HANOI – The Vietnamese government said on Tuesday that President Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned after the governing Communist Party accused him of “violations and wrongdoing” by officials under his supervision as prime minister.
Phuc, 68, who served as prime minister from 2016 to 2021, has been president for less than two years and is the highest-ranking politician targeted by the party’s broad anti-corruption campaign.
Officially, Vietnam is led by four “pillars”: the powerful party secretary, the president, the prime minister, and the head of the legislature.
“Completely cognizant of his obligations to the party and the people, he submitted an application to resign from his assigned positions, quit his job, and retire,” the government stated, citing the party’s powerful Central Committee.
The office of Phuc could not be reached immediately for comment, and it was unclear whether the party, which has accepted his resignation, has picked a replacement candidate.
In recent weeks, there was considerable anticipation that Phuc might resign following the removal of two deputy prime ministers who had served under him in January, as the party doubles down on a “blazing furnace” anti-corruption drive directed by its long-serving leader, Nguyen Phu Trong.
The avalanche of inquiries and firings indicate a deepening of the crackdown, despite worries that it is paralyzing ordinary transactions because officials are afraid of becoming embroiled in investigations.
539 party members, including ministers, top officials, and ambassadors, were punished or “disciplined” for corruption and “deliberate wrongdoings” in 2022, according to the party, while police probed 453 corruption cases, a 50% increase from 2021.
To become effective, Phuc’s resignation requires National Assembly ratification. Monday, sources familiar with political and parliamentary matters told Reuters that the legislature would hold a rare special session this week.
Phuc was elected president in April 2021 and was generally predicted to become the party’s General Secretary, the most prominent position in the state.
He served as a pro-business prime minister for five years, leading the acceleration of an economic liberalisation campaign that included trade agreements with the European Union and Pacific countries, such as Japan and Australia.
Tuesday, despite his departure from power, the administration honored his accomplishments.
It stated, “During his tenure as prime minister from 2016 to 2021, he exerted great effort in leading, directing, and administering COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, achieving significant results.”
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