| Standing Committee of the People's Government of South Vietnam | |
|---|---|
| Uỷ-ban Thường-trực Chính-phủ Nhân-dân Current ministry: Nguyễn Thiện Nhân's second ministry (since 19 January 2021) | |
  | |
| Overview | |
| Established | 8 September 1986 |
| State | South Vietnamese People's Republic |
| Leader | Prime Minister of South Vietnam |
| Appointed by | President of South Vietnam |
| Responsible to | People's Assembly |
| Headquarters | Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City |
The Standing Committee of the People's Government (Vietnamese: Uỷ-ban Thường-trực Chính-phủ Nhân-dân), commonly known as the Cabinet (Nội-các) or the Independence Palace (Dinh Độc-lập), is the executive body of the South Vietnamese People's Republic. It is composed of the prime minister, who is the head of government, as well as both senior and junior ministers. Its members meet weekly at the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City. The meetings are presided over by the President of South Vietnam, the head of state, although the president themselves is not a member of the government.
The Cabinet is led by the Prime Minister (thủ tướng), formally the Chairman of the Standing Committee. Its most senior ministers are titled as secretaries of state (quốc vụ khanh), followed by ministers (bộ trưởng) and deputy ministers (thứ trưởng). All members of the government, who are appointed by the President following the recommendation of the Prime Minister, are responsible to the People's Assembly, the lower house of the South Vietnamese Parliament. Cases of ministerial misconduct are tried before the Constitutional People's Court.
Composition and formation[]
People's Government[]
The People's Government of South Vietnam consists of the Prime Minister and all ministers of the national cabinet (officially the Standing Committee of the People's Government) as well as ministers and deputy ministers of national departments or agencies that are otherwise not a member of the Standing Committee—in addition to all governors and lieutenant governors from 41 provinces and mayors and deputy mayors of the 3 central cities. The Constitution of the People's Republic mandates regular meeting of the People's Government to make political decisions. In practice, only the Standing Committee exercise executive authority at the national level and the People's Government as a whole rarely meets.
Standing Committee[]
All members of the national cabinet, officially known as the Standing Committee of the People's Government, are appointed by the President of the People's Republic on the advice of the prime minister. Members of the government are ranked in a precise order, which is established at the time of government formation. In this hierarchy, the prime minister is the head of government. While the president is constitutionally free to appoint whomever they like, in practice, they must nominate a candidate that reflects the will of the majority of the People's Assembly, as the government relies on the confidence of parliament. After being nominated to lead a government, the prime minister nominee must propose a list of ministers to the president. The president can either accept or reject these proposed ministers. Ministers are ranked by importance:
- Prime Minister (thủ tướng), officially the Chairman of the Standing Committee, leads the government.
- Deputy Prime Minister (phó thủ tướng) deputises for the Prime Minister, usually in the case of a coalition government.
- Secretaries of state (quốc vụ khanh) are the most senior ministers. It is an honorary rank, granted to some ministers as a sign of prestige. Additionally, the head of the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, treasury and interior affairs—known as the Four Great Officers of State (tứ trụ triều đình)—are also usually granted this title. The title of Standing Secretary of state (quốc vụ khanh thường trực) is granted to the most senior among the Secretaries of state as a courtesy, and is often granted to the leader of a minor party in a multi-party coalition government (if not being DPM already).
- Ministers (bộ trưởng) are senior ministers. They lead government ministries.
- Deputy ministers (thứ trưởng) are mid-level ministers, working under a minister, or sometimes directly under the prime minister.
- Assistant ministers (trợ lý bộ trưởng) are junior ministers. This is the lowest rank in the South Vietnamese ministerial hierarchy. Assistant ministers work under a deputy minister, or sometimes directly under a minister. While the Standing Committee does not include assistant ministers as members, they may attend meetings of the Committee if their portfolio is up for discussion.
Additionally, the Chief Justice of the People's Court, the Chair of the People's Assembly and the President of the People's Senate are also entitled to attend cabinet meetings. The President of the People's Republic usually chairs the meeting if he or she is in the same party or coalition with the Cabinet.
Functions[]
According to the Constitution of the People's Republic, the government directs and decides the policy of the nation. In practice, the government writes bills to be introduced to parliament, and also writes and issues decrees. All political decisions made by the government must be registered in the government gazette.
