Vietnam's president takes top job as Communist Party chief
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[August 03, 2024]
By Phuong Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio
HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnamese President To Lam was named on Saturday to
the nation's top position, general secretary of the ruling Communist
Party of Vietnam, replacing Nguyen Phu Trong, who died two weeks ago.
Lam, 67, had temporarily taken on the party chief's duties on July 18, a
day before Trong's death, as his health deteriorated.
Party delegates unanimously supported Lam's nomination, officials told a
press conference.
Addressing the delegates, he vowed to inherit and promote Trong's
legacy, make no changes to the Southeast Asian nation's foreign policy,
focus on achieving its socioeconomic development goals and continue a
campaign against graft.
"In the coming time, the work on anti-corruption will be continued
fiercely," Lam told the press conference. "Personally I feel fortunate
that I have much experience in handling anti-graft campaign during the
time I worked at the police ministry."
Vietnam, a major destination for manufacturing investment, has long been
favored by multinational corporations for its political stability, but
experienced major turbulence in recent months that officials said was
fuelled by the anti-graft effort.
The nation does not formally have a paramount leader, but the head of
the party has a more prominent role than others, after Trong beefed up
its power during his 13-year tenure.
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 is a sign of a temporary halt of internal fighting within the
party," Nguyen Khac Giang, a Vietnam expert at Singapore think tank the
ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
"Although Lam vowed to push forward the anti-corruption campaign, the
campaign may slow down a little as he may prioritize stabilizing the
party system before the party congress in 2026."
It was not immediately clear whether Lam would retain both top jobs
until the legislative session ends in 2026, or whether a new president
would be chosen.
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Vietnamese President To Lam attends a press briefing with Russian
President Vladimir Putin (not pictured), at the Presidential Palace
in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, June 20, 2024. MINH HOANG/Pool via
REUTERS/File Photo
Lam was elected president in May after leading the sweeping campaign
of high-profile investigations against corruption as police
minister. He replaced Vo Van Thuong, who had been in the job about a
year when he quit amid accusations of unspecified wrongdoing.
Officials and diplomats said the party had discussed possibly naming
a new president so that Lam could focus on the party chief job.
Discussions may still be under way, one diplomat said on Saturday.
If Lam retains both jobs, he may boost his powers and possibly adopt
a more autocratic leadership style, officials have said, similar to
that of Xi Jinping, who is China's party chief and state president.
That would be a change for Vietnam, which, unlike its far larger
neighbor, has engaged in more collective decision-making, with
leaders subject to multiple checks.
It would not, however, be unprecedented. Trong held both top jobs
for nearly three years until April 2021 after the death of a former
president.
"In case the plenum ends without naming any new state president to
replace Lam, it is a signal of a new chapter for Vietnam," Giang
said. "This practice can then become a norm, not just until 2026,
but even after that."
Xi congratulated Lam on his new role, the official Xinhua news
agency said.
(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by
William Mallard and Clarence Fernandez)
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