However, after Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia in 1978, 835,000 Vietnamese people were displaced and the image of people “perishing as sea and crowding camps in neighboring countries had a devastating impact on the legitimacy of the CPV regime at home and abroad.” …show more content…
The people directly elect the 500 individuals that comprise the NA every five years. The NA is the highest representative body of the people. In Vietnam, anyone over the age of eighteen can vote and they often do. In 2011, 62 million voters showed up at the polls, which resulted in voter turnout rate of 99.51 percent. In the 2011 election, 458 people were elected from the CPV, 38 were non-Party members who were approved by the CPV, and four individuals were self-nominated. Formal roles of the NA included the ability to amend the Constitution, as well as the power to propose and amend legislation. Despite its many formal duties as listed in the Constitution, the NA mainly serves as a legislative arm of the …show more content…
The National Assembly elects the president, who is the head of state, from among its own members. The president can serve, at most, three five-year terms. The role of the president is primarily ceremonial. However, the formal powers of the president include, but are not limited to, the promulgation of laws, acting as the country’s commander in chief, as well as the ability to pardon criminal offenses. He also holds the power to dismiss the prime minister as well as Supreme Court judges, however, he must first have approval from the NA. The NA also selects the prime minister from among its own members. However, the nominee must receive presidential approval before being appointed. The prime minister can only serve two five-year terms. The prime minister is the head of government and controls the day-to-day operations of the government. According to the Constitution, the Prime Minister is the only individual who must always remain a member of the National Assembly, as he is accountable to the assembly. Members of the Cabinet must go through a three-step process before being selected. First, a member receives a proposal for nomination from the Prime Minters, the president must then appoint the nominee by the president, and lastly the appointment must be confirmed by the National