Vietnam president steps down following National Assembly meeting

Phuc left his seat as president at the age of 69, following nearly two years of holding it. He is the first president to retire from his post mid-term since 1976.

(From L, front row) Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, standing member of the Secretariat Vo Van Thuong, and Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee Do Van Chien, attend a National Assembly meeting on January 18, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Phong

An extraordinary meeting by the Communist Party’s Central Committee on Tuesday saw President Nguyen Xuan Phuc resign from his positions as president, member of the Politburo and the Central Party Committee, as well as chairman of the Council for National Defense and Security of the 2021-2026 term.

The committee said that as the prime minister during the 2016-2021 period, Phuc made great efforts in leading, directing and administering the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the results of which were effective, a statement from the committee meeting said.

However, as the efforts’ primary leader, he was responsible for letting several officials, including two deputy prime ministers and three ministers, commit violations that caused severe consequences.

Two deputy prime ministers Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam were dismissed at another National Assembly extraordinary meeting on January 5.

Two former ministers Nguyen Thanh Long and Chu Ngoc Anh and several other officials are facing criminal charges.

Phuc was a member of the Central Party Committee, the Politburo and the National Assembly for multiple terms.

From 1997 to 2006, he was the chairman of the Quang Nam Province People’s Committee.

He was appointed head of the Government Office in 2006 and deputy prime minister in 2011, before becoming the prime minister five years later.

He was voted president in April 2021.