HANOI, Jan 19 (Reuters) – Hundreds of delegates from Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party will gather under tight security on Monday for a congress to elect the single-party country’s top leader and set economic goals for the rest of the decade.
The week-long event, which operates under opaque rules and meets every five years, could give current party secretary-general Tu Lam the power to initiate sweeping bureaucratic reforms at home and become Vietnam’s public face abroad.
About 1,600 delegates will elect a 200-member Central Committee, which will then select 17 to 19 members of the Politburo from which the General Secretary will be chosen.
Lam is seeking to retain his role and possibly take over the state presidency, which was recently held by a military leader, officials said.
Congress is likely to confirm him as secretary-general, according to several officials, although surprises cannot be ruled out, while a decision on the chairman is expected at a later meeting where the outcome is even less clear.
After the convention, the Politburo will nominate the head of state, government and parliament. Parliamentary elections are held only after the party selects its leader.
A risk-taking leader
Lam, 68, has made several sweeping reforms to the country’s most powerful term in his short tenure as party chief. He ascended to the post in July 2024 after the death of his predecessor, Nguyen Phu Trong.
Widely viewed as a risk-taker, Lam introduced the most significant administrative reform in decades while cutting tens of thousands of jobs in an effort to speed up decisions. The authorities have yet to fully assess the impact after adaptation, but approval deadlines for some investment projects have been shortened.
That acceleration is linked to a scaling back of the sweeping anti-corruption campaign launched under Trong, an effort Lam helped lead as public security minister. A drive to fight systemic bribery has sometimes paralyzed government decision-making and led to the downfall of senior figures, including two presidents – clearing the way to the top of the queue.
Lam has also launched a raft of economic reforms and infrastructure projects, raising concerns about favoritism and waste in favor of foreign investors.
In a country where no opposition is allowed, Lam has presided over a strengthening of security forces and tightening controls on the media and dissidents.
Economic growth, security top agenda for next five years
Congressional delegates represent 5.6 million party members in 100 million countries.
Under tight security – mobile phones will be jammed in the Hanoi building where the congress will be held – they will also refine the text of the resolution to be ratified at the end of the event, which wraps up on January 25.
A party draft released in October on the party’s website suggests the final text will prioritize security and ambitious growth, with a target of at least 10% annually over the next five years instead of the 6.5% to 7.0% target missed in the first half of the decade.
The draft mentions security dozens of times and highlights the importance of diplomacy and defense in an “increasingly dangerous” world. According to the text of the draft, the party wants to increase its security forces, especially in the border areas.
According to Politburo member Nguyen Xuan Thang, environmental protection, which has been increasingly debated in many polluted countries recently, has also gained importance.
(Reporting by Francesco Guaraccio; Editing by Josh Smith and Thomas Derpinghaus)
