Vietnam’s To Lam Secures Presidency, Tightens Grip on Power

Vietnam’s National Assembly elected Communist Party chief To Lam as president on Tuesday, consolidating the country’s top party and state roles in a rare concentration of power as he moves to tighten control and tackle economic headwinds.

Lam was the sole nominee for the five-year post, with the assembly’s approval largely a formality in the one-party state. The 68-year-old received 99% of the vote in results announced at the parliamentary session in Hanoi. Former central bank governor Le Minh Hung, the son of an ex-public security minister who was Lam’s mentor, was elected prime minister for the next five years.