Former parliament chair aide stripped of Party membership

The Vietnamese Party Central Committee’s Secretariat has decided to expel Pham Thai Ha, assistant to former National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, from the Party.

The decision was made at a meeting of the Politburo, the country's highest decision-making body, and the Secretariat on Tuesday that was held to discuss disciplinary measures against violating Party organizations and members.

The expulsion came following a proposal made last week by the Central Inspection Commission, which deemed that Ha had violated Party rules and State laws, causing “very serious consequences and bad public opinion”.

Ha, while vice chairman of the National Assembly Office, was arrested on April 21 on charges of abusing positions and power to influence others for personal gains.

He was one of the eight people detained for involvement in the case of bidding violations and bribery at Hanoi-based infrastructure builder Thuan An Group JSC and related units.

Duong Van Thai, former Party Central Committee member and former Party chief of the northern province of Bac Giang, was also arrested for wrongdoings related to this case.

Ha’s boss, Vuong Dinh Hue, resigned from all Party positions on April 26 and was dismissed from the positions of chairman of the parliament and member of the National Security and Defense Council on May 2.

The reasons for Hue’s resignation were not announced, and he has not been seen in public since his dismissal.

Also on Tuesday, the Secretariat stripped three others of their Party memberships. They were Nguyen Van Khuoc, former vice chairman of the People’s Committee of Vinh Phuc province; Le Tuan Hong, former secretary of the Party Committee of Luong Tai district, Bac Ninh province; and Ho Van Diem, former president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Gia Lai province.

At the same meeting, the Politburo issued warnings to the standing board of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee for the 2010-2015 tenure, and the standing board of the Vinh Phuc provincial Party Committee for the 2015-2020 and 2020-2025 tenures.

The same disciplinary measures was levied on Le Hoang Quan and Nguyen Thanh Phong, both former Party Central Committee members, former deputy chiefs of the HCMC Party Committee, and former chairmen of the municipal People's Committee.

The Politburo also proposed the Party Central Committee expel Duong Van Thai and Mai Tien Dung, former Party Central Committee member and former Minister-Chairman of the Government Office from the Party.

Dung was arrested on May 4 for violations related to an eco-resort and urban project in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The body proposed the Party Central Committee consider a disciplinary measure against Le Thanh Hai, former Politburo member, former Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, and former Chairman of the municipal People's Committee.

Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued disciplinary measures for sitting Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung and his predecessor Pham Thi Hai Chuyen for their wrongdoings.

Specifically, Dung was reprimanded for his violations and shortcomings during the performance of duties while serving as Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs for the 2016-2021 tenure.

Meanwhile, Chuyen was given a warning for her wrongdoings and mistakes during the performance of duties while the labor minister in the 2011-2016 tenure.