Elect for vice president

Vietnam leaders congratulate US President Biden

January 22, 2021 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – Vietnam believed that the relations will continue developing thanks to achievements gained over the past 25 years.

Top leaders of Vietnam have sent congratulatory messages to US President Joe Biden on the day he sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on January 20.

Mr. Biden signed a stack of executive orders and actions on immigration, climate change, COVID-19, racial equality and more. Photo: AFP/VNA

The Vietnamese top leaders believed that the US-Vietnam relations will continue developing efficiently and sustainably thanks to fruitful results gained over the past 25 years together with President Biden’s good feelings for Vietnam, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Biden won 306 Electoral College votes to Republican Donald Trump’s 232 in the election held in November 2020.

On the same day, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh congratulated US Vice President Kamala Harris.

Earlier in December 2020, Vietnamese top leaders sent their congratulations to US President-elect Joe Biden and invited him to visit Vietnam at the earliest possible time.

The US and Vietnam relationship has been strengthened with bilateral trade increasing from US$450 million in 1994 to $77 billion in 2019. The US became Vietnam’s largest export market with Vietnam being the US’ quickest growing export market.

US presidential election: Winning chances for whom?

September 16, 2020 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – Before these party conventions, the constellation in America swung in favor of the Democratic couple Biden-Harris. But now, Biden’s gap with Trump is narrowing.

In the United States, the race for presidential elections has entered its final stage with both parties holding their conventions to officially nominate candidates for president and vice president. They are incumbent Donald Trump and Mike Pence on the Republican side and former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris, from the Democratic Party.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden

These events are intended first of all to mobilize each side’s loyal voters and to convince the undecided voters or at least not to enable the other side to win the country’s ultimate game of state power.

At the first glance, both Trump and Biden didn’t present a clear and comprehensive agenda for governing if they win the election. They all concentrated on portraying how horrible and catastrophic the USA would be if their political adversary win. Sowing fears and concerns instead of inspiring hope and optimism, demonizing the other side instead of presenting themselves as the better choice – these two parties did not differ much from each other.

Before these party conventions, the constellation in America swung in favor of the Democratic couple Biden-Harris. But now, Biden’s gap with Trump is narrowing. Trump’s campaign strategy is radicalizing attacks on Biden personally, by using the so-called “alternative facts”, the same card played by Richard Nixon with his “Southern Strategy” in the 1968 campaign to portray himself as commander-in-chief to restore law and order in a violent, socially and politically unstable America. By that time, China was also another card. Until now, Biden’s campaign has been deemed too soft and too passive compared to Trump’s campaign aggressiveness.

Just now, both of them still have real chances to win. And it still is possible for either of them to lose. Biden must find a more effective campaigning strategy to successfully counter Trump’s determination to stay in power at any cost and to neutralize Trump’s advantages as incumbent president. Biden has to do it just now and not later because he and not Trump has now to run against the time. Trump is still beatable. The only question is simply whether Biden could promptly find the right and proper ways and means to oust Trump from the White House on November 3.

Chances for self-nominated candidates in NA election: Front leader

March 1, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

Hau A Lenh, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Self-nominated candidates will have opportunities to secure a seat in the National Assembly – the country’s most powerful agency – in the upcoming election slated for May 23, said Hau A Lenh , Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee.

Talking to the press, Lenh, who is also a member of the Party Central Committee, affirmed that all Vietnamese citizens who meet necessary conditions have the right to self-nomination.

All elections of deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels have never had any obstructions as self-nomination is citizens’ right, Lenh said, adding that nominated and self-nominated candidates have equal interests.

The NA Standing Committee’s resolution on the structure, component, and number of deputies to the 15th NA regulates that the number of deputies who are not Party members are expected to reach 25-50, equivalent to 5-10 percent, he stated.

Regarding an increase in the number of full-time deputies in the upcoming legislature, Lenh said that the number of deputies from law enforcement and judicial agencies, localities and several centrally-run agencies will decrease, while the number of full-time deputies from the NA’s committees and bodies will increase.

