Vietnam reappoints prime minister

President Luong (L) has also been given another term

Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has been reappointed to a second five-year term by the country's national assembly.

The move was expected as Mr Khai was the only nomination of the country's ruling Communists.

Prime Minister Khai was reported to have received more than 90% of the vote from the 498 members of the assembly, a day after President Tran Duc Long was also approved for another term.

Mr Khai, 68, is from the south of the country and trained as a Soviet-educated economist.

He has been credited with boosted living standards and reforming parts of Vietnam's administration.

He is a member of the country's leadership triumvirate of president, prime minister and Communist Party general secretary.

New legislation

Last week Party chief Nong Duc Manh called on members of the newly elected parliament to continue the pursuit of democracy and clean government.

Party chief Nong Duc Manh is calling for cleaner governance

He said the deputies should focus on improved law-making.

The national assembly, which is meeting for the first time since elections in May, is widely viewed as a rubber-stamp parliament, accepting and endorsing the edicts of party bureaucrats.

However, assembly chairman Nguyen Van An was quizzed by members during a debate on his re-election at Tuesday's session.

He and his three vice-chairmen stood unopposed, but faced questions about how democratic the vote was.

Observers said it was the first time such issues had been raised at the National Assembly.

The assembly is due to consider legislation that would pave the way for Vietnam to join the World Trade Organisation.

A wholesale reform of the murky Soviet-era legal system is planned to enable the country's economy to keep up with its giant neighbour, China.