what kind of government does vietnam have?
Communist state
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 Vietnam is a one @-@ party socialist republic . The current Vietnamese state traces its direct linage back to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( North Vietnam ) and the 1945 August Revolution led by Hồ Chí Minh . The current constitution was adopted on 15 April 1992 by the National Assembly of Vietnam . There have been three other constitutions in Vietnamese history : the 1946 , 1959 and 1980 constitutions . The current constitution has been amended once , during the 10th session of the National Assembly on 25 December 2001 . The Communist Party of Vietnam , the leading non @-@ State organ , operates in accordance with the laws . Government powers in Vietnam are divided into legislative , executive and judiciary powers . Vietnam 's legal system is based upon socialist legality according to Article 12 of the constitution . 

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 Vietnam is a socialist republic with a one @-@ party system led by the Communist Party of Vietnam ( CPV ) . The CPV espouses Marxism – Leninism and Hồ Chí Minh Thought , the thoughts of the late Hồ Chí Minh . The two ideologies function as a firm ideological basis and serve as guidance for the activities of the Party and state . According to the Constitution , Vietnam is " in the period of transition to socialism " . Marxism – Leninism was introduced to Vietnam in the 1920s and 1930s , and Vietnamese culture has been led under the banner of patriotism and Marxism – Leninism . Hồ Chí Minh 's beliefs were not systematised during his life , nor quickly following his death . Trường Chinh 's biography of " Chairman Hồ " in 1973 emphasised his revolutionary policies . The thoughts of Hồ Chí Minh were systematised in 1989 , under the leadership of Nguyễn Văn Linh . Hồ Chí Minh Thought , alongside Marxism – Leninism , became the official ideology of the CPV and the state in 1991 . The CPV 's claim to legitimacy was retained following the collapse of communism in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 by its commitment to the thoughts of Hồ Chí Minh , according to Sophie Quinn @-@ Judge . According to Pierre Brocheux , the author of Ho Chi Minh : a Biography , the current state ideology is Hồ Chí Minh Thought , with Marxism – Leninism playing a secondary role . While some claim that Hồ Chí Minh Thought is used as a veil for the Party leadership since they , according to this version , have stopped believing in communism , however this is false when considering that Hồ Chí Minh was an avid supporter of Vladimir Lenin and the dictatorship of the proletariat . Others see Hồ Chí Minh Thought as a political umbrella term whose main function is to smuggle in non @-@ socialist ideas and policies without challenging socialist legality . 

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 The politics of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are defined by a single @-@ party socialist republic framework , where the President of Vietnam is the head of state and the Prime Minister of Vietnam is the head of government , in a one @-@ party system led by the Communist Party of Vietnam . Executive power is exercised by the government and the President of Vietnam . Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly of Vietnam ( Vietnamese : Quốc hội ) . The Judiciary is independent of the executive . The parliament adopted the current Constitution of Vietnam ; its fourth , on 15 April 1992 , and it has been amended once since then . 

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 Vietnam sent 13 divisions into the country on 25 December 1978 , with an estimated 150 @,@ 000 soldiers supported by heavy artillery and air power . Kampuchea attempted a conventional defense , but this tactic led to the loss of half of its army within two weeks . The defeats prompted much of the Kampuchean leadership to evacuate towards the western region of the country . On 7 January 1979 , the Vietnamese Army entered Phnom Penh along with the Kampuchean United Front for National Salvation . On the following day , a pro @-@ Vietnamese state , known as the People 's Republic of Kampuchea ( PRK ) , was established , with Heng Samrin as head of state and Pen Sovan as General Secretary of the Kampuchean People 's Revolutionary Party . The struggle between the Khmer Rouge and the PRK ended only with Vietnam 's withdrawal in 1989 . 

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 Vietnam has , officially at least , an independent judicial system governed by the Constitution of Vietnam and national legislation enacted by National Assembly . The Supreme People 's Court ( Tòa án Nhân dân Tối cao ) is the highest court of appeal in Vietnam . There are other specialised courts in Vietnam , including the Central Military Court , the Criminal Court , the Civil Court and the Appeal Court . The Supreme People 's Procuracy observes the implementation of state organs and makes sure that Vietnamese citizens follow the law . 
