"Vietnam's Top Leader To Lam to Remain General Secretary for Five More Years"

15th Central Committee Plenary Session Held

Last August, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam visited South Korea in a state visit. Photo by Yonhap News

Foreign media outlets, citing local sources, have reported that the Communist Party of Vietnam has approved the five-year extension of General Secretary To Lam, who holds the top position in the party's power hierarchy.

According to AFP and other sources on December 24, the Communist Party of Vietnam held the 15th plenary session of its Central Committee on December 22-23 to select candidates for the country's top leadership for the next five years, and decided to retain General Secretary To Lam.

A source familiar with the meeting said, "There is no change," adding, "The party chief (general secretary) will remain in office to ensure stability." Another source stated that To Lam is expected to be nominated to continue in his current role and also concurrently serve as state president, the second-highest position in the power hierarchy.

In Vietnam, the top four leadership positions-General Secretary of the Communist Party, State President (in charge of foreign affairs and defense), Prime Minister (administration), and National Assembly Chair (legislation)-share power, with the general secretary at the top.

In his closing speech the previous day, General Secretary To Lam did not disclose the list of top leader candidates but said, "The candidates have been approved by an overwhelming majority," and added, "We will continue to unite and work together with a high sense of responsibility and efficiency to meet the expectations of the party and the people."

The decision to extend To Lam's term will be officially announced after it is finalized at the National Party Congress scheduled for January 19-25 next year. The policy plan for the next five years is also expected to be released at that time.

General Secretary To Lam is credited with leading the most extensive changes since the late 1980s, when the Communist Party leadership adopted pro-market reform policies. Even during his relatively short tenure, he has accelerated administrative reforms, infrastructure investment, and efforts to eradicate corruption, thereby driving economic growth.

According to Bloomberg News, investors have welcomed his reforms, but critics have argued that Vietnam is moving too far and too fast.