National holiday: Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Constitution: 15 April 1992
Legal system: based on Communist legal theory and French civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Le Duc ANH (since 23 September 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Vo Van KIET (since 9 August 1991);
First Deputy Prime Minister Phan Van KHAI (since 10 August 1991);
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen KHANH (since NA February 1987); Deputy
Prime Minister Tran Duc LUONG (since NA February 1987)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president on proposal of the prime
minister and ratification of the Assembly
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi): elections last held 19 July 1992 (next to be held NA July 1997); results - VCP is the only party; seats - (395 total) VCP or VCP-approved 395
Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court
Political parties and leaders: only party - Vietnam Communist Party
(VCP), DO MUOI, general secretary
Member of: ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), CCC, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Liaison Officer Le Van BANG
liaison office: address NA, Washington, DC
mailing address: NA
telephone: NA
FAX: NA
note: negotiations between representatives of the US and Vietnam
concluded 28 January 1995 with the signing of an agreement to
establish liaison offices in Hanoi and Washington