Vietnam's parliament elects Thuong as new President

Vietnam's National Assembly on Thursday elected Vo Van Thuong as the country's new president in an extraordinary session following the abrupt resignation of his predecessor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and Thuong's nomination by the Communist Party Central Committee as his successor at a special meeting the previous day.

Thuong, 52, is the youngest member of the 16-member Politburo, Vietnam's top decision-making body. He is also a loyal ally of Nguyen Phu Trong, the Communist Party chief who has pushed out internal rivals in an anti-graft crackdown.

Born in Vinh Long Province in the southern half of Vietnam, Thuong rose through the ranks of the party, his resume including a stint as the party boss of Quang Ngai Province.

In 2016, Thuong entered the Politburo, then in 2021 he was moved to the No. 5 position of Central Committee secretary, the post he currently holds. Once confirmed, Thuong will replace Vo Thi Anh Xuan, the vice president who has been serving as acting president.

Thuong's appointment to the presidency will further solidify Trong's power structure. Trong, who has served as the party's general secretary since 2011, had pushed forward an anticorruption campaign that has resulted in the departure of high-profile politicians.

Phuc and former Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh stepped down from office in January after being held responsible for the graft that allegedly happened under their watch. Their exits are seen as de facto dismissals.

Officially, Vietnam has no paramount leader and the country is headed by "four pillars": the general secretary, the president, the prime minister and the chair of the National Assembly.

Although the president is Vietnam's head of state, the post is a largely ceremonial position. The president attends international gatherings and leaders' summits as Vietnam's main diplomatic representative.

^{Võ Văn Thưởng is sworn in as the new State President of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam during a ceremony at the National Assembly Building in Hà Nội on Thursday morning.}