The first National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam was convened for March 2. It met one day earlier than scheduled.
The situation was very urgent. The organizing committee had prepared a second meeting place in Dinh Bang village, Bac Ninh province. At the last minute, the Party Standing Bureau decided that the Assembly should meet in Hanoi. Uncle Ho had told the organizers to do everything well and briefly, so that the agenda could be finished and the session ended after one sitting.
The previous night, Uncle Ho sat up very late and smoked heavily. In the morning, he went on smoking in the car. His face was quiet and calm. But his eyes, very bright, showed that he was thinking hard. Since he had returned to Hanoi, people had often talked about his eyes, which showed like two bright spots in his photos. Uncle Ho had been mobilizing all his energies and genius to offer the country a decisive solution at a turning point of history. Ona day, when in jail, he had written these verses;
Look far ahead and ponder deeply
Be resolute: attack and attack incessantly
A wrong move and even your two chariots are useless
Come the right juncture, a pawn can bring you success(1)
The boat of the Fatherland was rushing toward perilous rapids. The helmsman should be careful not to commit the slightest mistake.
The Municipal Theatre was splendidly decorated with national flags. The flag, which had appeared for the first time during the Nam Ky insurrection in 1940, and had been soaked with the blood of so many revolutionary fighters, had become a sacred emblem of the undaunted spirit of struggle of the whole nation. During the past few days, in consultative meetings, the reactionaries had continued to insist that the national flag and the national anthem be changed. But we had rejected their demands.
The National Assembly delegated two representatives, one being the oldest of its members, Mr Ngo Tu Ha and the other the youngest, Comrade Nguyen Dinh Thi, to wait for Uncle Ho in front of the Theatre.
The men of the Viet Nam Revolutionary Alliance and the Viet Nam Nationalist Party were waiting in the anteroom. They were a crowd of well-dressed people, sitting or standing in disorder, wearing haggard looks and looking like strayed goats. They had to wait for the Assembly’s consent before being allowed to enter the meeting hall. They were the people who had been fostering disorder everywhere till the day before. They had tried to scrape together enough men to fill the seventy seats we intended to ask the National Assembly to reserve for them.
Uncle Ho greeted everybody with a smile and a nod, then entered the hall, followed by members of the Provisional Coalition Government. Nguyen Hai Than was absent on the pretext of illness. Perhaps he was rather apprehensive that debates might take place in which he would have to use the mother tongue.
That historic session of the Assembly was held in the absence of deputies from Nam Bo who could not come in time because of the fighting.
Nearly three hundred deputies together with many guests and pressmen, national and foreign, greeted Uncle Ho with a long standing ovation. All eyes were turned toward the high-foreheaded old man in the khaki suit. Many had never met Uncle but they recognized him at once. The applause and cheers only stopped when the National Defence Guard band in white uniforms began to play the national anthem.
Uncle Ho stepped toward the microphone. He stood in silence for a while, gazing affectionately round at the deputies representing various strata of the people from the lowlands to the mountain areas. He said in a voice tinged with emotion:
“This National Assembly is the first in the history of Viet Nam. It is the result of the general elections held on January 6, 1946, which are themselves the result of the struggle and sacrifices of our forefathers. It is the result of the union of the whole people irrespective of age or sex, embracing all religions and nationalities on the territory of Viet Nam, closely united into one bloc, fearing neither sacrifices nor dangers in the struggle for national independence...”
He conveyed the Government’s request to the Assembly for the addition of seventy seats reserved for members of the Viet Nam Nationalist Party and the Viet Nam Revolutionary Alliance. The proposal was accepted.
The Nationalist Party and Revolutionary Alliance men came in and took their seats among the vacant ones. It had been suggested in the preparatory committee that the seats should be divided into right and left, and those seventy men should be seated on the right. But Uncle Ho said that this was not necessary.
After all the newcomers were seated, Uncle Ho went on:
“First I should like, on behalf of the Provisional Government, to thank the National Assembly for having accepted the Government’s request. Secondly, I wish, on behalf of the Government, to welcome the deputies from all parts of the country. In this National Assembly, all the political parties are represented; there are also many non-party deputies; women and minority peoples are represented. Therefore the deputies to this Assembly do not represent any single party but the whole Vietnamese nation.”
President Ho then reported the Government’s work to the Assembly. Ha said:
“As soon as we seized power and set up a Government, we met with many difficulties: the South was faced with aggression, the North with famine. However, thanks to the wholehearted support of the whole people and the determination of the Government, we have done a few things:
“The first was to step up the resistance;
“The second was to reduce famine by increasing the production of food;
“The third was to hold the general elections;
“The fourth is: as the result of those elections, we have this National Assembly...”
