Vietnam graft brings thousands of sackings

Vietnam admits efforts to stop graft and mismanagement fell short of goals

In this story: Most corrupt nation Senior officials censured RELATED STORIES, SITES

HANOI, Vietnam -- Vietnam's Communist Party has expelled nearly 3,000 members and disciplined more than 16,000 others in a drive against graft and mismanagement in the past two years.

The announcement was made on the second day of a party congress, held every five years, which is expected to elect a new reform-minded party leader in Nong Duc Manh on Saturday.

Up to 53 senior cadres, including 11 members of the powerful Central Committee had been disciplined, the deputy head of the committee's Organising Commission Pham Van Tho told a news conference. Some Central Committee members had to resign their positions, said Tho.

Tho said the party had expelled 2,983 members, reprimanded 6,766 members, given official warnings to another 7,088, and sacked 2,192 from their posts.

Most corrupt nation

Tho admitted the campaign against government graft and mismanagement had fallen short of expectations.

He said the outgoing central committee suggested stricter requirements for senior officials to disclose assets and financial sources.

A recent survey by the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy found Vietnam the most corrupt country in Asia, scoring 9.75 on a scale of 10.

Party chief Le Kha Phieu, who had staked his reputation on cleaning up corruption, is to be replaced at the congress.

He has been accused of making excessive use of the intelligence apparatus to defend his position and of making too many concessions in border talks with China.

Senior officials censured

The central committee announced last month it had disciplined five senior officials for mismanagement.

Defense Minister Pham Van Tra and army chief of staff Le Van Dung were reprimanded, while two ministerial-rank officials and a senior executive were given official warnings.

Hoang Duc Nghi, ministerial-rank head of the committee for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas, and Doan Van Kien, director-general of Vietnam National Coal Corp, were disciplined for failing to stop corruption and misuse of funds particularly in rural areas.

Popular anger at such behavior has mounted in the past decade, during which the fruits of free market reforms came up for grabs.

The discontent erupted into widespread unrest among ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands region in February, the worst to hit Vietnam for years.

Nong Duc Manh, who will succeed Phieu, belongs to the ethnic Tay minority and is seen to help heal discontent among tribal people.

Diplomats have said that Manh's reputation as a reform-minded leader would also attract greater foreign investments.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Vietnam picks new leader
19 April 2001
Vietnam tops corruption survey
19 March 2001

Communist Party of Vietnam

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