Separation of powers[]
Members of the South Vietnamese government cannot occupy any position of occupational or trade leadership at the national level, any public employment, or any professional activity. These restrictions are in place to alleviate external pressure and influence on ministers, and to enable them to focus on their governmental work. Despite these restrictions, members of the government are allowed to keep local elected positions, such as those of city mayor or regional councilor. Whilst the Constitution of the People's Republic does not prohibit ministers from being the leader of a political party, it is customary that ministers should not occupy such a post.
The government is responsible to the People's Assembly (but not the Senate). In particular, the government must assume responsibility for its actions before the People's Assembly, and thus the Assembly can dismiss the government with a motion of censure. The government cannot function during the tenure of acting (interim) president, as that position is granted either to the President of the Senate or the Prime Minister, compromising separation of powers. If the government decides to launch an armed operation with a duration of longer than four months, it must first consult parliament and request an authorization. The Prime Minister may convene parliament for extraordinary sessions, or add additional sitting days to the legislative calendar.
Current government[]
| Second Nhân cabinet | |
|---|---|
 15th cabinet of the South Vietnamese People's Republic | |
 President Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân (ANDPFV) appointed parliamentary majority leader Nguyễn Thiện Nhân (PRP) as Prime Minister following the 2021 general election, beginning the second cohabitation in South Vietnam's history | |
| Date formed | 16 November 2021 (3 years, 11 months and 2 days) |
| People and organisations | |
| Chairman of the People's Government | Nguyễn Thiện Nhân |
| Deputy Chairwoman | Trương Thị Mai |
| Member parties | People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) Worker's Party (WPS) The Greens |
| Status in legislature | Red-Red-Green coalition 235 / 460 (51%) |
| Opposition parties | Alliance of National, Democratic, and Peace Forces (ANPFV) Democratic Party (DPV) Nationalist Party (NPV) |
| Opposition leader | Dương Trung Quốc (ANDPFV) |
| History | |
| Election(s) | 2021 general election |
| Legislature term(s) | 10th People's Assembly |
| Predecessor | First Nhân cabinet |
Following the 2021 election, the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) entered into a coalition agreement with the left-wing Workers' Party (WPVS) and the Green Party to form a majority with 235 seats in the People's Assembly, known as the "Red–Red–Green" coalition. Meanwhile, the presidency is won by Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân of the Alliance of National, Democratic, and Peace Forces (ANDPFV), resulting in a split mandate known as "cohabitation", in which the President's power is limited to foreign and defense policy while much of the day-to-day running of the government is rested upon the Prime Minister.
  Prime Minister Nguyễn Thiện Nhân |
  Deputy PM Trương Thị Mai |
PM, DPM and Secretaries of State[]
- Prime Minister: Nguyễn Thiện Nhân (PRP)
- Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State in charge of the People's Public Security: Trương Thị Mai (WPVS)
- Standing Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs: Phạm Bình Minh (PRP)
- Standing Secretary of State for Natural Resources and Environment: Ksor H’Bơ Khăp (Green)
- Secretary of State for National Defense: Gen. Võ Minh Lương (PRP)
- Secretary of State in charge of the People's Treasury: Trần Tuấn Anh (WPVS)
Ministers[]
- Attorney General
- Minister of Health
- Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism
- Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs
- Minister of National Education and Youth
- Minister of Food and Agriculture
- Minister of Education
Also attending cabinet[]
Mayors of central metropolitan areas[]
- Chief Executive of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City-Gia Dinh)
- Chief Executive of Tourane (Hue-Danang-Hoian)
- Chief Executive of Mekong (Can Tho-Ca Mau)
Special agency heads[]
- Director of the Cabinet Office (Independence Palace Chief of Staff)
- Chief Inspector of the People's Inspectorate
- Chief Procurator of the People's Procuratorate
- Director-General of the People's Civil Service
- Governor of the People's State Bank
Diplomats and Envoys[]
- Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- Ambassador to the United Nations (UN)
- Special Envoy to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the Vietnamese Economic Community
- Special Envoy for Trade and Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Special Envoy for Overseas Vietnamese
Senior advisers[]
- Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister
- Chief Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister
- Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
- Chair of the Council of National Security and Intelligence
- Chair of the Council of Science and Technology Policy