GROUP 4 - Government&Parliament&Election (1)

7/29/2019 GROUP 4 - Government&Parliament&Election (1)

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BRITISH CULTURE Government - Parliament - Election

TOPIC 4

GOVERNMENT PARLIAMENT ELECTION

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MEMBERS OF GROUP 4

1. Phm Th Thu Hin

2. Nguyn Th Hip

3. H Th Hiu

4. L Th Qunh Hoa (Group Leader)

5. Nguyn Th Phng Hoa

6. Lng Khnh Ha

7. Nguyn Th Hoi

8. Phm Th Minh Hu

9. Th Hu

10. Cnh Th Lan Hng

11. Hong Th Hng

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OUTLINE TOPIC 4

I. Overview of British country and people

II. Detailed content

1. Government

1.1 Organizational structure of British government

1.1.1 The cabinet

1.1.2 The Prime Minister

1.1.3 The civil service

1.1.4 Central & local government

1.1.5 Local government services

1.2 Comparison between British government & Vietnamese

government

2. Parliament

2.1 The party system in Parliament

2.2 House of Commons

2.3 House of Lords

2.4 Comparison between British and Vietnamese parliament

3.

El

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3.1

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3.2 Formal arrangement

3.3 The campaign

3.3.1 Polling day

3.3.2 Election night

3.4 Recent results and future

3.5 Comparison between British and Vietnamese electoral

system

III. Statistics

IV. References

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I. OVERVIEW OF BRITISH COUNTRY AND PEOPLE

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Referring to famous landmarks such as The Nottingham Palance, University of

Cambridge, Giants Causeway along with one-time famous men known as The

Beatles Band, Robin Hood - a hero character, anyone also thinks instantly to the

land to which God had awarded these great value. That land is the United

Kingdom.

The United Kingdom is known as many different names such as The United

Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or only simply Britain. It is a

sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. It is

made up of four nations includingEngland, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Britain

is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the west and north, the North Sea in the

east, the English Channel in the south, and

the Irish Sea in the west.

The United Kingdom has a long history as

a major player in international affairs and

fulfils an important role in the EuropeanUnion (EU), the United Nations Security

Council, the Organisation for Economic

Co-operation and Development (OECD),

the G7, the G8, the G20 and NATO. It is

considered as a major economic and military power, with considerable political

and cultural influence around the world. It has the world's sixth-largest economy

by nominal GDP and eighth-largest economy by purchasing power parity.

British not only make an impression of its economic power, but also catch an

attention about culture and people in here. The UK has been at the forefront of

youth culture since the heyday of the Beatles and Rolling Stones in the 1960s. It

has a rich literary heritage encompassing the works of English writers such as

William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, Scot Robert Burns, Welshman DylanThomas and Northern Irishman Seamus Heaney. Traditional music has deep roots

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across the UK, which has also produced classical composers from Henry Purcell

in the Baroque period to Benjamin Britten in the 20th century.

The British are rather formal. Many from the older generation still prefer to work

with people and companies they know or who are known to their associates.

Younger businesspeople do not need long-standing personal relationships before

they do business with people and do not require an intermediary to make business

introductions. Nonetheless, networking and relationship building are often key to

long-term business success. Rank is respected and businesspeople prefer to deal

with people at their level. If at all possible, include an elder statesman on your

team as he/she will present the aura of authority that is necessary to good business

relationships in many companies.

II. DETAILED CONTENT

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1. GOVERNMENT

1.1 Organizational structure of British government

The United Kingdom is a sovereign state and its form of government is aconstitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government whichbased on the

Westminter system that has been emulated around the world - a legacy of the

British Empire.

Organizational structure chart of British government

1.1.1 The cabinet

The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her

Majestys Government of the UK, composed of the Prime Minister and some 21

Cabinet ministers, the most senior of the government ministers.

Ministers of the Crown, and especially Cabinet ministers, are selected primarily

from the elected members of House of Commons, and also from the House of

Lords, by the Prime Minister. Cabinet ministers are heads of government

department, mostly with the office of Secretary of State. The collective co-

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MONARCH

(Sovereign)

Central

Government

Legislature Executive Judiciary

Parliament Prime Minister The cabinet

House ofLords

House ofCommon

House of

Lords

CivilServices


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ordinating function of the Cabinet is reinforced by the statutory that all the

Secretaries of State jointly hold the same office, and can exercise the same powers.

The Cabinet is the ultimate decision-making body of the executive within the

Westminster system of government in traditional constitutional theory. The

political and decision-making authority of the cabinet has been gradually reduced

over the last several decades, with some claiming its role has been usurped by a

prime ministerial government.

The Cabinet is the executive committee of Her Majestys Privy Council, a body

which has legislation, judicial and executive functions, and whose large

membership includes members of the Opposition. Its decision are generally

implemented either under the existing powers of individual government

departments, or by Orders in Council.

The Cabinet meets once a week and takes decisions on new policies, the

implementation of existing policies and the running of the various government

departments. All government members summarize the topics discussed and the

decisions taken, but they never refer to individual or what they said.

Cabinet office runs busy communication network, keeping ministers in touch with

each other and drawing up the agendas or cabinet meetings.

1.1.2 The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

(PM) is the head of Her Majestys Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime

Minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior ministers, who are

government department heads) are collectively accountable for their policies andactions to the Monarch, to Parliament to their political party and ultimately to the

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electorate. The current Prime Minister, David Cameron, leader of the

Conservative Party, was appointed by the Queen on 11 May 2010.

The office is not established by any constitution or law but exists only by long-

established convention, which stipulates that the Monarch must appoint as Prime

Minister, the person most likely to command the confidence of the House of

Commons. The Prime Minister is typically the leader of the political party or

coalition of parties that holds the largest number of seats in that chamber. The

Position of Prime Minister was not created; it evolved slowly and erratically over

three hundred years due to numerous acts of Parliament, political development,

and accidents of history.

By 1830s, the Westminter system of government had emerged, the Prime Minister

was the first among equals in the Cabinet and the head of government in the UK.

The political position of PM was enhanced by the development of modern political

parties, the introduction of mass communication and photography. By the turn of

the 20th century the modern premiership had emerged; the office had become thepre-eminent position in the constitutional hierarchy vis-a-vis the Sovereign,

Parliament and Cabinet.

