18-3-2024 (HANOI) The parliament of Vietnam is scheduled to hold a meeting on Thursday to address undisclosed “personnel issues,” as stated in a letter sent to legislators and seen by Reuters. This has sparked speculation of a potential reshuffle within the country’s top leadership, which is governed by the Communist Party.
Multiple Vietnamese officials and diplomats have suggested that the possible resignation of President Vo Van Thuong could be one of the matters discussed during the parliamentary session.
An official familiar with the situation confirmed the meeting, although requests for comments from Vietnam’s foreign affairs ministry and the parliament’s press offices have not received an immediate response.
The letter, signed by Bui Van Cuong, the general secretary of the national assembly, was sent to members of parliament and outlined the purpose of the gathering: “The National Assembly Standing Committee decided to convene the 6th extraordinary session of the 15th National Assembly to consider and decide on personnel issues.”
The exact decisions to be made during this special session remain unclear. The meeting comes after the postponement of a state visit by the Dutch royal family to Vietnam, which was initially planned for next week but was rescheduled “due to domestic circumstances,” according to a statement from the Dutch Royal House.
Last year, the National Assembly held a special meeting in January to accept the sudden resignation of former President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. His resignation came amidst an extensive and ongoing campaign against corruption, which critics believed could be exploited for political power struggles.
President Vo Van Thuong, 53, assumed office in March 2023 and is known to have close ties to Nguyen Phu Trong, the General Secretary of the Communist Party and the most influential figure in Vietnam.
Although the role of the president is primarily ceremonial, it is one of the four key political positions in the Southeast Asian nation.
