Finance
On Wednesday morning, the National Assembly of Vietnam confirmed To Lam, the Minister of Public Security, as the country’s future President in a vote held at its headquarters in Hanoi.
The nomination comes roughly two months after Vietnam’s former President, Vo Van Thuong, resigned amid a corruption investigation. Lam has become Vietnam’s third President in less than 18 months, in a country known for its stable politics.
Lam, Vietnam’s third most powerful man after the Party Chief and Prime Minister, is seen as a hardliner when it comes to dealing with Vietnamese activists. Several dissidents and bloggers were imprisoned during his stint as Minister of Public Security.
Lam was handed the public security portfolio in 2016.
In November 2021, To Lam was widely mocked after a video emerged online showing him being hand-fed gold leaf steak worth thousands of dollars by celebrity chef Salt Bae during a trip to the UK, in which he also visited the grave of communist icon Karl Marx.
On Sunday, a National Assembly official told the media that Lam will continue in his post as Minister of Public Security.
The announcement prompted debate in Vietnam, with some arguing that the Constitution prohibits one person from holding both the position of President and Minister at the same time. He was eventually fired from his position before being elected President on Wednesday.
Source:IANS