The strength of the Prime Ministers power of patronage is apparent from the

modern phenomenon known as the cabinet reshuffle. A few cabinet members are

dropped, and a few members are brought in, but mostly the existing members are

shuffled around, like a pack of cards, each getting s new department to look after.Everybody in the country can recognize the Prime Minister, while many cannot put

a name to the faces of other ministers. As a result the PM can, if the need arises, go

over the head of the other ministers and appeal directly to the public.

1.1.3 The Civil Service

The Civil Service executes government decisions and therefore plays a vital part in

the British Politics. The Civil Service currently employs at about 500,000. It is

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split into a number of departments to a government department. A Cabinet minister

head one of these department and those civil servants within that department are

meant to work for that minister in carrying out government policies. This specific

role is very important as a government minister is a working MP and has been

elected by the voters in his/ her constituency. Civil servants are not elected; they

apply for a post in the Civil Service.

The Civil Service in Britain is very hierarchical. At the top are the Permanent

Secretaries and the so-called mandarins. These hold the most senior positions in

the Civil Service. Their tasks are many and varied. They prepare policy papers and

speeches for ministers. They deal with a ministers correspondence and help to

prepare him/her for question that might arise in the House of Common. The Civil

servants maintain a ministers official diary and minute meetings. They also can

consult with pressure group to develop their knowledge on certain issues.

The next layer down is the permanent career official who works within a

government department and carry out government policies. As with all civil

servants, these people are meant to be neutral in a professional sense. They might

have their own political views, but these must not be allowed to interfere or

jeopardise their work. In theory, this level should not be having policy making

powers, but they might be called upon to give advice if it is thought that their

knowledge on s topic is sufficiently expert.

While the civil servants for the department (and therefore the government) she/he

is in, there are a number of legally enforceable restrictions placed on all civil

servants. They can vote in elections, but while they are a member of the Civil

Service, they cannot stand for a political office. They are bound by the Official

Secrets Act, and they may not speak to the media or write about their experiences

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without permission. Civil servants must not members of extreme left or right wing

political parties, though they can be members of mainstream parties.

There are modern criticisms of the Civil Service which do not question on its

loyalty but its efficiency. The criticism is that the civil servant does not have

enough expertise in matters such as economics or technology, and that it lives too

much in its own closed world, cut off from the concerns of most people in society.

1.1.4 Central & local government

The pattern ofLocal government in Englandis complex, with the distribution of

functions varying according to the local arrangements. Legislation concerning

local government in England is decided by the Parliament and Government of the

United Kingdom, because England does not have a devolved

parliament or regional assemblies. Local government authorities (known as

councils) only have powers because the central government has given them

powers. Indeed, they only exist because the central government allows them to

exist.

The system of local government is very similar to the system of national

government:

The elected representatives are called councilors (the equivalent of MPs).

There is a council chamber in the Town Hall or County Hall (the equivalent of

Parliament).

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There are local government officers (the equivalent of civil servants) to make

and implement policy.

* Local councils:

Local councils traditionally manage nearly all public services.

In practice, therefore, local councils have traditionally been fairly free

from constant central interference in their day to day work.

Local councils are funded by a combination ofcentral government

grants,

Council Tax (a locally set tax based on house value), Business Rates, and fees and

charges from certain services including decriminalised parking enforcement.

Councillors cannot do the work of the council themselves, and so are responsible

for appointment and oversight of officers, who are delegated to perform mosttasks. Local authorities nowadays have to appoint a "Chief Executive Officer",

with overall responsibility for council employees, and who operates in conjunction

with department heads. The Chief Executive Officer position is weak compared to

the council manager system seen in other counties.

The modern trend has been towards greater and greater control by central

government. There are now more laws governing the way councils can conduct

their affairs.

England is devided into 9 regions including: 6 metropolitan couties, 27 non-

metropolitan couties, 56 unitary authorities and the Greater London.

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Sizes of council areas vary widely. The most populous district in England

is Birmingham (a metropolitan borough) with 977,087 people (2001 census), and

the least populous non-metropolitan unitary area is Rutland with 34,563.

However, these are outliers, and most English unitary authorities have a

population in the range of 150,000 to 300,000. The smallest non-unitary district

in England is West Somerset at 35,400 people and the largest Northampton at

194,458. However, all but 9 non-unitary English districts have fewer than

150,000 people. Responsibility for minor revisions to local government areas

falls to the Boundary Committee for England. Revisions are usually undertaken

to avoid borders straddling new development, to bring them back into line with a

diverted watercourse, or to align them with roads or other features.

1.1.5 Local government services

In Britain, most of the numerous services that a modern government provides are

run at local level. These include public hygiene and environmental health

inspection, the operation of police and fire, the collecting of rubbish from outside

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peoples houses, the cleaning and tidying of all public places, the provision of

public swimming pools.

Public libraries are another well known service. Anybody can go into one of

these to consult the books, newspapers and magazines there free of charge. There

are about 5000 public libraries (thats about one for every 12000 people). On

average, each one houses about 45000 books.

1.2 Comparison between British & Vietnamese government

British government Vietnamese government

Power

The Government's powers

include general executive and

statutory powers, delegated

legislation, and numerous

powers of appointment andpatronage; however, some

powerful officials and bodies

are legally more or less

independent of the

Government, and Government

powers are legally limited tothose retained by the Crown.

The Government of Vietnam is the

executive arm of the Vietnamese

state, and the members of the

Government are elected by

theNational Assembly of Vietnam.

Capital city London Ha Noi

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delegated_legislationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delegated_legislationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delegated_legislationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delegated_legislationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_Vietnam


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PrimeMinister

(Current)

+ David Cameron, leader of

the Conservative Party, who

was appointed by Queen

Elizabeth II on 11 May 2010.

+ The Prime Minister heads

the Government and appoints

Ministers who head individual

government departments.

The current prime ministerNguyen

Tan Dung has served since 2005,

and he is serving his last term.

The prime minister directs the work

of government members, and may

propose deputy prime ministers to

theNational Assembly.

ElectionBritish voters do not choosetheir Prime Minister. They

vote for their political party.

The National Assembly elects thePresident of the State and the Prime

Minister.

Political

Party

Multi - party system with 3

political parties: Conservative

Party, Labour Party, and

Liberal Democratic Party.

Single - party state: the Communist

Party of Vietnam. All Vietnamese

political organizations are under

Vietnamese Communist Partycontrol

Structure

+ The leader of the

government is the Prime

Minister.

+ The new PM chooses a team

of people from Parliament

who will run the country with

him.

+ There are normally about

100 people in the government.

The government is also

different from the rest of the

+ The PM has the right to nominate

candidates for some important

positions such as Chief Justice of

the Supreme Peoples Court, and

the Procurator-General of thePeoples Office of Supervision and

Control.

