Vietnam’s top leader pushes anti-corruption fight

BANGKOK: Vietnam’s new Communist Party chief told the country’s rubber-stamp parliament on Monday (Oct 21) to press ahead with a drive against corruption, which analysts say has been used for internal faction-fighting.

To Lam took over as Communist Party general secretary in August after the death of his predecessor and was making his first speech on Monday as top leader to National Assembly delegates.

A major anti-graft purge begun by the late Nguyen Phu Trong has swept up dozens of business leaders and senior government figures, including two presidents and three deputy prime ministers since 2021.

Lam has enthusiastically pursued the drive, although analysts say he has weaponised anti-corruption investigations to take down political rivals.

On Monday, at the start of the autumn session of the country’s national assembly, Lam called on parliamentarians to tighten discipline in order to “fight against negative phenomena”.

Over the past year, more than 10,000 people were tried in around 4,800 trials as part of the anti-corruption fight, Vietnam’s chief judge Le Minh Tri said last week, according to state media.

Lam currently holds the role of general secretary – Vietnam’s most important position in its four-pillar leadership structure – as well as president.

The parliament is expected to choose a new president on Monday – who will be the fourth person in the job in less than two years.

An unusual period of political upheaval in the ruling Communist party saw Nguyen Xuan Phuc resign from the presidency in January 2023 and his successor Vo Van Thuong relinquish the role in March 2024.

Both admitted to “violations and mistakes that badly influenced the prestige of the party and state”.

Lam was deputy head of the steering committee on anti-corruption before his appointment as general secretary in August.