Vietnamese Rivals Hold 2nd Disputed Vote

A competing faction that opposed the newly elected president of a prominent Vietnamese American organization held its own election Sunday, leaving the likelihood that two sets of officials will claim to be the rightful leaders.

Political feuding has plagued the nonprofit Vietnamese Community of Southern California since the Jan. 11 regionwide election for the presidency. The rift promises to permanently divide a group that once sought to represent the 300,000-strong immigrant community.

New president Duc Trong Do had won the election by a landslide after the opposing group, which included outgoing President Ban Bui’s wife, Thanh Ngoc Nguyen, withdrew from the race at the last minute, charging election irregularities.

Bui promptly declared Do’s victory invalid, claiming he would organize a second election.

On Sunday, hundreds of Vietnamese Americans--primarily Bui’s supporters--from San Bernardino to San Diego turned out at 11 regionwide voting stations to cast ballots.

Bui said he will happily turn over his seat to the winner of Sunday’s election. Do’s group was not among the candidates.

“I have tried to do my best to keep the community unified, but they always tried to make trouble,” Bui said.

The two sides had attempted to get a resolution earlier, but that effort ended in an impasse on Friday, when a Superior Court commissioner refused to rule for either side, turning down Bui’s motion to invalidate the January election and Do’s motion to block the second election.

In the meantime, Do considers Bui a sore loser and said he plans to continue his fight for vindication through the state attorney general’s office.

“That election was based on the will of the people,” Do said. “It should be recognized.”

The complicated tangle of political maneuvering has left many in the community confused.

On the eve of the January election, Bui called for a six-month postponement, urging his supporters to stay away from the balloting.

More than 5,000 Vietnamese Americans voted anyway, giving Do a landslide victory as the lone candidate. The majority of the local media supported the election results, and Do was installed as president of the group in February.