+ The PM has the right to nominate

and dismiss the members of his

cabinet, though only with the

approval of the National Assembly.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cameronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(UK)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Tan_Dunghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Tan_Dunghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_Prime_Minister_of_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cameronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_(UK)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Tan_Dunghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguyen_Tan_Dunghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_Prime_Minister_of_Vietnamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Assembly_of_Vietnam


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party who won the election. + The PM also has powers to cancel

or suspend decisions or directives

issued by the ministries.

Decision-

making

mechanism

The PM and other members of

the cabinet (formed by

Secretaries of State) meet once

a week and take decisions

about new policies, the

implementation of existing

policies and the running of the

various government

departments.

+ The Vietnamese Communist

Party has a monopoly on power. A

three-person collective leadership

consists of the Vietnamese

Communist Party general secretary,

the PM, and the President.

+ President is the chief of state

while PM is head of government.

General Secretary heads up not

only the Vietnamese Communist

Party but also the 15 member

Politburo. A decision by any

member of the triumvirate is vetted

by the others.

Ministers

and

departments

+ Most heads of government

departments have the title

The Secretaries of State.

+ There are 17 departments.

+ The most important

Secretaries of State are:

The Chancellor of the

Exchequer(Finance).

The Foreign Secretary(International Affairs).

+ Heads of the government


Ministers.

+ There are 18 ministries.

+ The Vietnamese government has

ministers in the following areas:

Agriculture and Rural

Development; Construction;

Defense; Education and Training;

Finance, Fisheries; Foreign Affairs;

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The Home Secretary (Internal

Affairs).

The Lord Chancellor(TheLegal System).

The Secretary of State for

Education.


Transport and the

Environment.

Health; Home Affairs; Industry;

Justice; Planning and Investment;

Posts and Telecommunications;

Public Security; Science and

Technology; Trade; Transport;

National Resources and

Environment.

Organizational Structure of Vietnam government

2. PARLIAMENT

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ,

commonly known as the British Parliament , Westminster Parliament or simply

"Westminster", is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom , British

Crown dependencies and British overseas territories .It is located in the Palace of

Westminster , Westminster , London.

The word Parliament which comes from the French word parler was first usedin England in 13rd century to describe an assembly of nobles called together by the

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King. It was in the Medieval Period that parliament began its gradual evolution

into the democratic body which it is today. In 1925, the Model Parliament set the

pattern for the future by including elected representatives from urban and rural

areas.

In 16th century, due to the Wars of the Roses and bubonic plague, the power of the

great barons had been weakened and the tie between feudal lords and peasant

reduced. In the Tudor dynasty (1485-1603), parliament was split into 2 Houses.

The House of Lords consisted of the feudal aristocracy and the leader of the

Church; the House of Commons consisted of the representatives from the town and

the less important landowners (the people with the money) in rural areas. It was

now more important for monarchs to get the agreement of the Commons for

policy-making because that was where the newly powerful merchants and

landowners were represented.

It was in the 17th century when the inextricably relation between religion and

politics happened - that Parliament established its supremacy over the monarch inBritain. The conflict between ideological Protestantism and Catholicism led to the

Civil War, which ended with complete victory for the parliamentary forces. The

leader of the parliamentary army encompassed the whole of British Isles.

In 18th century, the Scottish parliament joined with the English and Welsh

parliament in Westminster in London. Scotland retained its own system of law,

which is more similar to continental European systems than that of England, it

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does so to this day. During this century, the habit of the monarch appointing Prime

Minister from the ranks of Parliament to head the government was established.

Interactive map of Parliament

2.1 The party system in Parliament

Most divisions take place along party lines. MPs know that they owe their position

to their party, so they nearly always vote the way that party tells them to. The

people who make sure that MPs do this are called the Whips. The Whips act as

intermediaries between the backbenchers and the frontbench of a party. They keep

the party leadership informed about backbench opinion. They are powerful people.

Each two major parties have several MPs who perform this role. It is their jobs to

inform all MPs in their party how they should vote. By tradition, if the government

loses a vote in Parliament on a very important matter, it has to resign. Therefore,

when there is a division, MPs are expected to go to the House and vote even if theyhave not been there during the debate.

Sometimes the major parties allow a free vote, when MPs vote according to their

own beliefs and not according to party policy such as the abolition of the death

penalty and the decision to allow television cameras into the Commons, etc.

2.2 House of Commons

TheHouse of Commons is the Lower House of the Parliament of the United

Kingdom which, like theHouse of Lords (The Upper House), meets in the Palace

of Westminster. The Commons is an elected body consisting of 659 members

known as Members of Parliament (MPs). Members are elected to represent

constituencies by first-past-the-post and hold their seats until Parliament is

dissolved.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Lordshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminsterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminsterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Members_of_Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_constituencieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-posthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_United_Kingdom_Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_United_Kingdom_Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Lordshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminsterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminsterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Members_of_Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_constituencieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-posthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_United_Kingdom_Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_United_Kingdom_Parliament


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TheHouse of Commons evolved at some point in England during the 14th

century, becoming theHouse of Commons of Great Britain after thepolitical

union with Scotland in 1707 and in the nineteenth century the United Kingdom of

Great Britain and Ireland after the political union with Ireland before assuming its

current title after independence was given to the Irish Free State in 1922.

Under the Parliament Act 1911, the Lords' power to reject legislation was reduced

to a delaying power. The Government is primarily responsible to the House of

Commons and the prime minister stays in office only as long as he or she retains

its support.

2.2.1 Lay-out of The House of Commons

The current Commons' layout is influenced by the use of the original St. Stephen'sChapel in the Palace of Westminster. The rectangular shape is derived from the

shape of the chapel. Benches were arranged using the configuration of the chapel's

choir stalls whereby they were facing across from one another. This arrangement

facilitated an adversarial atmosphere that is representative of the British

parliamentary approach.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Commons_of_Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Commons_of_Great_Britainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Free_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_Act_1911http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminsterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Commons_of_Englandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Commons_of_Great_Britainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Irelandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Free_Statehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_Act_1911http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Westminster


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Commons Chambers design and layout differ from the interior of the parliament

in most other countries. These differences tell us a lot about what is distinctive

about the British Parliament.

