Vietnam President To Lam gets top job as Communist Party chief

Lam pledges to maintain predecessor’s anti-corruption campaign as he takes nation’s top job – but it is unclear whether he will also remain president.

Vietnamese President To Lam has pledged to continue fighting corruption as he heads the Communist Party [Nhac Nguyen/AFP]

Vietnamese President To Lam has been formally named as the new chief of the Communist Party, the country’s top position, two weeks after the death of the previous general secretary.

Nguyen Phu Trong died on July 19 after having dominated Vietnamese politics since becoming party chief in 2011.

In his first speech as chief on Saturday, Lam promised to inherit and promote Trong’s legacy, make no changes to foreign policy, focus on achieving Vietnam’s socioeconomic development goals and continue a campaign against corruption.

“In the coming time, the work on anticorruption will be continued fiercely,” Lam told a news conference. “Personally, I feel fortunate that I have much experience in handling antigraft campaign during the time I worked at the police ministry.”

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 for about a year when he quit amid accusations of unspecified wrongdoing.

Members of Vietnam's armed forces carry the coffin of the late general secretary of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong out from the national funeral house in Hanoi on July 26, 2024. (Photo by NHAC NGUYEN / POOL / AFP) RELATED CONTENT PHOTOS vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics nkorea - vietnam - diplomacy nkorea - vietnam - diplomacy vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - laos - diplomacy vietnam - laos - diplomacy Vietnam's President To Lam (R) and General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith hold a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on July 25, 2024. vietnam - laos - diplomacy vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - china - diplomacy vietnam - china - diplomacy vietnam - china - diplomacy vietnam - china - diplomacy vietnam - china - diplomacy vietnam - politics General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith (C) pays his respect for the late General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong at the national funeral house during the first day of a two-day-national mourning in Hanoi on July 25, 2024. vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - japan - diplomacy vietnam - japan - diplomacy Japan's former prime minister Yoshihide Suga speaks during a meeting with Vietnam's President To Lam (not pictured) at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on July 25, 2024. vietnam - japan - diplomacy vietnam - japan - diplomacy vietnam - japan - diplomacy vietnam - japan - diplomacy vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics vietnam - politics
Nguyen Phu Trong died after having dominated Vietnamese politics since becoming party chief in 2011 [Nhac Nguyen/AFP]

The 67-year-old had temporarily taken on the party chief’s duties on July 18, a day before Trong’s death, as his health deteriorated. On Saturday, he said he was taking the reins because of “an urgent need to ensure the leadership of the party”.

It was unclear whether Lam would retain both top jobs until the legislative session ends in 2026, or whether a new president would be chosen.

Officials and diplomats said the party had discussed possibly naming a new president so that Lam could focus on the party chief job, according to Reuters. Discussions may still be under way, one diplomat told the news agency on Saturday.

If Lam keeps both jobs, he may boost his powers and possibly adopt a more autocratic leadership style, observers 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 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.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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