HANOI: Vietnam’s parliament approved on Thursday the resignation of President Vo Van Thuong, the latest high-profile leader to fall as the communist country is roiled by a sweeping graft purge and political feuding.
The ruling Communist Party announced Wednesday that Thuong had quit after barely a year in the job, saying he was guilty of unspecified “violations and shortcomings.” The 53-year-old’s departure, following days of rumors he was on his way out, comes as Vietnam undergoes major — and uncharacteristic — political upheaval.
Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong arrives for the leaders and spouses dinner during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Week at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, California, on Nov. 16, 2023. AFP PHOTO
Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong arrives for the leaders and spouses dinner during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Week at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, California, on Nov. 16, 2023. AFP PHOTO
The National Assembly — a rubber-stamp body — voted to dismiss Thuong in a closed session at an extraordinary meeting, the state-run Tuoi Tre news website reported.
Vietnam has long prized stability and careful management of political change, but this has been upended by a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption, believed to be orchestrated by party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong — seen as the most powerful figure in the country.
The purge saw Thuong’s predecessor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, forced to resign suddenly last January.
Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A handful of the country’s top business leaders have been put on trial in huge fraud and corruption cases, with one facing a possible death sentence in a $12.5 billion bond scam case.
The party’s politburo, its key decision-making body, has now lost four of its 18 members since 2021 — two presidents, a deputy prime minister and a former trade minister.
Before Phuc’s resignation last year, only one other Communist Party president had ever stepped down, and that was for health reasons.
Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan will serve as acting president, state media reported, until the National Assembly chooses a full-time replacement.
The turmoil comes as Vietnam seeks foreign investment, particularly from the United States, to develop its economy away from low-value manufacturing and towards high-tech products such as semiconductors.
US President Joe Biden’s administration wants to massively expand business investment in Vietnam to help it develop a high-tech sector to wean the American economy off its dependence on China.
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : The Manila Times – https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/03/22/news/national/parliament-oks-vietnam-presidents-resignation/1937930