He had summed up in a few sentences all the great achievements of the Government during the past six eventful months. He proceeded to talk about the important tasks ahead:
“The most important thing at present is the resistance. Since September last year, the South has been subjected to aggression. The Government has called on the people to be prepared for a long resistance war and has sent reinforcements to the invaded areas. From now on, the Assembly and the Government will be faced with heavy burdens and will have to overcome many difficulties but I am sure the whole nation will be of one mind that it will work together on the basis of solidarity, and that in this way, however great the difficulties may be, the resistance will be victorious and national reconstruction will be successful. Now the Provisional Government will hand over to the National Assembly the right to establish a new Government: a Government of Resistance and National Reconstruction.”
The President concluded his concise and extremely simple report amidst bursts of applause.
Since Uncle Ho came to Hanoi, there had never been so large a gathering as now, with the participation of various delegates — including those from the reactionary parties — and foreign guests. Even at this meeting, he stuck to his usual manner and speech. This style, so personal to him created a special atmosphere in the Assembly, an atmosphere of solidarity and warmth, like being among the members of one family. This was very difficult to bring about among a large number of delegates coming from all over the country and meeting for the first time, the occasion being made even more complicated by the presence of the reactionaries. This atmosphere was to prevail in all subsequent National Assembly sessions and all other meetings when Uncle Ho was present.
The Assembly accepted the resignation of the Provisional Coalition Government and unanimously elected Uncle Ho President of the Coalition Government of Resistance and Nguyen Hai Than Vice-President.
The Assembly burst into applause when the Acting Chairman of the Assembly moved that President Ho be asked to form the new Government. President Ho walked across the hall amidst acclamations.
The sitting adjourned for a while, then resumed. President Ho appeared in company with members of the new Government. He briskly walked to the microphone and said:
“Now I will report on the formation of the Coalition Government of Resistance. As the Assembly knows, this Government is composed of representatives of various parties and non-party people who have discussed the matter and come to an agreement beforehand, hence its quick formation...”
He announced the list of members of the Government. The ministries of the Interior and Defence were entrusted to neutral personalities. Two ministries reserved for southerners were temporarily held by representatives of the political parties, since the former had not been able to arrive in time. The Viet Minh Front and the Democratic Party held four portfolios: Finance, Education, Justice and Communication. The Viet Nam Nationalist Party and the Viet Nam Revolutionary Alliance held four others: Foreign Affairs, National Economy, Social Affairs and Agriculture.
Uncle Ho went on:
“The Vice-President nominated by the Assembly is Mr Nguyen Hai Than. And the President is myself.”
The applause again burst out. The Government list was approved by the National Assembly.
Then Uncle Ho reported on the formation of the National Resistance Committee in charge of conducting the resistance war against foreign aggression, and the establishment of the National Advisory Group headed by Vinh Thuy.
One after the other, the Government, the Resistance Committee and the Advisory Group formally assumed office.
The Assembly then proceeded to discuss the powers of the National Assembly Standing Committee. A debate started between deputies holding different opinions. It was hard to settle those problems while there was no Constitution yet.
Uncle Ho listened attentively. Every now and again he would raise his hand and ask for the floor. At times, a deputy would express a different view. Uncle Ho would then listen attentively and when necessary, give further explanations in a calm voice. It was a rule that in conducting work he always created a relaxed atmosphere and encouraged others boldly to express their own views.
The French fleet was sailing on the East Sea with their guns pointed to the North.
Many deputies did not understand the value of every minute, every second in such a situation. Several times, Uncle reminded the chairman, that the points debated should be concluded and put to vote as early as possible.
At one o’clock in the afternoon, the Assembly was able to conclude the sitting. Within four hours, it had approved the formation of the new Government, the establishment of the Resistance Committee and the Advisory Group, determined the powers of the National Assembly Standing Committee and set up the Committee for Drafting the Constitution.
The deputies were to return immediately to their regions to continue preparations for the resistance. It was time to part. Uncle Ho went to the microphone, and concluded the session with a few words:
“Now the Assembly will temporarily adjourn so that all of us can return to work in our respective regions bringing along an atmosphere of solidarity, of resistance, of determination, of certain success. Before we separate, I wish to thank all the deputies, on behalf of the Government. Let us pledge that this National Assembly is an Assembly for the resistance, and the Government nominated is likewise one for the resistance. I hope that the next National Assembly will be one of victory, and the next Government will likewise be one of victory.”
In those difficult moments, he wanted to instil into everyone a spirit of solidarity and determination to fight. He also wanted to inspire everyone with optimism and confidence in victory and in the future.
(1) “Learning to play chess”, Prison Diary.