By all appearances, Vietnam has concluded its Ninth Party Congress with a ringing endorsement of reform. The decision to remove Mr. Le Kha Phieu as Communist Party secretary general and replace him with Mr. Nong Duc Manh is a clear sign of growing impatience with old-style ideologues. Mr. Manh is the right man for the job, but it will take much more than one individual to get the job done.
Mr. Manh brings impressive credentials to his post. He is the first party general secretary with a university degree. During his nine years as chairman of the National Assembly, Mr. Manh transformed the body into a real legislature, with feisty debates and public accountability. He has proven to be a pragmatic politician, capable of forging compromises among the diverse generations in and interests represented by the party. And he is a member of the Tay ethnic minority, which will be important as the government tries to quell growing ethnic unrest in the central highlands.
While Mr. Manh's selection signals recognition of the need to change, the party's willingness to go further is unclear. The Congress approved a report endorsing continuation of economic reform, but rhetoric has never been the party's problem.