Vo Van Thuong was elected by Vietnam’s National Assembly as the country’s new president, amid an anti-graft campaign.
After the ruling Communist Party nominated him as president, lawmakers confirmed him a largely ceremonial role but one of the top four political positions in the Southeast Asian nation.
Thuong elected as president after a sudden dismissal of his predecessor Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who was blamed by the party for violations and wrongdoing by officials under his control, in what was seen as a major escalation of the country’s anti-corruption crackdown.
Thuong said, in his first speech to the parliament as new president, that he will resolutely continue the fight against corruption.
Thoung said,”I will be absolutely loyal to the fatherland, the people and the constitution, striving to fulfill the tasks assigned by the party, the state and the people.”
Thuong is the youngest member of the party’s Politburo, the country’s top decision-making body, but is considered as a veteran of the party, who begun his political career at university in communist youth organisations. He is widely regarded as being close to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam’s most powerful figure, and the main architect of the party’s battle against corruption. Thuong was elected with 98.38% of the votes, according to the parliament’s online portal.
