Police chief To Lam nominated as State President

General To Lam, member of Vietnam's Politburo - the country's highest decision-making body and Minister of Public Security, has been nominated for the State President position.

Meanwhile, Tran Thanh Man, also a Politburo member, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, has been proposed to lead the country’s parliament.

The nominations for the positions of State President and Chairperson of the National Assembly (NA), Vietnam's highest legislative body, will be considered for approval at the upcoming NA session, slated to open next Monday, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said Saturday.

In his closing speech at the ninth plenum of the Party Central Committee (PCC) after three days of sitting, the leader said the committee had reached a high consensus on the plans for the president and National Assembly chairperson positions.

The nominations followed the resignations of then President Vo Van Thuong and NA chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on March 20 and May 2, respectively.

In accordance with the Party regulations, the State President and National Assembly Chairperson must be a member of the Politburo for at least one five-year term, with exceptions approved by the PCC.

The PCC also discussed thoroughly the direction over the preparations for the Party congresses at all levels towards the 14th National Party Congress slated for early 2026, as well as the drafting of documents to be submitted to the National Party Congress.

The committee also decided on major leadership changes. It agreed to relieve Truong Thi Mai of her position as permanent member of the PCC's Secretariat per her proposal, and appointed General Luong Cuong, Politburo member and head of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People's Army to replace her.

It elected four additional members to the Politburo, namely Le Minh Hung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, head of the Party Central Committee's Organization Commission and chief of the Party Central Committee Office; Nguyen Trong Nghia, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Information and Education; Bui Thi Minh Hoai, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the Party Central Committee's Mass Mobilization Commission; and Do Van Chien, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

The PCC also stripped Le Thanh Hai, former Politburo member, former Ho Chi Minh City Party chief, and former chairman of the metropolis, of all Party positions.

Secretary of the Bac Giang provincial Party Committee Duong Van Thai and former minister and head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung were expelled from the Party.