Commons chamber is small and modestly decorated in green, in contrast with the

large, lavishly furnished red Lords chamber. There are benches on two sides of the

chamber, divided by a centre aisle. This arrangement reflects the design of St

Stephen's Chapel, which served as the home of the House of Commons until

destroyed by fire in 1834. The Speaker's chair is at one end of the Chamber; in

front of it is the Table of the House, on which the Mace rests. The Clerks sit at one

end of the Table, close to the Speaker so that they may advise him or her on

procedure when necessary. Members of the Government sit on the benches on the

Speaker's right, whilst members of the Opposition occupy the benches on the

Speaker's left. In front of each set of benches a red line is drawn on the carpet,

which members are traditionally not allowed to cross during debates. It has been

suggested that the distance between the lines in front of each set of benches is the

length of two swords, thus stopping a member from attacking a member on the

opposing side. However, the only person who is allowed to wear or carry a sword

in the chamber is the Serjant-at-Arms. Government ministers and the leader of the

Opposition and the Shadow Cabinet sit on the front rows, and are known as

"frontbenchers". Other Members of Parliament, in contrast, are known as

"backbenchers". Not all Members of Parliament can fit into the Chamber at the

same time as it only has space to seat 427 of the 650 Members. Members who

arrive late must stand near the entrance of the House if they wish to listen to

debates. Sittings in the Chamber are held each day from Monday to Thursday, and

also on some Fridays. During times of national emergency, the House may also sit

at weekends.

2.2.2 Functions

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The House of Commons is the most important place for discussing policies and

making laws. It has 4 main functions as showing below:

Firstly, legislation is the main function, as it is the job of the House of Commons

to introduce and pass bills. Bills can be passed, amended or dropped altogether in

the Commons, before it even reaches the House of Lords. Parliament collectively

makes law, but it is mainly the government that introduces and passed legislation,

for example the Criminal Justice Bill

Secondly, it isscrutiny, where the government must explain and defend its actions

to the House of Commons. This can be done in several ways, including Prime

Ministers Question Time. Also, select committees such as the Public Accounts

Committee are set up to scrutinize and question the work of Parliament, holding it

to account.

Thirdly, The House of Commons supports the Government as well as opposites

to that Government. Most MPs are elected because of the party label they carry.

They go to the Commons to support their parties: the majority to support the

Government, and the rest to support opposition to that Government - that is why

they have been elected. Usually the Government wins, but not always. The

Commons can kill the Government by voting it has no confidence in the

Government, as in 1924 and in 1979 when by one vote the Labour Government of

James Callaghan was destroyed, a general elected was called and Mrs Thatchers

party won. Parliament is the location for an adversarial confrontation between the

parties with words. The power to end a Government is always there, in the

background. The Government knows it, and so it does not act in a way that would

provoke the MPs to vote against it on vote of no-confidence. From that power to

kill the Government flows the influence of the Commons over the Government.

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Finally, Recruitment, training and assessment ministers of the Governmentis one

of the main functions. The House of Commons is the recruiting centre for

ministers. The UK draws its ministers overwhelmingly from the Commons, andnot from other walks of life, lik business, banking, universities and law firms. It is

their training college, where they learn how to perform as ministers. New MPs

watch how ministers perform in the House, and learn what to imitate and what to

avoid. If they perform well in the Commons, they come to the notice of their party

leaders and, if successful there, are promoted to ministerial jobs in the

Government. Then the Commons becomes their assessment centre, since theyhave to speak in the House on behalf of the Government and their department.

They face the opposition and its critical questioning, and they have to convince

their own party supporters that they have a grip on their departments, can beat the

opposition and raise the morale of their own MPs. Poor performances in the

Commons can damage the career prospects of ministers, and they ay be removed

from the Government .

2.2.3 Key people

There are 5 key roles in the House of Commons such as:

The Speaker: The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer

of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament.

The Speaker presides over the House's debates, determining which members may

speak. The Speaker is also responsible for maintaining order during debate, and

may punish members who break the rules of the House. Unlike presiding officers

of legislatures in many other countries, the Speaker remains strictly non-partisan,

and renounces all affiliation with his or her former political party when taking

office. The Speaker does not take part in debate nor vote (except to break ties, and

even then, subject to conventions that maintain his or her non-partisan status).

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Aside from duties relating to presiding over the House, the Speaker also performs

administrative and procedural functions, and remains a constituency Member of

Parliament (MP). The Speaker has the right and obligation to reside in Speaker's

House at the Palace of Westminster. The current Spe aker is Mr.Rt Hon John

Bercow, MP for Buckingham.

The Commons Deputy Speakers: The Commons Deputy Speakers chair

debates in the absence of the Speaker. There are 3 Commons Deputy Speakers.

The principal Deputy Speaker is the Chairman of Ways and Means.The current

Deputy Speaker isMr.Lindsay Hoyle. The other two Deputy Speakers are known

as the First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means and the Second Deputy

Chairman of Ways and Means. The other two current Deputy Speakers are Mr.

Nigel Evans and Mrs.Dawn Primarolo.

The Lord Chancellor: The Lord Chancellor is a senior and important

functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He also is a Cabinet

minister and currently a Member of the House of Commons.The Lord Chancellor

has a role in appointing many judges in the courts of England and Wales.

The Leader of the House of Commons is a government minister whose

main role is organising government business in the Commons. The Leader of the

House does this by working closely with the government's Chief Whip. The Leader

can deputise for the Prime Minister, either at Prime Minister's Questions or for

formal duties. Mr.Rt Hon Andrew Lansley is the current Leader of the House of

Commons.

Clerk of the House & Chief Executive: The Clerk of the House advises the

Speaker and MPs on the formal and informal rules of the House of Commons, and

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manages the Commons' departments and services. Currently, Mr.Sir Robert

Rogers is the Clerk of the House of Commons and Chief Executive.

2.3 House of Lords

The House of Lords (the Upper House of the British Parliament) is part of the

Palace of Westminster, more commonly known as the Houses of Parliament . It is

an essential part of the UK Parliament. It scrutinises and challenges the work of

government and considers all legislation. Its members come from different social,

political and professional backgrounds and most faiths and ethic groups in the UK

are represented.

2.3.1 Lay-out of the House of Lords

The Lords Chamber, the masterpiece of the rebuilt Palace, was first occupied in

1847. It is 24 m long, 14 m wide and 14 m

high (80 ft x 46 ft x 46 ft). At its southernend is the Throne, from which the Queen

reads her speech at the opening of

Parliament. In front of the Throne is the red

cushion known as the Woolsack. In front of

this are two similar woolsacks used by

judges at the opening of Parliament, and theTable of the House at which the Clerks sit.

