Reported to be the first Vietnamese politician to set up a blog, well-known historian and deputy to the National Assembly Duong Trung Quoc says he did so to share his opinions with the country’s people.

Quoc, from the southern province of Dong Nai, was re-elected to the 12th NA last May. "What’s important is that the blog will be able to link me with voters and to everyone who is interested in the activities of NA deputies."

Quoc, the general director of the Association of Vietnamese Historians and editor-in-chief of Xua Va Nay (Now and Then) magazine, is well-known at home and abroad for his research on national history and for articles on architectural preservation.

His outspoken speeches delivered at the 11th NA against waste and corruption received warm approval from voters around the country.

"Initially I spent months arranging my stories which were published in newspapers over the years, making them more orderly before uploading them on the blog," Quoc said.

These stories are not only about history but his thoughts about national affairs that are reflected in the mind of an historian and an NA deputy.