Vietnam’s parliament has chosen public security minister To Lam to be the country’s new president. The move came after an aggressive anti-corruption campaign pushed the former president to resign.
Following the customary processes of the one-party state, the National Assembly unanimously confirmed Lam’s election, 66, following a secret poll in which he was the sole contender for the position. The voting came one week after the ruling Communist Party nominated him.
The “blazing furnace” corruption crackdown has affected thousands of people, including high-ranking government and corporate officials. Lam, the deputy head of the anti-corruption steering committee, has been a key player in this campaign.
Lam succeeds Vo Van Thuong, who quit in March following barely a year in office due to what the party described as “violations and shortcomings.” The chairman of the National Assembly also resigned the next month.
According to analysts, Lam, the deputy leader of the anticorruption steering committee, has used the committee’s investigations as a weapon against his political enemies.
He promised the parliament that he would “resolutely and persistently continue the fight against corruption” in his first speech as president after being confirmed.
The state president is one of the nation’s top four political offices, or the so-called “four pillars,” but his job is primarily ceremonial. The speaker of the parliament, the prime minister, and the leader of the party are the others.
