Vietnam: Communist Party adds four new Politburo members, removes another top leader

• Central committee to vote on nominees for President, speaker posts
• Truong Thi Mai relieved of duties as a Politburo member

The 9th plenum of the 13th Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee added four new members to the highest body of the CPV, the Polibturo, and relieved from duties another top ranking member of the Politburo, Truong Th? Mai, state media reported. Truong Thi Mai was relieved from duties due to undeclared wrongdoings which had negative impact on the Party and herself. Trung was the third highest-ranking member of the Politburo and the only women on it. She is the fourth high-profile Politburo member that has been ousted since 2022, following the resignations of two former Presidents Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly speaker PM Vuong Dinh Hue.

The four new Politburo members who were elected by the Central Committee include former governor of the SBV Le Ming Hung, current head of the central propaganda department Nguyen Trong Nghia, head of the central mass mobilization committee Bui Thi Minh Hoai, and Do Van Chien who is the chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

Separately, the central committee also picked several nominees for the positions of President and Parliament speaker, but the names of the candidates were not made public. The National Assembly is slated to vote on the nominees on Monday.

The election of new President and National Assembly speaker can potentially end the ongoing political crisis in the country after a protracted period of infighting between high-ranking politicians. In our view, the balance of power has shifted in favour of Minister of Public Security To Lam who will become the third highest-ranked member of the Politburo after Truong Thi Mai's removal. To Lam, Truong Thi Mai and PM Pham Minh Chinh were the only eligible candidates to become the next President of Vietnam as the president must have completed a full term as a member of the Politburo, according to party regulations.

By definition, the president remains the second highest-ranking official in the country, only behind the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Thus, the new President will be in prime position to eventually replace incumbent CPV leader Nguyen Phu Trong whose term expires in 2026.