The Lords' benches, upholstered in red leather, are arranged on both sides of the

House, in five rows divided into three blocks. The Government benches are on the

right of the Throne and the Opposition benches on the left. Facing the Woolsack

below the Table are the cross benches, used by members who do not belong to any

political party.

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2.3.2 Functions

There are 3 main functions of the House of Lords such as : checking bills andmaking better laws; questioning government action, seeking information and

debating current issues; and breadth of knowledge and independence of thought.

Firstly, checking bills and making better laws. The House of Lords spends most of

its time in the chamber checking bills. It plays an essential role in improving the

content of bill (draft draws): highlighting potential problems and ensuring they willbe workable laws. The value of the House of Lords is that the lack of a government

majority, the more relaxed party discipline, and the fact that the Houses

procedures give members great freedom to propose and debate amendments, mean

that the Lords sometimes reaches different conclusion on bills, and agrees

amendments asking the Commons and the government to think again.

Secondly, questioning government action, seeking information and debating

current issues. Questions are asked in the chamber at the start of business. They

are also asked in writing. They are a chance to seek information about government

decisions and actions. The government makes statements to the House about

developments and emergencies, or to report back after international meetings.

They provide valuable time for members to ask questions and probe governmentactivity. Debates take place on public policy and on specialist issues. They are an

opportunity to draw the governments attention to concerns.

Finally, breadth of knowledge and independence of thought. Members of the

House of Lords come from different backgrounds and professions. Most members

have a political background, some dont. All come from different walks of life ,from across the UK, and represent a wide range of professions in medicine, law,

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business, the arts, sports, education, science..So it is a reason why is said that it

is diversity and breadth of knowledge. The House of Lords is characterised by

independence of thought. Members who belong to the political parties are not

subject to the same degree of discipline as in the House of Commons they do not

necessarily vote according to their partys policy. A significant part of the

membership is non-party political: the crossbenchers and the bishops. Member of

the House of Lords represent the issues that concern them, not geographical

constituencies.

2.3.3 Key people

There are 4 principal office holders who play important roles in the work of the

House of Lords

Lord Speaker: The Lord Speaker oversees proceedings in the chamber. The

House of Lords is self-regulating so, unlike the Commons Speaker, she doesnot call the House to order or choose who will speak next in questions and

debates. The Lord Speaker is elected by the House and is politically impartial.

Leader of the House of Lords: is a member of the cabinet and the most senior

member of the government in the Lords, reponsible for its business in the

House. He leads a team of about 25 ministers and whips. The Leader also had

obligations to the House as a whole : expressing its collective feelings on

formal occasions and giving procedural advice, eg in disputes over who will

speak next during questions

Government Chief Whip: is responsible for ensuring the successful passage

of government business in the House of Lords. She is also one of panel of

deputy Speakers, along with her opposition counterpart.

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Chairman of Committees: is politically impartial. He chairs internal

administrative committees and answers questions in the House on related

matters. He is also the senior Deputy Speaker so can sit on woolsack in the

chamber.

2.4 Comparison between British and Vietnamese parliament

British government Vietnamese government

Power

The Government's powers

include general executive and

statutory powers, delegated

legislation, and numerous

powers of appointment and

patronage; Government

powers are legally limited to

those retained by the Crown.

As the executive organ of the

National Assembly, the

administrative offices of State of

the Republic of Vietnam Socialist.

Function

Government implement the

executive functions of the

country on behalf of Kingship

Management all areas of social life:

- lead the organization of the

bureaucratic from the central to

grassroots level

- Ensure the implementation of the

Constitution and the law;

- manage the construction of the

national economy,

- Implement monetary and financial

policy of the states

- Manage medical , education, state

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budget

- Implement necessary measures to

protect the rights and legitimateinterests of citizens,

Manage foreign affairs, social

policy implementation ... of the

State.

Structure

+ Government consists of the

Prime Minister, the Deputy

Prime Minister, The Cabinet

and ministers.

+ All ministers come from the

ranks of Parliament.

The leader of the governmentis the Prime Minister.

+ The new PM chooses a team

of people from Parliament

who will run the country with

him.

+ There are normally about

100 people in the government.

The government is also

different from the rest of the

party who won the election

+ Government consists of the Prime

Minister, the Deputy Prime

Minister, ministers and heads of

agencies by the prime minister of

choice, not necessarily the national

parliament, and parliament

approved the proposal.

+ Government does not hold a

permanent body, instead, a deputy

prime minister assigned to

undertake the permanent deputy

prime minister.

Election

British voters do not choose

their Prime Minister. They

The National Assembly elects the

President of the State and the Prime

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vote for their political party. Minister.

Prime

Minister

Head of the UK government.

He is ultimately responsible

for all policy and decisions.

He:

oversees the operation

of the Civil Service and

government agencies

appoints members of the

government

is the principal

government figure in the

House of Commons

Prime Minister is introduced by the

President, elected and dismissed by

the National Assembly among the

deputies of the National Assembly

for the 5-year period.

Vietnam Prime Minister is the head

of the Government of Vietnam.Prime Minister run the Government

and be responsible for supervising

ministers.

The Prime Minister has the right to:

- Lead of the Government,

members of the Government and

People's Committees at all levels

and preside over meetings of

the Government;

- Propose the National Assembly

to establish or abolish

ministries and ministerial-level

agencies, report to the National

Assembly and ask the Standing

Committee to recommended

approval of the appointment,

dismissal, the Deputy Prime

Minister, other members of the

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Government when the National

Assembly is not in session;

- Appoint and dismiss the

Deputy Ministers and

equivalent positions; approved

the election; dismissal,

transfer, demotion Chairman,

the Vice Chairman of the

People's Committees of

provinces and centrally run

cities ;

- Suspend or annul the

decisions, directives and

circulars of the Minister, other

members of the Government,

decisions and directives whichare on the contrary to the

Constitution, laws and

documents of superior State

agencies of the People's

Committee and chairman of

the provincial People'sCommittee, the city centrally;

- Suspend the execution of the

resolutions of the People's

Councils of provinces and

cities under central authority

contrary to the Constitution,laws and documents of

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superior State agencies,

simultaneously proposed the

National Assembly Standing

Committee abolished;

- Implement reporting

mechanism to the people

through the mass media about

the important issues that the

government must address

Current

Prime

Minister

David Cameron, leader ofthe Conservative Party, who

was appointed by Queen

Elizabeth II on 11 May 2010.

Nguyen Tan Dung has served since2005, and he is serving his last

term.

