'Ranked 2nd' Truong, President of Vietnam, Resigns After One Year in Office

Bo Ban Truong, the second-ranked power figure in Vietnam and the country's president (53), stepped down after one year in office.

Vietnamese President Truong [Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 20th, local media VN Express and other foreign outlets reported that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam accepted President Truong's resignation at an emergency meeting held that day.

The party accepted President Truong's request to resign "taking responsibility for violations of party regulations." The Central Committee of the Communist Party stated in a press release, "It has been found that President Truong violated regulations regarding actions that party members should not undertake, as well as regulations concerning the responsibility to set an example for officials and party members." "The violations of party regulations and 'shortcomings' negatively affected public opinion, the party, the state, and his own reputation," it added.

President Truong became the youngest-ever head of state at the age of 52 in March last year, but he stepped down after one year without completing his term, which was set to last until 2026. He also set the record as the shortest-serving president in Vietnam's history. The National Assembly is expected to approve the party's decision regarding President Truong's resignation at an emergency meeting.

At the time of his appointment, President Truong was the party's standing secretary and is considered a close aide to Nguyen Phu Trong, the Communist Party Secretary General and the top-ranked power figure. Originally from the southern province of Vinh Long, he was appointed party secretary of Ho Chi Minh City's District 12 in 2004 and became a member of the Politburo, the party's highest decision-making body, in 2016. He also held key positions such as head of the party's Central Propaganda Department.

President Truong is also known as a leading figure in the Vietnamese government's strong anti-corruption campaign. Since Secretary General Trong expressed a strong determination to eradicate corruption, Vietnam has been rigorously addressing abuses of power and embezzlement.

Although the specific reasons for President Truong's resignation have not been disclosed, some analyses suggest it is related to the anti-corruption efforts. Earlier, authorities announced an expansion of investigations into corruption linked to an infrastructure development company in Quang Ngai Province, where Truong previously served as People's Committee Chairman.

President Truong's predecessor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, also stepped down last year taking responsibility for the misconduct of subordinate officials. At that time, there was speculation that President Phuc resigned due to connections with the misconduct of high-ranking officials.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.