Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui

Pink-haired pop star Mai Khoi, dubbed Vietnam’s Lady Gaga for her risque outfits, has found a new way to shock: running for parliament along with a motley crew of dissidents and activists testing the limits of the authoritarian nation.

Vietnam's Communist Party unveiled a new politburo on Thursday with 12 newcomers and members of the controversial outgoing premier's cabinet, expanding the leadership of a party facing a "heavy" workload of economic reforms.

Delegates attending the 12th national congress of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party have selected a list of candidates for positions in the Central Committee. The party conservatives have reinforced their dominance.

Vietnam's pro-business prime minister, who last week appeared to have lost a power struggle in the ruling Communist Party, has made a last-minute comeback and will know Monday if he can re-enter the contest for the top job in the country.

Some say Beijing is trying to influence the outcome of the Communist Party congress in Vietnam.

A contest of political factions could have international consequences

Between January 20 and 28, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party is scheduled to convene its 12th national congress. The Party congress is to Vietnam in some sense what the presidential election is to the United States: It decides who the country’s next leaders will be.

The current secretary-general is staying on in that roll, freezing out potential rise of Nguyen Tan Dung, who also faces term limit as premier

To change or not to change, that is the question for Vietnam’s communist party élites as they congregate later this month January for a momentous meeting to decide the country’s future.

As a graduate from one of Vietnam’s most prestigious schools, 22-year-old Cao would seem to have a bright future ahead of him — if only the past would get out of the way. He’s found his career prospects hemmed in by the lingering legacy of a war that ended nearly two decades before he was born.

In 2015 was Vietnam’s year to consolidate its diplomatic position in the international arena, 2016 will be crucial for bringing domestic political structures in line with the country’s new position in the global economic and security architecture.

Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party is using the Seven Prohibitions to shut down discussion about liberal constitutional reform. In comparison, constitutional deliberations in Vietnam appear open, vibrant and far-reaching — prompting some commentators to speculate on whether Vietnam is a model for post-socialist institutional reform.

As the 12th National Party Congress looms, the question of Vietnam’s future leadership is in the balance.

The recent plenum was revealing as to the future direction the party will take.

Vietnam’s communist leadership faced calls for greater political openness from a group of ruling party members dissatisfied with how the nation handled tensions in recent months with China, its dominant trading partner.