@D6 A@D:E:@?D 3642FD6 E92EVD 9@H E96 DJDE6> 7F?4E:@?DQ]Â k^Am
kAm"FJ?9 p?9[ 2 ac\J62C\@=5 @77:46 H@C<6C :? w@ r9: |:?9Â r:EJ[ D2:5 D96 >:89E G@E6 E9:D J62C Q3642FD6 x 92G6 ?6G6C 5@?6 :E 367@C6Q]k^Am
kAmQx H@F=5?VE D2J xV> G6CJ 6I4:E65[ 3FE :EVD 2 ?6H 6IA6C:6?46 E92E x 92G6?VE 925[ D@ xV> 4FC:@FD E@ ECJ :E 2?5 D66 H92E :EVD =:<6]Qk^Am
k9am\ }@ DFCAC:D6D \Â k^9am
kAmp>@?8 E96 ?6H A2C=:2>6?EVD 7:CDE E2D<D H96? :E D:ED ?6IE >@?E9 H:== 36 E@ 4@?7:C> E@A =6256CD 2=C625J D6=64E65 3J E96 A2CEJ 2E :ED EH:46\2\564256 4@?8C6DD :? y2?F2CJ]k^Am
kAm%@A =6256C %@ {2> H2D C6277:C>65 2D 86?6C2= D64C6E2CJ[ 3FE 96 :D H:56=J 6IA64E65 E@ 364@>6 AC6D:56?E 2D H6== \\ 2 A@DE E92E C6BF:C6D 2AAC@G2= 3J =2H>2<6CD]k^Am
kAmQpD >@C6 @C =6DD 2 H:?5@H\5C6DD:?8 :?DE:EFE:@?[ E96C6 H@?VE 36 2?J 3:8 DFCAC:D6D 2E E96 G@E6[Q D2:5 }8FJ6? z924 v:2?8 @7 E96 x$tp$–*FD@7 xD92< x?DE:EFE6 :? $:?82A@C6]k^Am
kAmQw@H6G6C[ E@A A6CD@??6= D6=64E:@?D \\ A2CE:4F=2C=J E96 AC:>6 >:?:DE6C 2?5 E96 AC6D:56?E \\ H:== 42CCJ D:8?:7:42?E :>A=:42E:@?D 7@C E96 @?8@:?8 C67@C> AC@46DD[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAm{2> 92D :>A=6>6?E65 5C2>2E:4 492?86D :? ?62C=J EH@ J62CD 2E E96 96=>[ D=2D9:?8 3FC62F4C2E:4 C65 E2A6 2?5 AFD9:?8 >2;@C :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :?G6DE>6?ED 2D 96 2:>D E@ 3@@DE 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9]Â k^Am
kAm%96 A2CEJ C2==:65 2C@F?5 9:D 3@=5 G:D:@? 2E E96 y2?F2CJ 4@?8C6DD[ 6=64E:?8 D6G6C2= @7 {2>VD 2==:6D E@ :ED 9:896DE 564:D:@?\>2<:?8 3@5J] Â k^Am
kAmpD:56 7C@> 9:D C62AA@:?E>6?E 2D 86?6C2= D64C6E2CJ[ 9@H6G6C[ E96 A2CEJ 5:5 ?@E AF3=:4=J 2??@F?46 E96 @E96C >2:? QA:==2CDQ @7 ':6E?2>VD 4@==64E:G6 =6256CD9:A DECF4EFC6]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E[ AC:>6 >:?:DE6C 2?5 9625 @7 E96 ?2E:@?2= 2DD6>3=J H:== 2== 36 4@?7:C>65 3J =2H>2<6CDV G@E6D]Â k^Am
kAm{2> H@F=5 36 E96 7:CDE A6CD@? E@ 92G6 D64FC65 E96 E@A EH@ ;@3D 2E 2 A2CEJ 4@?8C6DD[ C2E96C E92? DE6AA:?8 :? 7@==@H:?8 2 9@=56CVD 562E9]k^Am
kAm3FC\EJ>^D=3^2?6k^Am
