The Vietnamese Parliament has appointed a new president. This was the Vietnamese Minister of Public Security, To Lam. The appointment comes against the backdrop of political instability in the socialist state, which has been going on for two months.
An anti-corruption campaign continues in Vietnam, during which three of the country’s top five leaders have resigned. Among them is the ex-president, as well as the chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam. His place has already been taken by a deputy.
To Lam worked for the Ministry of Public Security for more than 40 years. In 2016, he headed the department. He was behind many investigations into high-ranking politicians. Lam was also a key figure in a massive anti-graft campaign known as the “blazing furnace.” After being appointed president, he stated that he would continue the fight against corruption.
Meanwhile, experts believe that anti-corruption campaigns in Vietnam are a tool for eliminating political opponents.
The office of the president in the country is largely ceremonial. But, according to analysts, the new post will strengthen Lam’s political position, which may allow him to become the next general secretary of the Communist Party.
The opposition accuses Lam of violating laws, persecuting people, and organizing attacks on dissidents and kidnappings of political opponents outside Vietnam.
Thus, in 2017, a former employee of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Trinh Xuan Thanh, was forcibly detained in Berlin. He was taken to Hanoi and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018. As a result, an international scandal arose.
Last year, the US State Department reported in its report that security forces in Vietnam systematically violate human rights.
