Vietnam’s Parliament has elected Army General Luong Cuong as the State President. With him, the power of the security apparatus in the leadership quartet grows.
The newly elected President of Vietnam, Luong Cuong, arrived at his inauguration in the National Assembly.
After the intelligence chief, the army chief comes: On Monday, Vietnam’s Parliament elected 67-year-old Army General Luong Cuong as the State President. The election was unanimous – which is not necessarily common in the parliament of a one-party state. The new president replaces To Lam, who was socialized in the intelligence service and had taken on the more powerful role of General Secretary of the Communist Party in addition to the more representative role of State President since August.
Traditionally, Vietnam separates the four most powerful positions – Party leader, State President, Prime Minister, and Parliament President. The principle is called „collective leadership,“ and traditionally, a certain quota system was important. Not based on gender, as one might think, but on regions in Vietnam, as well as competence in the economy and security apparatus. A woman only belonged to the leadership quartet as Parliament President between 2016 and 2021.
Luong Cuong is already the fourth president since last year. Two predecessors had to step down from the position due to corruption allegations. Corruption is widespread in Vietnam, but the allegations at those times seemed very contrived. It is an open secret that the powerful To Lam pulled the strings to secure the highest positions in Vietnam for himself. With the election of Luong Cuong, the leadership crisis in Vietnam with constant resignations of top politicians due to corruption allegations could now be over, according to international observers.
The election of Luong Cuong is not a surprise. Exile media like the Berlin-based Thoibao.de and international media had predicted the election two months ago. Vietnam’s state media tends to refrain from such predictions.
The leadership quartet now consists of three men from the northern part of the country. Only the Parliament President comes from the south, and a central Vietnamese is no longer represented in the close leadership circle. This would be important for people living in the traditional poorhouse of Vietnam. It is primarily politicians who come from the business sector who had to leave due to corruption allegations. They were replaced by representatives from the security apparatus, mostly from intelligence and police. They now dominate the powerful Central Committee of the Communist Party.
The army had pushed to be represented in the leadership quartet as well. This was also to counterbalance To Lam, who sidelines political opponents with the help of the intelligence service.
The army and the police intelligence service in Vietnam are not as close as one might think. On the one hand, both also operate businesses such as banks, telephone companies, and real estate companies that compete with each other. On the other hand, the military is keen on maintaining good relations with the US because it wants to buy the most modern military technology from there. However, this is met with resistance from Vietnam’s powerful neighbor China, which is competing with Vietnam for islands in the South China Sea and has a powerful advocate in Party leader To Lam.
The military technology that Luong Cuong actually purchased during his visit to the US earlier this year, when he was still an Army General, is a secret. Not even the usually well-informed exile press knows.
As right-wing extremism continues to rise, unity and solidarity are needed. Especially with the people who are working locally for a strong civil society. The taz is collaborating with Polylux, a network that has been fighting against the shift to the right in East Germany since 2018 and supporting projects that promote democracy and tolerance. An open society requires good, freely accessible journalism – and civil society engagement. Do you agree? Then join us and support our initiative. Until October 31, 50% of all proceeds from sign-ups at taz will go to the network against the right. In times like these, everyone who stands up for an open society needs our support. Are you in?
