Vietnam's highest leadership consists of four posts, each held by a different person
grey apparatchiks with little name or face recognition inside Vietnam, let alone abroad, will emerge from a five-yearly congress of the Communist Party to take charge of the youthful country of 96m. The line-up will telegraph order and consensus, the obsession of one of the world’s most secretive political organisations. Yet, out of sight, the struggle for the top jobs will put ferrets in a sack to shame.
The prime minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is 65, may fancy his chances. He directed the fight against covid-19, in which Vietnam excelled, with no confirmed deaths. A competent economic manager, he is now trying to revive battered trade and foreign investment. But, says Tuong Vu of the University of Oregon, Mr Phuc lacks the essential trait to lead the party: devotion to Marxist-Leninist ideology as demonstrated by experience in propaganda or disciplinary work.
Another threat is the north’s hold on power. Since the Vietnam war, northerners have viewed the south as ideologically suspect. Hanoi and its surrounding regions have also hogged infrastructure development, paid for by the bustling south. If, as is likely, no one from the south is represented in the top leadership, says Le Hong Hiep of the-Yusof Ishak Institute, a think-tank in Singapore, southerners must be promoted into the Politburo with an eye to the next reshuffle in 2026.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump should address the nation about winning the China challenge | OpinionThe president must inform the nation how America will confront the Chinese Communist Party.
Read more »
Exclusive: BP's Looney halves top management roles in energy transition planBP is more than halving the size of its senior management team as part of Chief Executive Bernard Looney's drive to make the 111-year-old oil company more nimble as it prepares for the shift to low-carbon energy.
Read more »
USS Theodore Roosevelt gets underway after nearly 2 months battling coronavirusThe Roosevelt left Naval Base Guam and entered the Philippine Sea to conduct carrier qualification flights for the embarked air wing, according to the Navy.
Read more »