Abstract

Vietnam is implementing a major reform involving the establishment of a two-tier local government system and the restructuring of the political apparatus. This policy aims to modernise national governance, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the political system, and better serve the people. Although its implementation has presented several transitional challenges, these difficulties have been exploited to misrepresent the reform as “erasing local identity,” “distancing the government from the people,” “imposing decisions,” “causing disorder,” or creating a “leadership crisis.” By identifying and refuting these misleading claims, the article clarifies the political, legal, and practical foundations of the policy. It argues that organisational restructuring reflects the Party’s capacity for self-renewal and constitutes a practical requirement for safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation in the current context.

Keywords: Ideological foundation, misrepresentations, organisational streamlining, two-tier local government.