HANOI, JAN 23: Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party re-elected To Lam as general secretary on Friday, confirming the former security enforcer as the country’s top leader for the next five years and backing his vision for growth-oriented change.
In just 17 months as party chief, he has swept aside rivals and centralised authority in an aggressive reform drive officials describe as a “revolution”.
The party central committee “absolutely unanimously elected Comrade to Lam to continue holding the position of General Secretary”, the party said in a statement.
Tran Thanh Man, chairman of the National Assembly, said the party chief had received 180 votes out of 180 to remain in the top job.
Two main factions of the party are seen as vying for dominance over Vietnamese politics, the security wing aligned with Lam and a more conservative military wing.
The party also announced the new 19-member politburo, its highest decision-making body.
