General Luong Cuong takes the oath after his election to the presidency, in Hanoi on October 21, 2024. DANG ANH / AFP The 440 members of the Vietnamese National Assembly unanimously designated General Luong Cuong to the essentially honorary post of President of the Republic, announced Monday, October 21, the public television channel. He succeeds To Lam, who became general secretary of the Communist Party during the summer. To Lam’s two predecessors as president resigned in 2023 and 2024 following corruption cases. The president is officially head of state, but power is exercised by the general secretary of the Communist Party. In his first speech to the Assembly, To Lam had pleaded before the vote for a strengthening of the anti-corruption campaign called “burning inferno”, which has caused spectacular upheavals in a country more accustomed to behind-the-scenes negotiations, which give it a facade of stability capable of attracting investors. Under the cover of anti-corruption, To Lam maneuvered for years to remove his rivals from the race to succeed Nguyen Phu Trong, his predecessor at the head of the Party, who died in July. Over the past year, more than 10,000 people have been tried as part of this campaign, according to Lê Minh Tri, president of the highest national court. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Death in Hanoi of Nguyen Phu Trong, symbol of Vietnamese authoritarianism Add to your selections Le Monde with AFP The contributions area is reserved for subscribers. Subscribe to access this discussion space and contribute to the discussion. Subscribe Contribute Reuse this content
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