Former HCMC chairman Le Thanh Hai removed from all Party positions

Le Thanh Hai, former Politburo member, former Ho Chi Minh City Party chief, and former chairman of the metropolis, has been stripped of all Party positions by the Party Central Committee.

The decision to discipline Hai was made at a Party Central Committee meeting, according to the committee's announcement on Thursday.

Two days ago, the Politburo, the country's highest decision-making body, and the Party Central Committee's Secretariat determined that Le Thanh Hai, along with Le Hoang Quan and Nguyen Thanh Phong - former Party Central Committee members and former HCMC People's Committee chairmen, had violated the principle of democratic centralism; Party rules and State laws; regulations on Party members' code of conduct and responsibility to set a good example as leaders.

They were also found to have lacked responsibility and showed lax leadership, allowing many violations and shortcomings to occur at the city's Party Committee and government.

These violations caused "serious consequences, risks of damage and loss of huge amounts of state money and assets, and led to the occurrence of serious or especially serious criminal cases". Many Party organizations, officials, and Party members were disciplined or handled as criminals, causing public anger and reducing the reputation of the city's Party organization and government.

Le Thanh Hai, 74 (hometown: Chau Thanh district, Tien Giang province), is a Politburo member for the 10th and 11th tenures and a Party Central Committee member for the 9th and 11th tenures. His career was closely associated with HCMC, holding many leadership positions like vice chairman of the city, chairman, and city Party chief for two terms 2005-2010 and 2010-2015.

In March 2020, Hai was dismissed from his position as former Party chief of HCMC for the period 2010-2015 as he held responsibility for violations related to the Thu Thiem new urban area project.

The Central Inspection Committee on May 8 proposed disciplinary action against Hai for violations related to property group Van Thinh Phat.