Vietnam Politburo names four new members

The Party Central Committee on Thursday elected four additional members to the Politburo, the country's highest decision-making body.

They are 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.

Hung, 54, from Huong Son district, Ha Tinh province, worked for 20 years at the State Bank of Vietnam, holding various senior positions. In April 2016, he was appointed SBV Governor at the age of 46, becoming the youngest-ever head of the central bank.

In November 2021, he was assigned by the Politburo to be chief of the Party Central Committee Office. In the Secretariat of the 13th Party Central Committee, Hung is the only member born in the 1970s - the youngest.

Chien, 62, from Son Duong district, Tuyen Quang province, used to be Deputy Secretary of the Tuyen Quang Party Central Committee and Chairman of the province, before becoming Party chief of Yen Bai province from 2011 to 2015. He became head of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in April 2021.

Nghia, 62, from Go Cong Dong district, Tien Giang province, has a 42-year military career. In 2012, he became deputy head of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People's Army. In February 2021, he was named head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education.

Hoai, 59, from Thanh Liem district, Ha Nam province, became deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission from early 2011 to April 2021, when she was appointed head of the committee’s Mass Mobilization Commission.

According to the Party Charter, the Politburo is elected by the Party Central Committee (PCC), which also decides on the number of Politburo members. The Politburo leads, inspects, and supervises the implementation of resolutions of the National Party Congress and resolutions of the PCC, and decides on issues regarding guidelines, policies, organization, and personnel work.

The 13th Politburo initially had 18 members, but six left their positions. The body now has 16 members, including Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh; permanent member of the PCC’s Secretariat Luong Cuong; chairman of the PCC’s Inspection Commission Tran Cam Tu; head of the PCC’s Commission of Internal Affairs Phan Dinh Trac; Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man; Minister of Public Security To Lam; Minister of Defense Phan Van Giang; Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court Nguyen Hoa Binh; Director of Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theory Council Nguyen Xuan Thang; Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen; Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung; and the newly-elected Le Minh Hung; Nguyen Trong Nghia; Bui Thi Minh Hoai; and Do Van Chien.