New Vietnam President To Lam pledges dedication to duty

Vietnam's new president To Lam told the country that he is deeply aware of the great responsibility before the party, the state and the people.

During the seventh plenary session that started on Tuesday, the 15th NA adopted a resolution to elect To Lam, with 472 out of 473 deputies present voting in favor, according to national English-language daily Viet Nam News.

He pledged to seriously and fully perform the duties and powers of the president as defined by the constitution, actively fulfill the country's internal, external, defense and security tasks.

Moreover, together with the entire party, people, military and organization in the political system, he will promote the highest spirit of "self-reliance, self-confidence, self-strength, self-resilience, and national pride".

Lam, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), was appointed deputy minister of public security in August 2010 and he became minister of public security in April 2016. He is also the deputy head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-corruption led by Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the CPV Central Committee.

Lam's election came after the resignation of former president Vo Van Thuong in March, who was only in office for one year. The government said Thuong violated party regulations and has negatively affected public perception as well as the reputation of the party and the state.

On Tuesday, the Vietnamese National Assembly also appointed a new chairman, Tran Thanh Man, for the NA. Man, 62, used to be vice chairman and chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and has been the permanent NA vice chairman since April 2021. He is also a Politburo member.

The NA adopted a resolution relieving Man's predecessor Vuong Dinh Hue from NA chairmanship in early May over violation of party regulations.

To Lam and Man were nominated by the CPV as president and the NA chairman, respectively, on May 18.

Tran Quoc To, deputy minister of public security, will take the minister role after the NA approved the shift of Lam from his role as top security official, according to VnExpress.

"Since early 2023, Vietnam has been facing an unprecedented leadership crisis with a series of high-level dismissals and prosecutions," said Le Hong Hiep, a senior fellow and coordinator of the Vietnam Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

The election is therefore seen as a step towards stabilizing the system and providing a much-needed respite for the CPV to focus on preparations for its 14th National Congress, which will take place in January 2026, Hiep wrote in a commentary on May 21 on the institute's Fulcrum analysis site.

However, "their election also adds complexity to the personnel issue at the congress, particularly in selecting a potential replacement for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong," said Hiep.

On social media, Vietnamese people welcomed the appointment of the new president.

"Congratulations to new President To Lam. Vietnamese people believe that the country will continue to develop strongly under his leadership. We also support the state's policy of zero tolerance towards corruption and negativity," a netizen wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.