After only a year in office, Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong officially resigned on Wednesday (20/3). The ruling Communist Party president’s resignation comes amid the country’s efforts to carry out a major purge of corruption.
The party said Thuong was guilty of violations and shortcomings and his resignation was accepted by the central committee.
The 53-year-old’s dramatic downfall comes as Vietnam undergoes major political upheaval, with his predecessor forced to step down in a crackdown on corruption that saw several ministers sacked, and top business leaders tried for fraud and corruption.
A statement on the party website said Thuong had violated unspecified “rules” and failed to set a good example as head of state.
“Comrade Vo Van Thuong’s violations and shortcomings have caused bad public opinion, affecting the reputation of the party, the country and himself personally,” said the statement, which was originally reported by the Vietnam News Agency.
Fully aware of his responsibilities to the party, state and people, he submitted his resignation from office. The National Assembly will hold an extraordinary session on Thursday to confirm the resignation.
Cleaning up corruption
Thuong became president on March 2 last year after President Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned suddenly. Such things are unusual in Vietnam, where political change has long been carefully managed with an emphasis on stability.
Before Phuc, only one Communist Party president had ever resigned, and that was for health reasons.
When he took office, Thuong said he was determined to fight corruption, and he was believed to be close to party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong, who is seen as the most powerful figure in the country.
Detailed reasons for Thuong’s departure have not been made public. However, the Ministry of Public Security this month announced it was expanding investigations into infrastructure development companies in three provinces, including the central Quang Ngai, where Thuong previously served as party chairman. (AFP/M-3)
#Accused #Corruption #Vietnams #President #Resigns