Children and relatives of officials being promoted at a rapid rate at state agencies are nothing new in Vietnam and it is actually becoming more common. Dong Hoi City Deputy Party Secretary Ha Quoc Phong (left) No one was surprised when Ha Quoc Vuong Anh, Dong Hoi City Deputy Party Secretary’s son, was employed and promoted as a member of the standing committee and deputy party secretary of the city youth union for the 2012-2017 period right off the bat. One month later, he was promoted to the city youth union’s party secretary. While there was no surprise, it did not mean there was no outrage. The inspection committee of Quang Binh Province People’s Committee concluded that both the quality and quantity of candidates for the city youth union’s party secretary position were too limited which had badly affected the reputation of Dong Hoi City Deputy Party Secretary Ha Quoc Phong, Anh’s father. They asked Phong to take a lesson from this incident and he was just reprimanded. When being asked whether the promotion of Ha Quoc Vuong Anh is too fast and in accordance with the procedures, Dong Hoi City Party Secretary Le Van Phuc affirmed that the promotion followed procedures and was not affected by any outside force or higher-ups. Many people were even more surprised at the answer. If the promotion followed the procedures then why Ha Quoc Phong was reprimanded and must take a lesson from it? Everyone understands that Ha Quoc Vuong Anh’s promotion was… [Read full story]
Five out of six dimensions in the 2015 Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) released on April 12 in Hanoi headed downwards compared to the 2014 report. Of the six dimensions, the transparency index saw the most substantial decline, of over 7 per cent. Corruption was also down, by 3 per cent, with respondents to the Index expressing greater concern about corruption in the public sector and in public service delivery as well as corruption and nepotism in public sector employment. Respondents are also less confident about the government’s willingness to control corruption, with just 37 per cent…... [read more]
Chelsea Clinton portrayed her mother Hillary Clinton as a loving, smart and playful woman. In a 12-minute introduction received warmly in a packed Philadelphia arena, Chelsea Clinton countered criticism that her mother is an untrustworthy politician who struggles to show compassion in front of American voters. "She's a woman driven by compassion, by faith, by a fierce sense of justice and a heart full of love," the only child of presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and former U.S. President Bill Clinton told the crowd. Hillary Clinton took the stage minutes later to become the first woman to accept the presidential nomination…... [read more]
JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - South Africa's revered former president Nelson Mandela was on Thursday described as "very sick" but his condition was "not life threatening", a source close to the anti-apartheid icon told AFP. The news that Madiba -- the clan name by which the 92-year-old Nobel peace prize winner and country's first elected black leader is affectionately known -- was to spend a second night in hospital gripped the nation. The public has grown increasingly concerned for Mandela's health but he could be released as early as Friday, the source said on condition of anonymity. "The old man is very…... [read more]
HA NOI (VNS)— Public involvement in law making and constitutional processes must be strongly promoted to ensure the needs and aspirations of the people are being met, according to Nicholas Booth, policy advisor on rule of law and access to justice for the United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam. Booth was speaking at a workshop held yesterday in Ha Noi by a network of Vietnamese non-government organisations to mark World Human Rights Day, and his view was shared by many experts in attendance. Booth said that the Government's decision to allow public consultation on amendments to the Constitution…... [read more]
Four months after being robbed at gunpoint in Paris, Kim Kardashian is filming a cameo for the upcoming female heist caper "Ocean's Eight." Kardashian, dressed in a white sheer ballgown and fur jacket, and her half sister Kendall Jenner, wearing white lace, were photographed in New York on Monday, after apparently shooting scenes at a fictitious Metropolitan Museum of Art gala for the movie. A Hollywood source said the sisters are making cameos for the film, whose A-list stars include Sandra Bullock, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway. Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour and fashion designer Zac Posen have also…... [read more]
