Vietnam parliament okays appointing 2 new Deputy Prime Ministers

Vietnam's legislature has approved Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's proposal to appoint Ho Quoc Dung, former Party chief of Gia Lai province, as Deputy Prime Minister, while Pham Thi Thanh Tra, a Party Central Committee member, became the country's first female Deputy Prime Minister.

The National Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution approving appointing Ho Quoc Dung for the position for the 2021-2026 term (429 votes in favor out of 430 votes).

New Deputy PM Ho Quoc Dung was born in 1966. His hometown is Cat Tai commune, Phu Cat district, the former Binh Dinh province, now De Gi commune, Gia Lai province. He has a master's degree in law. Dung is a member of the Party Central Committee.

Dung held many important positions in the old Binh Dinh province and the new Gia Lai province after the merger.

He used to be deputy chief of the Binh Dinh provincial People's Committee Office; vice chairman of Phu Cat district People's Committee; deputy chief of the Binh Dinh Party Committee Office; chief of the Binh Dinh Party Committee Office; Vice Chairman and then standing Vice Chairman of the Binh Dinh People's Committee; Deputy Party chief of Binh Dinh province cum Chairman of the Binh Dinh People's Committee (2014-2020); and Party chief of Binh Dinh for the 2020-2025 term.

In July 2025, Dung was appointed Party chief of the new Gia Lai province for the 2020-2025 term.

On the same day, the National Assembly passed a resolution approving the appointment of Pham Thi Thanh Tra, a Party Central Committee member and a parliament delegate.

Tra has become Deputy PM for the 2021-2026 term per the Prime Minister's proposal (429 votes in favor out of 430 votes). She is Vietnam's first female Deputy PM.

Tra was born in 1964. Her hometown is Nghe An province. She grew up in the education sector. From November 1997 to November 1999, she was deputy head of Tran Yen district's department of education and training in Yen Bai province.

From April 2008 to April 2011, she was elected Vice Chairwoman of the Yen Bai People's Committee. From April 2011 to May 2014, she was Party chief of the Yen Bai town Party Committee in Yen Bai province.

From May 2014 to September 2016, she was deputy Party chief of Yen Bai province and Chairwoman of the Yen Bai People's Committee.

From January 2016, she was a member of the 12th Party Central Committee.

From October 2016 to January 2017, she was Party chief of Yen Bai province, Chairwoman of the Yen Bai People's Committee, and Secretary of the Military Party Committee of Yen Bai province.

From February 2017 to September 2020, Tra was Party chief of Yen Bai province, Chairwoman of the provincial People's Council, and Secretary of the Military Party Committee of Yen Bai province.

From October 2020 to March 2021, she was deputy head of the Central Organizing Committee and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs

From April 2021 to October 2025, Tra held the position of Secretary of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Minister of Home Affairs.

On January 24, 2025, she was appointed a Party Central Committee member and a member of the Standing Committee of the Government Party Committee for the 2020-2025 term.

The Government is currently headed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, with nine Deputy Prime Ministers including Nguyen Hoa Binh (standing Deputy Prime Minister), Tran Hong Ha, Le Thanh Long, Ho Duc Phoc, Bui Thanh Son, Nguyen Chi Dung, Mai Van Chinh, Ho Quoc Dung and Pham Thi Thanh Tra.