Vietnam President To Lam takes top job as Communist Party chief

HANOI – Vietnamese President To Lam was named general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the nation’s top position, on Aug 3, replacing former chief Nguyen Phu Trong,

who died two weeks ago

.

Mr Lam, 67, had temporarily taken over the duties of party chief on July 18, a day before Mr Trong’s death, as the latter’s health was deteriorating.

Party delegates unanimously supported Mr Lam’s nomination, officials told a press conference.

Addressing the delegates, Mr Lam vowed to inherit and promote Mr Trong’s legacy, make no changes to the South-east Asian nation’s foreign policy, focus on achieving its socio-economic development goals and “fiercely” continue Vietnam’s anti-graft campaign.

“In the coming time, the work on anti-corruption will be continued fiercely,” Mr Lam told the press conference.

“Personally I feel fortunate that I have much experience in handling (the) anti-graft campaign during the time I worked at the Police Ministry.”

Vietnam, a major destination for manufacturing investment, has long been favoured by multinational corporations for its political stability, but in recent months has experienced major political turbulence, which officials said was fuelled by the anti-corruption campaign.

The nation does not formally have a paramount leader, but the head of the party effectively plays a more prominent role than others after Mr Trong strengthened the powers of the role during his 13-year tenure.

Mr Lam, a career security officer, had been seen as long aiming to become party chief, with experts calling the presidency a stepping stone for the top job.

It was not immediately clear whether he would keep both top jobs until the end of this legislative session in 2026, or whether a new president would be chosen.

China’s President Xi Jinping congratulated Mr Lam on Aug 3, said the official Xinhua news agency.

In a message to Mr Lam, Mr Xi said he looked forward to working with him to consolidate mutual political trust and promote pragmatic cooperation for more benefits to the people of both nations, official broadcaster CCTV News said.

Mr Lam was elected president in May after leading a sweeping campaign of high-profile investigations against corruption as the police minister.

He replaced Mr Vo Van Thuong, who had been in the job about a year when he quit amid accusations of unspecified wrongdoing.

Multiple officials and diplomats said the party had discussed possibly naming a new president so that Mr Lam could focus on the party chief job.

Discussions may still be under way, one diplomat said on Aug 3.

If Mr Lam keeps wearing both hats, he may boost his powers and possibly lead the country to a more autocratic style of leadership, officials have said, similar to that of Mr Xi, who is also China’s party chief.

That would be a change for Vietnam, which, unlike its far larger neighbour, has engaged in more collective decision-making, with leaders subject to multiple checks.

It would not, however, be unprecedented. Mr Trong held both top jobs for nearly three years until April 2021 after the death of a former president. REUTERS