According to the official, the adjustment is suitable, as it is necessary to have more full-time deputies who are able to participate in intensive research in making laws and carrying out the NA’s functions.

Regarding some deputies of the 14th NA committing nationality violations, Lenh said that the VFF plans to intensify supervision and establish supervision delegations.

From March 5, the first phase of the supervision work will be conducted, with the focus on standards of nominees, he added./.

VNA

US general elections: Choosing the colour to win

November 3, 2020 by en.nhandan.org.vn

Not only are there differences in views on policy, similar to the traditional colours representing the two parties, but the multidimensional crisis stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic has also created many unexpected factors in the 2020 US general election.

In addition to electing a new president and vice president, US voters will select parliamentarians for the next term, accordingly, re-electing all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 out of the total 100 seats in the Senate, as well as voting for 11 positions of state governors and about 5,000 seats in state legislatures across the country. Currently, the Democrats are controlling the House of Representatives, while the Republicans hold a fragile majority in the Senate. The race to the two houses of Congress this year will reshape the dominant colour of US politics, with both the “elephant” and the “donkey” aiming to retain a majority in at least one house of Congress.

In the US general election, the intense race to the White House has always received special attention, with the 2020 election being no exception. Voters will elect the head of state and government to steer the country in the next four years, with an immediate task of promptly lifting the US out of the dual crisis caused by the pandemic. The task of US voters is no less difficult when they have to choose between incumbent President Donald Trump, who represents the blue colour of the conservative Republicans, and former Vice President Joe Biden with the red colour of the liberal Democrats. The different, or even opposing, stances on policy of the two candidates not only reflects the contrasting nuances between the two parties, but also highlights the division in US politics and the urgent goal of healing and uniting the country.

Confident with the policy of “Make America Great Again” in his debut tenure, President Trump, in his bid to run for a second term, is sending a message “Keep America Great” with commitments to boosting economic development, job creation and tax reduction. The pandemic has pushed the world’s no. 1 economy into a severe recession and forced tens of millions of US workers to lose their jobs. Therefore, restoring economic growth to pre-pandemic levels and creating tens of millions of new jobs are the priorities of the incumbent president. President Trump has set a target of having a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year in order to bring the country back to a normal state from the beginning of 2021. He has also pledged to tackle violent protests, to re-consolidate law enforcement forces, and to take tougher actions against the issue of illegal immigration. In terms of foreign affairs, the slogan “America First” will be maintained with the prioritised goal of promoting balanced trade, reducing international contributions, minimising interference from the outside and focusing on strengthening internal power to promote a stronger US.

Meanwhile, with many conflicting views with those of the Republican Party’s representative, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is pursuing the plan “Rebuild for the better”. Specifically, he gives top priority to coping with COVID-19 and expanding the universal health care programme, also known as Obamacare, rather than reversing the predecessor’s policies. In addition to abolishing the incumbent administration’s tax reduction programme, Biden has proposed an increase in corporate tax. An ambitious climate goal has been set forth by the former US Vice President, together with his commitment to bring the US back to the Paris Agreement on climate change. Regarding foreign affairs, the Democratic presidential candidate has voiced disagreement with the White House’s recent moves to withdraw the US from global mechanisms, organisations and agreements. He advocates restoring the international position of the US with a series of commitments to change, such as dramatically improving relations between the US and its allies, especially those within NATO and in Europe, and promoting the resolution of disputes with trading partners through dialogue or international efforts, instead of waging a trade war.

The 2020 US general election takes place in an extremely special context as the pandemic has pushed the US into a multidimensional crisis, from the health care crisis to economic recession and social crisis, while the inherent problems in the country have not yet been resolved, such as political division and racism. With more than 9.4 million COVID-19 cases, including over 236,000 deaths, the disease has further deepened partisan conflicts, becoming the top concern of US voters as they wonder whether to vote for the colour red or blue.