Decision-

making

mechanism

The PM and other members of

the cabinet (formed by

Secretaries of State) meet once

a week and take decisions

about new policies, the

implementation of existingpolicies and the running of the

various government

departments.

+ The Vietnamese Communist

Party has a monopoly on power. A

three-person collective leadership

consists of the Vietnamese

Communist Party general secretary,

the PM, and the President.

+ President is the chief of state

while PM is head of government.

General Secretary heads up not

only the Vietnamese Communist

Party but also the 15 member

Politburo. A decision by any

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member of the triumvirate is vetted

by the others.

Ministers

and

departments

+ Most heads of government


The Secretaries of State.

+ There are 17 departments.

+ The most important

Secretaries of State are:

The Chancellor of the

Exchequer(Finance).

The Foreign Secretary

(International Affairs).

The Home Secretary (Internal

Affairs).

The Lord Chancellor(The

Legal System).


Education.


Transport and the

Environment.

+ Heads of the government


Ministers.

+ There are 18 ministries.

+ The Vietnamese government has

ministers in the following areas:

Agriculture and Rural

Development; Construction;

Defense; Education and Training;

Finance, Fisheries; Foreign Affairs;

Health; Home Affairs; Industry;

Justice; Planning and Investment;

Posts and Telecommunications;Public Security; Science and

Technology; Trade; Transport;

National Resources and

Environment.

3. ELECTION

3.1 Electoral system

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There are 6 types of elections in the United Kingdom:

United Kingdom general elections

Elections to devolved parliaments and assemblies

Elections to the European Parliament

Local elections

Mayoral elections

Police and Crime CommissionerElections.

Elections are held on Election Day, which is conventionally a Thursday. General

elections have fixed dates, and must be called within five years of the opening of

parliament following the last election. Other elections are held on fixed dates,

though in the case of the devolved assemblies and parliaments early elections can

occur in certain situations.

Currently,six electoral systems are used:

The single member plurality system (First Past the Post)

The multi member plurality system

Party list PR

The single transferable vote

The Additional Member System

The Supplementary Vote

However, there are only 2 types of electoral systems in the UK such as:First Past

the Post&Proportional Representation (PR).

3.1.1 First Past the Post (FPTP)

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FPTP is the voting system used for the election of MPs to 'seats' in

the UK Parliament. It is a system in which the 'winner takes all' and usually gives a

clear majority both at constituency and national level. This means that a candidate

in a constituency only needs one more vote than the nearest rival to win the seat.

Similarly, political parties only need to win one more seat in the House of

Commons to have a majority.

Advantages of FPTP

There is very little chance of extremist parties being elected to Parliament under

FPTP because they are unlikely to gain enough votes in any oneconstituency. Generally the results of elections using FPTP can be calculated

quickly. When necessary, this makes the transfer of power from one party to

another much easier. The 1997 and 2001 elections were clear evidence of this.

Disadvantages of FPTP

+ The main criticism of FPTP is that the number of votes cast for a

party in general elections is not accurately reflected in the number

of seats won. An example of this was the 1997 election when the Conservatives

gained 18% of the vote in Scotland but not one seat. This is mirrored at

constituency level, where the winning candidate may have received only one third

of the votes cast. Indeed, a government may be elected on a minority vote, as

happened in February 1974 when Labour won the general election on the number

of seats gained but the Conservatives had a larger share of the vote acrossthe country.

+ Smaller parties are not fairly treated under FPTP. Although they may

have a sizeable national support across the country, they do not get a

proportional number of MPs because there are not enough votes

concentrated in constituencies to let them win seats. This was shown

in the 1983 general election when the Liberal/SDP Alliance won 25.4%

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of the vote and gained 23 seats while the Labour Party won 27.7% of the vote and

gained 209 seats.

+ FPTP also encourages tactical voting. This means voting for a party,

other than your preferred party, to prevent another party from being

elected. An example of this would be when a Labour supporter in a

marginal Liberal/ Conservative seat votes Liberal Democrat in order to keep the

Conservatives from winning.

+ Another disadvantage of FPTP can occur in marginal constituencies,

where voters tend to change their party loyalty from election to election, andamong 'floating' or 'swing' voters, who have no firm party loyalty. The outcome of

an election can be decided on the voting patterns in these situations, even although

the constituents may number only a tiny proportion of the electorate.

3.1.2 Proportional Representation (PR)

There are a number of systems that use PR such as the Single

Transferable Vote (STV) (the Regional and National Lists) and the Alternative

Vote. There is a third system that combines these two, known as the Additional

Member System (AMS) or the hybrid or top-up system. The AMS system is

presently used in elections for the Scottish Parliament, where voters can vote for

single candidates in their constituencies but also for candidates from regional 'lists'

put forward by each party. If there is a discrepancy between the percentage of seats

the party has won and the percentage of votes cast, the seats are 'topped up' from

the regional list.

Advantages of PR

+ In PR systems there are no wasted votes in elections. Every vote is counted and

so there is no need for tactical voting. As a result, there is a far greater degree of

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proportionality; the number of seats more accurately reflects the number of votes

cast for each party.

+ PR encourages coalition governments, where different parties can work together

as part of the Executive. This encourages a lessconfrontational form of politics

because of the need for coalition parties to co-operate. This also means that there

are fewer dramatic changes in policies as the two parties tend to keep a balanced

'middle way'.

+ Under PR in Britain, constituencies are multi-party. This means that several

different parties can be represented which gives voters a choice of MSPs toconsult. List systems can also increase the numbers of women, ethnic minority and

disabled representatives in a parliament, if the party leaders choose to put them

near the top of the List.

Disadvantages of PR

+ A criticism of PR is that, in elections, voters do not vote for

coalition governments. The compromises that are made between politicians from

different parties in coalition can sometimes be without public backing. Small

parties in coalition without a majority vote from the electorate can become 'king-

makers'. This means that small parties can have unfair power over the larger

parties by threatening to withdraw from coalitions.

+ In the regional or national list systems, party leaders may draw uplists of only like-minded candidates which may disadvantage minority groups

within a party. Although there is a larger than average number of women in the

Scottish Parliament, there are few representatives from other groups such as ethnic

minorities or the disabled. This is not desirable for effective democracy.

3.2 Formal arrangement

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In fact, it is the government which decides when to hold an election. The law says

that an election has to take place at least five years. However, the interval between

elections is usually much shorter than this. A party in power does not normally

wait until the last possible moment.

