Vietnam party chief To Lam to step down as president, relinquish dual power role

The National Assembly separately accepted the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai for violating anti-corruption rules. Parliament also appointed three deputy prime ministers, with newly appointed Communist Party chief To Lam to step away from the presidency later this year.

“It will help things settle down, especially with To Lam leaving the presidency,” said Le Dang Doanh, an economist and former government adviser in Hanoi. The party leadership, he added, is matching officials with positions to ensure smooth governance and prepare it for the Party Congress.

The National Assembly will vote in October on a candidate to fill the presidency, according to a post on the government’s website, which cited the legislature’s Chief Administrator Bui Van Cuong. Under Vietnam’s political system, the Party Central Committee will nominate a candidate for president for the parliament to vote on.

In a break from party tradition in Vietnam, Trong took over the presidency in 2018 following the death of then-President Tran Dai Quang before relinquishing the post in 2021.

“To Lam’s holding on to the presidency would give rise to outside questions about the stability and direction of Vietnam,” said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Now the government will return to “four people, not three, at the top of the leadership”.

Trong’s death added uncertainty within the government as a years-long anti-corruption campaign has led to scores of senior officials and business executives being detained. Two presidents, three deputy prime ministers and other party officials recently quit office.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Khai oversaw the economy, and in June unsuccessfully urged Treasury