Vietnam's 'Second-Ranking' State President Elects Lieutenant General Luong Cuong as Army General

Vietnam has appointed Lieutenant General L??ng C??ng (67) as the 'second highest-ranking' State President.

Leong Kkeong, the newly appointed President of Vietnam, is taking the oath at the National Assembly in Hanoi, Vietnam, on the 21st (local time). [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media on the 21st (local time), the Vietnamese National Assembly unanimously elected Lieutenant General L??ng as the new State President with all 440 attending members voting in favor. In his inauguration speech, the new President L??ng solemnly pledged, "I will be absolutely loyal to the homeland, the people, and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam," and said, "I will strive to fulfill the tasks entrusted to me by the nation and the people." He also emphasized, "I will strengthen national defense and security and build a revolutionary, well-trained, agile, and modern military force," and pledged to pursue an independent and multilateral diplomacy.

The State President of Vietnam is the head of state but does not actually lead the country. Due to the nature of Vietnam as a communist country where the Communist Party precedes the state, the General Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee is considered the highest-ranking official. The former State President and General Secretary, T? L?m, held both positions but passed the General Secretary role to his predecessor Nguy?n Ph? Tr?ng upon his death, subsequently returning the State President position to L??ng. The State President (2nd rank), Prime Minister (3rd rank), and National Assembly Chairman (4th rank) together are known as the 'four pillars' and are regarded as Vietnam's top leadership. L??ng’s current term will last until the Communist Party Congress in 2026.

President L??ng hails from Ph? Th? Province in the north and joined the military in 1975, rising to the rank of Lieutenant General. After becoming a member of the Communist Party Politburo in 2021, he was promoted last May to a permanent member of the Party Secretariat, considered the 5th highest-ranking position in the country.

There was controversy over the monopoly of the Vietnamese leadership by the security forces, as T? L?m, a former police officer and Minister of Public Security, held the positions of General Secretary, State President, and Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces simultaneously, while the 3rd-ranked Prime Minister, Ph?m Minh Ch?nh, also has a background in the Ministry of Public Security. However, with General Secretary T? transferring the State President position to L??ng, some analysts interpret this as the beginning of a compromise to share power.