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After 117 Years, Vietnam Reunited

By VVAW

Through the period of 30 years of fighting against the French colonialists and then the US imperialists, the people of Vietnam have firmly stated that Vietnam is one country. On July 2, 1976, this dream of Vietnamese patriots became a reality as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was officially proclaimed in Hanoi.

According to news accounts, the 492 members of the Vietnamese National Assembly applauded loudly to mark what was called the "new glorious epoch of History." Millions of people around the world who have long supported the struggle of the Vietnamese joined in their joy at this newest accomplishment. It was the fight time in 117 years that Vietnam has been one country, completely free from foreign domination.

Elections to the National Assembly brought out wide participation by people in both the southern and northern halves of the country, who saw the elections as their opportunity to vote directly for reunification. National elections had been promised and guaranteed by the United States after the French defeat in Vietnam in 1954, but the US President Eisenhower and his puppets in Saigon has successfully prevented the elections scheduled for 1955. The reason, not given publicly at the time, was their wholly justified fear that Ho Chi Minh would be the overwhelming victor in any national, free elections. Ike predicted at the time he would win better than 80% of the votes.

The Assembly, in addition to reunifying their country, took up the problems of the future. They are determined to continue to build socialism in the north, but will pay special attention to the building of a socialist economy in the south and, in the process, remove the vestiges of the US presence there--the prostitution, the economic dependence on Americans, and the poverty which resulted from the US driving the people into the cities. Some progress has already been made; of the million unemployment in Saigon after the Americans final flight Vietnam, 30% are now employed and another 30% have returned to the areas they came from, often to work in the vital area of agriculture.

Because of the great importance of building socialism in the south part of Vietnam, many of the government officials of the north, experienced in socialist construction were elected to important posts in the new government. As stated by Truong Chinh, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee, "The National Assembly has released a statement recording the glorious path of struggle of our nation, affirming the main contents of the strategic tasks, line and policies laid down by our party and state for the new stage, calling on the entire people to advance enthusiastically in labor, production, work and study for the total success of the building of a peaceful, independent, united and socialist Vietnam."