Vietnam parliament elects Communist Party chief as president

HANOI: Vietnam's rubber stamp National Assembly elected Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as the rustic's president on Tuesday, consolidating his influence as essentially the most powerful guy in the Southeast Asian nation.

The 74-year-old Trong is the primary Vietnamese chief to hold the two positions since founding President Ho Chi Minh in the 1960s.

He succeeds President Tran Dai Quang, who died last month after struggling with a viral illness for greater than a yr.

Raising one hand and placing the other at the constitution, Trong vowed all over the swearing-in ceremony to be "absolutely loyal to the nation, people and the constitution."

He said in his acceptance speech that in spite of impressive achievements lately, Vietnam faces many demanding situations. "Many heavy tasks and duties are waiting ahead of us," he stated.

Earlier this month, the party's Central Committee endorsed Trong as the only candidate for the presidency.

Nguyen Khac Giang, a researcher on the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research in Hanoi, stated Trong's serving as general secretary and president could weaken the collective leadership, which was once observed as being more democratic than China's single-party rule.

"When power is concentrated in an individual, there's a tendency which could be negative in a way that could lessen the collective leadership inside the party," Giang stated.

Vietnam does not have a single paramount chief, with the rustic run during the collective leadership of the overall secretary, president, top minister and National Assembly chair.

Giang stated it's unclear whether or not the merger of general secretary and president will proceed after Trong most likely steps down on the subsequent five-year party congress, scheduled for 2021.

Trong, the party's former chief ideologue, was once elected to the omnipotent Politburo in 1997, serving because the Communist Party chief of Hanoi and chairman of the National Assembly earlier than being promoted to general secretary in 2011. He was once re-elected to every other five-year term in January 2016.

Vietnam has observed an increased crackdown on dissidents and corruption, with rankings of high-ranking officials and bosses jailed since 2016 below Trong's watch.

The anti-corruption force is prone to proceed, according to Le Hong Hiep, a research fellow on the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

"With his consolidated power, it's likely that he will continue his signature anti-corruption campaign, a key factor that has helped him strengthen his power and won him the presidency," Hiep stated.


Trong became the primary general secretary to consult with former foe the United States when he met with President Barack Obama on the White House in July 2015.


The US Embassy in Hanoi congratulated Trong on his election.


"President Tr?ng's selection comes at a time when our bilateral ties with Vietnam have never been stronger," Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink stated in a observation. "Over the past two decades, the United States and Vietnam have come together to find common purpose based on shared interests. We have expanded our security ties, forged new economic and commercial linkages, and deepened our people-to-people engagement. We share a common desire to promote peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region."


"We look forward to continuing to work closely with President Trong on further strengthening and expanding the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership," Kritenbrink stated.
Vietnam parliament elects Communist Party chief as president Vietnam parliament elects Communist Party chief as president Reviewed by Kailash on October 23, 2018 Rating: 5
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