The Restructuring Blitz: Unanswered Questions in Việt Nam's Administrative Reform

Anh Băng wrote this Vietnamese article, published in Luật Khoa Magazine on May 6, 2025.

Việt Nam is currently undergoing a "revolution" in administrative restructuring. The rapid implementation of merging provinces, abolishing districts, and combining communes has sparked widespread public debate. While Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm has emphasized that the changes aim to “create new momentum and a fresh spirit” for national development, the public is left with far more questions than answers about the confusing and contradictory process.

Is the Law Playing Catch-Up with Political Orders?

The 2025 Law on the Organization of Local Government was effectively outdated the moment it was enacted. The law, which officially took effect on March 1, 2025, maintained the traditional three-tier administrative model of provinces, districts, and communes. This, however, directly contradicted a series of high-level political orders issued just days before.

On Feb. 14, 2025, Central Committee Conclusion 126 directed the government to study plans to merge provinces and eliminate districts. This was labeled a critically urgent political task for 2025, with a deadline in the third quarter of the year. Just two weeks later, on February 28, Conclusion 127 dramatically expedited this process, demanding a final proposal by April 7. To compound the confusion, by March 24, the government had already released a draft amendment to this brand-new law, which proposed retaining only nine articles, removing three, adding two, and revising 35 of its 49 total provisions.

Given that Việt Nam’s National Assembly operates under Party oversight, it is inconceivable that the law was passed without awareness of the impending policy shift. This has led to speculation about whether these reforms were long in the works or simply the result of an abrupt, top-down order. With those who know the truth likely operating behind closed political doors, few clear answers are expected.

Party Directives vs. Constitutional Law

To implement the Party’s restructuring decisions, the government faced two scenarios: either amend the Constitution to align with the new directives or tacitly acknowledge that the Party’s will overrides the Constitution itself. The first option was chosen. According to Plan No. 47, issued on April 14, the Constitution must be amended by June 30 to enable the elimination of districts by August 15 and the merging of provinces by September 15.

This entire amendment process, which will revise eight constitutional articles, notably follows Party instructions rather than the procedure laid out in Article 120 of the Constitution, which requires a two-thirds vote from the National Assembly. This raises a fundamental question: Is the National Assembly, supposedly the highest representative body of the people, merely rubber-stamping political orders?

Naming New Provinces: History or Haphazardness?

The process of renaming the newly merged provinces has also sparked public concern. According to the government’s proposal, 52 existing administrative units will be consolidated into just 34. While the official naming guidelines emphasize honoring history and culture, several decisions appear inconsistent with this principle.

For example, the merged province of Gia Lai and Bình Định will be named "Gia Lai," despite Bình Định’s much richer historical legacy, which includes roots in the 2,000-year-old Sa Huỳnh culture and the Champa kingdom. Similarly, other naming choices—such as using “Lâm Đồng” over the older “Bình Thuận” or “Đắk Lắk” over “Phú Yên”—seem to contradict historical precedence.

Will Citizens Need to Update All Their Documents?

As this sweeping reform unfolds, a major practical concern for citizens is the need to update personal documents. The Ministry of Public Security has stated that while renewing national ID cards is not legally required, citizens are “encouraged” to do so for convenience—a statement that suggests another wave of mass renewals, reminiscent of the 2021 ID card update, may be on the horizon.

Beyond ID cards, the public is left wondering if they will also need to revise bank data, household registrations, and countless other essential documents. As Việt Nam pushes through its administrative "revolution," many of these critical, real-world questions for its citizens remain unanswered.