Vietnam Parliament Agrees To The Resignation Of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc
JAKARTA - Vietnam's National Assembly on Wednesday approved the resignation of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, a day after he dramatically placed his post as part of the anti-corruption movement.
His sudden and unprecedented resignation occurred during a period of significant political upheaval in Vietnam, where anti-corruption cleaning and faction battles have resulted in several ministers being fired.
In an extraordinary closed meeting for international media, more than 93 percent of members of the National Assembly approved Phuc's resignation, state media said, launching CNA January 18.
Without a designated replacement, Vo Thi Anh Xuan, vice president at the moment, has automatically become interim president, according to the constitution.
Vietnam, run by the Communist Party, is officially led by secretary general, president and prime minister.
The sudden resignation of Phuc is a very unusual step in Vietnam, where political changes are usually carefully regulated, with an emphasis on careful stability.
On Tuesday, the Communist Party ruled the 68-year-old man was responsible for the mistakes of the senior ministers under him, during his tenure as prime minister from 2016 to 2021, before he became president.
Two deputy prime ministers - Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam - were fired this month in anti-corruption cleaning that led to the arrest of dozens of officials, with many allegations of corruption related to an agreement carried out as part of Vietnam's COVID-19 response.
Nguyen's Secretary-General Phu Trong - the party's most powerful man - is widely seen as the architect behind the anti-corruption movement, which has proven popular among Vietnamese society.
Prior to Nguyen Xuan Phuc's resignation, there was only one other Communist Party president who had resigned, and that was for health reasons.
It is known that Nguyen Xuan Phuc was appointed president in April 2021, after receiving praise for the successful handling of the pandemic in the country.