Vietnamese Fatherland Front
Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam
AbbreviationVFF or MTTQVN
ChairmanĐỗ Văn Chiến
FoundedFebruary 1977 (1977-02)
HeadquartersHanoi
IdeologyCommunism
Marxism–Leninism
Ho Chi Minh Thought
Vietnamese nationalism
Political positionFar-left
National Assembly
499 / 499
Website
http://mattran.org.vn/
The building of the Central Committee of Vietnamese Fatherland Front on Tràng Thi Street in Hanoi.

The Vietnamese Fatherland Front (Vietnamese: Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam) is an umbrella group of mass movements in Vietnam aligned with the Communist Party of Vietnam forming the Vietnamese government. It was founded in February 1977 by the merger of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front of North Vietnam and two Viet Cong groups, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and the Alliance of National, Democratic, and Peace Forces. It is an amalgamation of many smaller groups, including the Communist Party itself. Other groups that participated in the establishment of the Front were the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (a.k.a. the Ho Chi Minh Youth) and the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneer Organization. It also included the Democratic Party of Vietnam and Socialist Party of Vietnam, until they disbanded in 1988.[1] It also incorporates some officially sanctioned religious groups.

The Front is described by the Vietnamese government as "the political base of people's power." It is intended to have a significant role in society, promoting "national solidarity" and "unity of mind in political and spiritual matters." In practice, the members of the Front, like their counterparts in other Communist states, are largely subservient to the Communist Party, and must accept the party's "leading role" as a condition of their existence.

Many of the government's social programs are conducted through the Front. Recently, it has been given a role in programs to reduce poverty. The Front is also responsible for much of the government's policy on religion: "1. Everyone has freedom of beliefs and religions, he or she has the right to follow a religion or not to follow any religion. All religions are equal before the law. 2. The state respects and protects freedom of beliefs and religions. 3. No one should violate freedom of beliefs and religions or take advantage of beliefs and religions to infringe the law."[2][3]

Perhaps more importantly, the Front is intended to supervise the activity of the government and of government organisations. Because the Front's power base is mass participation and popular mobilisation, it is seen as representative of the people, and both Vietnam's constitution and laws give it a special role. The Front has a particularly significant role in elections. Specifically, endorsement by the Front is generally required (in practice, if not in theory) to be a candidate for election. Almost all candidates are nominated by (and members of) the Front, with only a few "self-nominated" candidates avoiding the Front's veto. The Front's role in electoral nominations is mandated by law.

Leadership

Secretary General of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front since 1977:

  • Nguyễn Văn Tiến (1977–1988)
  • Phạm Văn Kiết (1988–1994)
  • Trần Văn Đăng (1994–2004)
  • Huỳnh Đảm (2004–2008)
  • Vũ Trọng Kim (2008–2016)
  • Trần Thanh Mẫn (from 2016)

Chairman of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front since 1977:

Former Front organisations

Tôn Đức Thắng giving the opening speech at the founding of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front in 1955.

Electoral history

National Assembly elections

Election Votes % Seats +/– Position Role in government
1960
421 / 421
 Increase 421 Increase 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

1964 8,580,002 100%
366 / 366
 Decrease 55 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

1971
420 / 420
 Increase 54 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

1975 10,561,314 100%
424 / 424
 Increase 4 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

1976 22,895,611 100%
492 / 492
 Increase 68 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

1981 100%
496 / 496
 Increase 4 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

1987 100%
496 / 496
 Steady Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

1992 37,195,592 100%
395 / 395
 Decrease 101 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

1997 43,185,756 100%
450 / 450
 Increase 55 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

2002 49,211,275 100%
498 / 498
 Increase 48 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

2007 100%
493 / 493
 Decrease 5 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

2011 61,965,651 100%
500 / 500
 Increase 7 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

2016 67,049,091 100%
494 / 494
 Decrease 6 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

2021 69,243,604 100%
499 / 499
 Increase 5 Steady 1st Sole legal coalition

under the control of CPV

References

  1. ↑ Van, Dang. "The Rebirth of the Democratic Party of Vietnam and a basic principle of constitutionalism". newsgroups.derkeiler.com. derkeiler. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  2. ↑ Dr Le Ba Trinh. "Vice President of Central Committee's Fatherland Front of Vietnam" (PDF). International Center for Law and Religion Studies. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Article 24. Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam 2013. Hanoi: National Politics – Truth. 2014. pp. 17–18.
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