In Britain, to be eligible to vote, a person must be at least eighteen years old and be

on the electoral register. This is compiled every year for each constituency

separately. People who have moved house and have not had time to get their

names on the electoral register of their new constituency can arrange to vote by

post.

After the date of an election has been fixed, people who want to be candidates in a

constituency have to deposit 500 with Returning officer. They get this money

back if the get 5% of the votes or more. The local association of the major parties

will have already chosen candidates.

3.3 The campaign

The country is divided into approx 635 constituencies. Each constituency votes

separately. Each voter in each constituency votes for one candidate to be the

Members of Parliament (MPs) for that constituency. The candidates have to put

down a deposit (to keep the list short) which they lose if only a few people vote for

them. The candidates are only allowed to spend a limited amount on publicity so

that the rich do not have an advantage.

The party which gets most MPs elected forms the government and can stay in

power for 5 years maximum before having another general election. The Prime

Minister is selected by the MPs of the majority ruling party.

British elections are more comparatively quiet affairs. There is no tradition of

larges rallies and parades as there is in USA.The campaign reflect the contrast

between the formal arrangements and the politic reality. Formally, a different

campaign takes place in each constituency... Local newspapers give coverage to

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the candidates, the candidates themselves hold meetings, and party supporters stick

up posters in their windows

But the reality is that all these activities and regulations do not usually make much

the difference. Nearly everyboby votes for a candidate on the basis of the party

which he or she represents, not because of his or her individual qualities or

political opinions. Few people attend candidates meetings; most people do not

read the local newspapers. Candidates energetically go from door to door to

mobilze people. It is a national level that the real campaign takes place. The party

spend millions of pounds advertising on hoarding and in newspapers. Each party

will hold a daily televised conference. All of this puts the emphasis on the national

party personalities rather than on local candidates.

3.3.1 Polling Day

Elections are held onElection Day, which is conventionally a Thursday. There are

several ways in which to vote, including by post and by proxy, as alternatives to

the traditional trip to the polling station.

Voting at a polling station

Voting in person at a polling station is the traditional way of voting on polling day.

Each voter will be allocated a polling card detailing their nearest polling station,

which is typically schools, churches, libraries, even department stores;

hairdressers are chose as polling stations. Polling stations are open between

0700 and 2200 on polling day.

Voting by post

In England, Scotland and Wales you can vote by post if you are either unable to ordo not want to attend your polling station. You do not need a specific reason in

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order to vote by post and you can apply to vote by post for a specific election, a

specific time period or indefinitely. Since January 2007, all applicants must give

their date of birth and signature.

Voting by proxy

Voting by proxy is where you appoint someone to vote on your behalf at a polling

station. Unlike postal voting you need to provide a reason for voting by proxy and

you can only vote by proxy indefinitely if you meet certain criteria.

In terms of the election turnout, the recent figures show that the number of people

going for vote is decreasing from 2000 to 2011, reaching around 60% to under

70% .Meanwhile in Vietnam, the turnout is higher over 80%, in 2011 election the

propotion reached 97%. This is attributed partly for our partys effort in

communication and Vietnamese peoples interest in politics.

Elections on the British mainland are always fairly conducted. Northern Ireland,

however, is seen to have negative issues. Before 1960, slogan in Ulster on polling

day is vote early and vote often- that is tried to vote as many times as you can

can by impersonating other people.

After the polls close at 10 p.m, the marked ballot papers are taken to a central place

in the constiuency and counted. Then the result will announced by Returning

Officer.

3.3.2 Election night

The period after voting has become a television extravaganza. Party election

broadcasts are carried on television and radio by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five,

Classic FM, talkSPORT and Virgin 1215 services. If the count had gone smoothly,

this usually occurs at just 11 pm. By midnight, after only a handful of results have

been declared, experts will make prediction about the composition of the newly

elected House of Commons .By two in the morning at least half of the

constituencies will have declared their results. In the case that none of the parties

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achieved the 326 seats needed for an overall majority. Then there will be a hung

parliament which happened in 1967. And that situation we reoccured in the 2010

election when the Conservative Party, led by David Cameron, won the largest

number of votes and seats but still fell twenty seats short. The Conservative

Liberal coalition government that was subsequently formed was the first coalition

in British history to eventuate directly from an election outcome. In some

constituencies are not able to declare their results until well into Friday afternoon.

This is because they are very rural and so it takes a long time to bring all the ballot

papers together or the race is so close that they wan to recount many times this

is considered the ironies of the British system.

3.4 Recent results and future

3.4.1 During 1980s

Since the middle of the 20th century, the contest to form the government has been a

fight between the Labor and the Conservative parties. The north of England and

most of the inner areas of English cities return Labor MPs to Westminster whilethe South of England and most areas outside the inner cities have a Conservative

MP. This parties forms the government depends on which one does better in the

suburbs and large towns of England.

Scotland where used to be territory of Conservative, during the 1980s, the vast

majority of MPs from there represents Labor.

Wales has always returned mostly Labor MPs. Since the 1970s, the respective

nationalist parties in both countries have regularly won a few seats in Parliament.

Traditionally, the Liberal party was relatively strong in Scotland and Wales. Its

modern successor, the Liberal Democrat party is not so geographically restricted

and has managed to win some seats or over Britain with a concentration in the

southwest of England.

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Protestant Unionist and Catholic Nationalist MPs have the same proportion in

Northern Ireland.

During thirteen elections from 1945 to 1987, the Conservatives were generally

more successful than Labor. Although Labor achieved a majority on five

occasions, on only two of these were the majority comfortable. On other three

occasions it was in constant danger of disappearing as a result of election defeats.

Whereas, in the same period, the Conservative won a seven times majority nearly

always comfortably.

IV.4.2From 1992 election

In the 1992 election, the Conservatives won for the fourth times in a row - the first

time in more than 160 years. Moreover, there achievement happened in the middle

of an economic recession. Many people wondered whether the Labor could ever

win again. Labors share of the total vote had generally decreased in the previous

for decades while support for the third party had grown since the early 1970s.

Many sociologists believed this trend to be inevitable because Britain had

developed a middle - class majority. Many political observers worried about this

situation. It is considered the basic of British system of democracy - power should

change hands occasionally.

However, in 1997, the picture changed dramatically. The Labor won the largest

majority in the House of Commons while the Conservatives share was lowest in

165 years.

