Vietnam’s National Assembly on Wednesday elected 66-year-old public security minister To Lam as the country’s president.
The Southeast Asian country has been in political turmoil since March, with many senior government officials removed from office.
In the country of 100 million, which is ruled by the Communist Party of Vietnam, about 5 per cent of the population are Communist Party members. Of these, 180 members of the Central Committee have important decision-making powers, while the 16-member Politburo is the most influential group in the party.
The Politburo is headed by the so-called four pillars, starting from the top: the General Secretary, the Head of State, the Prime Minister and the President of the National Assembly.
Anti-corruption crackdown and resignations
Hundreds of senior state officials and high-profile business executives have been prosecuted or forced to resign as part of Vietnam’s year-long anti-corruption campaign, dubbed the ‘Fiery Furnace’.
In March, then-President Vo Van Thuong, who was seen as a candidate to replace General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, resigned after only a year in office for violating party rules.
Then in April, another candidate for the top post, National Assembly Speaker Vuong Dinh Hue, resigned for violating rules governing Communist Party members.
This month, former cabinet secretary Mai Tien Dung was arrested on corruption charges related to the development of a tourist resort. Truong Thi Mai, the only female member of the Politburo, also resigned for violating rules.
Other senior figures have also resigned in recent years. In January 2023, Nguyen Xuan Phuc abruptly resigned as president over corruption related to COVID-19 countermeasures. In December 2022, Pham Binh Minh was dismissed as deputy prime minister for failing to prevent a corruption case.
Who will be the General Secretary?
The National Congress of the Communist Party will be held in 2026. Held every five years, the congress is seen as important in shaping Vietnam’s future leadership. The 2026 congress is expected to focus on who will replace the current leader, 80-year-old Trong, who is serving his third term.
New President Lam, who was previously Minister of Public Security, is thought to be a prominent figure among the names that could replace Trong.
