Army general becomes Party Central Committee’s Secretariat permanent member

The Politburo, Vietnam's highest decision-making body, on Thursday assigned General Luong Cuong, a Politburo member and head of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People's Army, to hold the position of permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat.

Cuong replaced Truong Thi Mai who was relieved of the position earlier the same day.

General Cuong, 67, from Phu Tho province, is a Party Central Committee member for the 11th, 12th and 13th tenures, Secretary of the 12th Party Central Committee, and a Politburo member for the 13th tenure.

He enrolled in the army in 1975, and became deputy head of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People's Army in 2011, and then head of the department in 2016.

In January 2019, Cuong was appointed a general by Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong. He was the 15th person to hold the highest military rank in the Vietnam People's Army.

Appointed by the Politburo, the permanent member of the Secretariat is responsible for the daily work of the Secretariat.

The Secretariat is established by the Party Central Committee, including the General Secretary, a number of Politburo members appointed by the Politburo, and Secretariat members elected by the Party Central Committee.

Earlier, the Party Central Committee agreed to relieve Truong Thi Mai of her position as permanent member of the Secretariat.

Mai, 66, was assigned to hold many important leadership positions in the Party and the State. Throughout her career as leader, she always demonstrated a high sense of responsibility, successfully fulfilled tasks assigned, and made significant contributions to the leadership and direction of the Party and activities of the National Assembly.

However, according to a report by the Party Central Committee's Inspection Commission, during her tenure as Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, and head of its Mass Mobilisation Commission, Mai had violated the regulations on Party members' code of conduct and rules on responsibility to set a good example as leader and Party member. "Her violations have affected the prestige of the Party and hers herself."

Fully aware of her responsibilities before the Party and the people, Mai submitted a resignation.

In line with the Party and State regulations and Mai's wish, the Party Central Committee relieved her of the positions of Politburo member and 13th Party Central Committee member.

On the same day, the National Assembly Standing Committee decided to relieve Mai from the position of parliament member.