3.5 Comparison between British and Vietnamese electoral system

3.5.1 Vietnamese electoral system

Vietnam elects on national level a head of state - thepresident - and a legislature.The National Assembly (Quoc Hoi) has 498 members, elected for a five-year

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term. Vietnam is a single-party state. This means that only one political party,

the Communist Party of Vietnam is legally allowed to hold effective power. At the

last elections, 20 May 2007, only the Vietnamese Fatherland Front, a front of the

Communist Party of Vietnam, mass organizations and affiliated, and some non-

partisans were allowed to participate. 1 member is self-nominated and is not a

member of the VFF. 42 seats were won by non-party candidates. The president is

elected for a five-year term by the parliament. More than 99% of all candidates

were selected by Communist Party and most of them were from their own party.

Constituencies:

158 multi-member constituencies divided into electoral units.

Voting system:

Absolute majority vote.

Within each electoral unit, candidates exceed the number of seats to be filled.

Those obtaining more than one-half of the votes cast in the unit are declared

elected. If, within a unit, all seats are not filled or if the number of voters is

less than half of those registered, a simple majority second round vote takes

place among the original candidates.

The number of electoral units and number of Deputies to be elected by each is

based on population. Each unit may elect no more than three Deputies, and

each province and city directly under the central government authority is

allotted at least three seats; Hanoi, the capital, is allocated 23 Deputies.

Vacancies arising between general elections are filled through by-elections,

unless the remaining parliamentary term is less than two years.

Voting is not compulsory.

Voter requirements:

- Age: 18 years

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- Vietnamese citizenship

- Disqualifications: insanity

Eligibility:

Qualified electors

- Age: 21 years

- Vietnamese citizenship

Incompatibilities:

(not applicable)

Candidacy requirements:

Candidates' lists are presented by the Viet Nam Fatherland Front

3.5.2 Comparison between two nationselectoral system

Britain Vietnam

Time and

manner

- Take place at least every 5 years.- The whole country vote in a particular day from the morning

to the evening.

- Each person has one vote, but if they do not want to choose,

they might not to go to do- The government decides when

to hold an election.

- The general election is held on

the first Thursday in May every

five years; however the interval

between elections is usually a

bit shorter than this.

- Most voting takes place in

polling stations but anyone

- National Assembly

Standing Committee

decides when to hold an

election and announced

sooner than 105 days

before election days.

- The election days must be

held on Monday because

it is a day off and

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eligible to vote can apply for a

postal vote. Bristish citizens

living in broad are also entitled

to a postal vote as long as they

have been living abroad for less

than 15 years.

everyone have free time

to vote in that day.

- There are so many places

that citizen can elect such

as school, workplace,

people committee.

Voters

- Who can vote?

Aged 18 or over

A legal citizen

Resident in a constituency and on the electoral register, andnot in a category barred from voting.

- Who cannot vote?

Those in the prison

Lack of civil capacity- Members of the House of

Lords.- It is commonly thought

that members of the

Royal family are not

allowed to vote, but this

is not true. The Queen

can vote, as can members

of her family, but they do

not do so because in

practice it would be

considered

unconstitutional.

Not have members of House

of Lord or Queen.

Condition: +The candidate is British or Vietnam citizen.

+ The winner will get the highest vote of people. At least 18 years old At least 21 years old

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Candidates

A citizen of a

commonwealth country

who does not require

leave to enter or remain

in the UK, has indefinite

leave to remain in the

UK.Unacceptable candidate:

Members of the police

forces Members of the armed

forces

Civil servants and judges

People who are subject of a

bankruptcy restrictions

order in the England orWales or a debt relief

restrictions order

People who have been

adjudged bankrupt in

Northern Ireland

People who have had theirestate sequestrated in

Scotland

Criminal or who have no

citizenship

Lack of civil act capacity

Voting for

Candidates and parties

campaign until poling day

The candidate with the most

votes becomes the localMember of Parliament

Voting ends counting of

votes conducted publicly

If the total number of ballots

in the ballot box inaccordance with the number

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political

parties

( MP)for that area represent

everyone in the

constituency in the House of

Commons.

Under this system of

electing representatives

every citizen gets one vote,

and the candidate with the

most votes wins. The system

is known as First-Past-

The-Post

of votes the election shall

conduct the vote count.

Before opening the ballot

box invite voters who are

not candidates to witness

the counting of votes.

Party system

The UK has many political

parties, the main three being

Labour , Conservative, Liberal

Democrat. These three work in

both the House of Commonsand The house of Lords

Since Vietnam is a single-

party state, the ruling

Communist Party of Vietnam

is guaranteed to win. The

winner will work forNational Assembly.

III. STATISTICS

1. Parliament

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To pass laws


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2. Queen - a constitutional monarch

The Queen is the official Head of State.

The Queen herself plays no part in determining

decisions made in Parliament although the Queen 'opens' Parliament each year and

laws are passed in her name.

Her Majesty The Queens title in the United Kingdom is:

Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of GreatBritain and Northern Ireland

3. Prime Minister - who runs government

The Prime Minister is head of the UK

government. He is ultimately responsible for all

policy and decisions

The current Prime Minister of the UK is

David Cameron MP

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Main functions

To provide, by voting for taxation, the means ofcarrying on the work of government

To scrutinise government policy andadministration, including proposals for expenditure

To debate the major issues of the day

Queen Elizabeth II

(Elizabeth Alexandra Mary)


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3 key roles of the Prime Minister :

+ Oversee the operation of the Civil Service and government agencies.

+ Appoint members of the government

+ Be the principal government figure in the House of Commons

4. Ministers

Ministers are chosen by the Prime Minister from the members of the House of

Commons and House of Lords.

They are responsible for the actions, successes and failures of their departments.

5. Government departments and agencies

Departments and their agencies are responsible for putting government policy into

practice.

6. Civil Services

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01

Prime Minister

21

Cabinet

Ministers

99

Other Ministers

121

Total Ministers

24Ministerial Departments

21 Non-ministerial Departments

300+Agencies & Other public bodies


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The Civil Service does the practical and administrative work of government.

It is co-ordinated and managed by the Prime Minister, in his role as Minister for

the Civil Service.

Around half of all civil servants provide services direct to the public,

including: Paying benefits and pensions, running employment services, issuing

driving licences

Over two-thirds of civil servants work in the four largest departments. 23%

working in Department for Work and Pensions, 16% in HM Revenue & Customs,

16% in Ministry of Justice, 14% in Ministry of Defence, 31% in otherdepartments./.

IV. REFERENCES

1. www.gov.uk

2. www.projectbritain.com

3. www.en.wikipedia.org

4. www.parliament.uk

5. www.news.bbc.co.uk

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Documents

GROUP 4 - Government&Parliament&Election (1)