The survey results thus far have still showed the advantage in favour of the Democratic Party’s candidate, but this does not mean that the chance of “overturning the game” has ended for the Republican candidate. The winning colour has not come out, because the US elections always feature unexpected factors right up to the last minute, which could even mark a turning point and go contrary to predictions.

VFF Central Committee gives guidance on introducing candidates for upcoming elections

February 27, 2021 by en.qdnd.vn

Localities are instructed to hold the elections flexibly in accordance with the situation on the ground, ensuring the strict implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Along with direct meetings, localities can choose other formats to collect voters’ opinions, such as online conferences or via email, SMS, mobile apps such as Zalo and Viber, and the post.

Earlier, on February 20 in Hanoi, Vice President and General Secretary of the VFF Central Committee Hau A Lenh and Vice President of the VFF Central Committee Nguyen Huu Dung co-chaired a meeting on guiding procedures to introduce candidates from central agencies, organisations, and units.

Dung told the meeting that procedures involve three steps. In the first, leaders of agencies, organisations, and units will hold a meeting to consider a list of candidates. In the second, a meeting will be held to collect ideas on the candidates from all staff at the agencies, organisations, and units. If a candidate has more than one workplace, the meeting will be organised in the workplace where he or she works most often.

In the final step, an expanded meeting of leaders of the agency, organisation, or unit will be convened to discuss and make a final decision on the candidates to be introduced.

Candidates must complete documents for nomination by 5pm on March 14.

Addressing the meeting, Lenh said that from March 18, the VFF Central Committee Presidium will organise the second round of negotiations to discuss and make a list of candidates running for a seat at the 15th legislature.

The elections of deputies to the 15th NA and People’s Councils at all levels will take place in May.

Source: VNA

Trump: His game is over

November 27, 2020 by hanoitimes.vn

The Hanoitimes – America has profoundly changed in the twilight of Trump’s presidency and will profoundly, too, change during the upcoming Joe Biden’s presidency.

The reason might have been the idiom “Man proposes, God disposes” but it was his own faults that US incumbent President Donald Trump lost this year’s presidential election. Until now, he is still refusing to concede his deselection not only because he could not resist the temptation of power but also because he could never jump out from his own shadow to publicly admit being defeated, especially by former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden. He will have to leave the White House soon but certainly without conceding the failure.

US President Donald Trump waves to supporters after arriving on Air Force One at the Palm Beach International Airport to spend Easter weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort on April 18, 2019 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

Denying defeat, Trump could no longer avoid or delay Joe Biden’s so-called transition process after having lost his battles at the courts in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania as well as after Georgia and Michigan officially certificated Joe Biden as election winner. The process of election certifications is still going on in some states,but Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump has definitely become irreversible.

It must be some kinds of ironies of Trump’s life and fate because he once had the political instinct to climb Olympus Mount in 2016 but then totally lost it or dropped it during his term in office and his reelection campaign. It must be bitter, very bitter for him to have lost this year’s election to someone he used to mock as “Sleepy Joe.” The more proud he can be of the nearly 74 million voters he got in this election, four million more than in 2016, the more disappointed he must be to have been defeated by Sleepy Joe. Joe’s victory over him has been too clear and convincing with some 80 million voters and 306 out of 538 electoral votes. His claims of Democratic electoral frauds could only serve to comfort himself and his supporters but cannot alter the truth.

America has profoundly changed in the twilight of Trump’s presidency and will profoundly, too, change during the upcoming Joe Biden’s presidency. Trump missed the chance of his life to prolong his time in office with the second term. Trump will continue to claim that this election is deceitful and will try to keep Americans believing that he would return in 2024. His futuristic candidacy is not at all far-fetched but could hardly happen because his current game is already over, his time as real estate guru doing politics in America is over, too.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by Ambassador Tran Duc Mau are of his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Hanoitimes.