The National Assembly begins the process of selecting the new head of state this Monday, October 21, said a senior official, after a series of changes at the head of the country plunged the country into unusual political turmoil.
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“ The central committee of the party agreed to recommend suitable persons and will submit to the National Assembly for approval the post of state president of the socialist republic of Vietnam “, declared Sunday, October 20, Nguyen Thanh Hai, head of the deputies’ affairs committee, during a press conference.
A decision which is of great importance in a country where four people share the burden of power: the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, the President of the Republic and the General Secretary of the Communist Party.
Currently, these last two positions are occupied by one and the same man: To Lam. He had taken advantage of his double role to be very active on the foreign policy. The status of president allowed him to quickly meet many foreign leaders.
“ There is opposition to To Lam”
But this centralization of power may have irritated within the party, according to Zachary M. Abuza, professor at the National College of War, interviewed by Nguyen Chi Phuong of RFI’s Vietnamese editorial team. “ We know there is opposition to To Lam and we know there is fear that he will fail to uphold Party standards by keeping these two positions and abandoning collective leadership. “, he believes.
Unlike China, the Vietnamese Party central committee is much more independent. It’s not just a decision-making chamber, and we know there is some opposition to To Lam.
Zachary M. Abuza, professor at the National College of War in Washington and specialist in Southeast Asia
The identity of the new president will be closely scrutinized, as internal struggles have raged within the party since 2021. But if To Lam abandons the post, that does not mean he is weakening. Before becoming president, he controlled the Ministry of Public Security. “ What strikes me is that To Lam is really trying to consolidate his political power. His deputy at the Ministry of Public Safety was the person he appointed to replace him in this position. So he can always use the Ministry of Security if he needs to. », adds the expert.
It was in particular from this position in the ministry that he launched the vast anti-corruption campaign which facilitated his rise to power.