Vietnam’s President To Lam becomes caretaker of Communist Party while chief Trong focuses on health

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnamese President To Lam on Thursday became the caretaker of the Communist Party because of party chief Nguyen Phu Trong’s poor health, the party said in a statement.

Nguyen Phu Trong, who was elected to a third term as general secretary in 2021, has dominated Vietnamese politics since he became party chief in 2011. He is an ideologue who views corruption as the gravest threat facing the party.

As Vietnam’s top security official, Lam led Trong’s sweeping anti-graft campaign until May, when he became president following the resignation of his predecessor, who stood down after being caught by the campaign.

Lam is widely viewed as the top candidate to replace Trong when the latter’s term ends in 2026. He spent over four decades in the Ministry of Public Security before becoming the minister in 2016 and had been a key figure in the execution of anti-corruption measures.

The party’s powerful Politburo has now asked Lam to “preside over the work of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat,” according to a statement from the party’s central office.

The statement also confirmed Trong’s ill health which had long been rumored but didn’t give any further details.

Ghosal covers the intersection of business and climate change in southeast Asia for The Associated Press. He is based out of Hanoi in Vietnam.