HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party on Friday added the country’s most senior police officer to its elite Politburo, the government said, another sign of the growing political clout of its powerful internal security agency.
The promotion of 58-year-old Luong Tam Quang comes less than two months after he became Minister of Public Security, taking over when predecessor To Lam was chosen to be the country’s president in May.
Lam in early August officially took on the additional post of party general secretary, Vietnam’s most powerful role, following the death of leader Nguyen Phu Trong after 13 years at the helm of a party that has ruled the country for nearly half a century.
Vietnam officially has no paramount ruler and is led by the four “pillars” – the party chief, president, prime minister and the parliament chairman.
Three of the four positions are now held by former top police officials.
Quang’s appointment as a 15th member of Vietnam’s top decision-making body comes at a time of significant political upheaval, stemming from a far-reaching anti-graft campaign that saw the downfall of scores of officials, including former ministers, two presidents and a house speaker.
Vietnam, a major destination for manufacturing investment, has long been favoured by multinational corporations for its political stability.
Quang’s rise to the Politburo was part of the party’s personnel reshuffle for the 2021-2026 term, the government said in a statement. The party has a scheduled shakeup of its top leadership at its next Congress in 2026.
(Reporting by Khanh Vu; Editing by Martin Petty)
