HANOI, Oct 21 — Vietnam’s parliament has elected army general Lương Cường as the new state president today, in a widely anticipated move that is expected to bring some stability to Vietnamese politics after a turbulent phase of departures and reshuffles.
Cường, 67, takes over the role from Tô Lâm, who was appointed president of the Communist-run, one-party country in May, and then also took on the more powerful job of party chief following the death of general secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng in July this year.
Cường was elected with the vote of all the 440 deputies who attended the Parliament session today.
In his inaugural speech, he committed to boosting defence capabilities and pursuing an independent and multilateral foreign policy.
Cường vowed to “strengthen national defence and security, build up an army force that is revolutionary, well-trained, nimble, and modern”.
Vietnam has long been seeking to diversify its arsenal from mostly Russia-made weapons but has not reported any significant deal in recent years.
Before the election, Cường held a key position in the secretariat of the Communist Party, which made him the fifth-highest-ranking official in the country after the party chief, the president, the prime minister, and the Parliament’s chairman. Cường is also a member of the Politburo, the party’s top decision-making body.
The state president holds little direct power but represents the country in high-level meetings with foreign dignitaries. In his short spell as president, Lâm has met the leaders of China, Russia, and the United States, among others.
Power sharing
In Vietnam, the party chief has become the most powerful figure since the late Trọng effectively expanded the role’s powers in his 13-year tenure.
The move by Lâm, a former head of police, to relinquish the presidency may indicate a power-sharing compromise within the party, said multiple diplomats.
Foreign multinationals, who have large investments in the Southeast Asian country for export-oriented manufacturing, have long praised Vietnam’s political stability.
Many were taken aback by recent turmoil in the leadership amid an anti-corruption campaign that led to the resignation of two state presidents and one Parliament chairman in the 17 months before Lam’s election.
The new power-sharing arrangement is set to last until 2026 when all top positions will again be up for grabs as part of a regular five-year reorganisation of the political leadership.
— Reuters
