Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong Resigns Amid Major Graft Purge

HANOI, Vietnam — In a surprising turn of events, Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong has resigned after just one year in office. The ruling Communist Party announced his resignation on Wednesday, amidst a sweeping anti-graft purge in the country.

The party cited “violations and shortcomings” as the reason for Vo Van Thuong’s resignation, which was accepted by the central committee. This dramatic development comes at a time when Vietnam is undergoing significant political upheaval, with several ministers being dismissed and top business leaders facing trials for fraud and corruption.

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigns after a year in office, state media reports; government says he violated party rules, which negatively impacted public opinion. pic.twitter.com/a3NYzoi3M5

— KTN News (@KTNNewsKE) March 20, 2024

A statement on the party’s website mentioned that Vo Van Thuong had violated unspecified “regulations” and failed to set a proper example as the head of state. “Comrade Vo Van Thuong’s violations and shortcomings have caused bad public opinion, affecting the reputation of the Party, State and himself personally,” the statement read.

The National Assembly will hold an extraordinary session on Thursday to confirm the resignation.

Vo Van Thuong assumed the presidency on March 2 last year, following the sudden resignation of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. This was an unusual move for Vietnam, where political changes are typically carefully orchestrated to maintain stability.

Upon taking office, Vo Van Thuong had expressed his determination to fight corruption. He was believed to be close to party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is considered the most powerful figure in the country.

The Ministry of Public Security recently announced that it was expanding a probe into an infrastructure development company in three provinces, including central Quang Ngai, where Vo Van Thuong was formerly the party chief. The company, Phuc Son, is suspected of falsifying financial statements to evade taxes.

When Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned in January last year, state media reported that the party had found him responsible for the misconduct of senior ministers under him during his tenure as prime minister from 2016-2021.

Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong is seen as the architect behind the anti-corruption drive, which has been well-received by the Vietnamese public. This month, two major fraud and corruption trials involving some of the country’s top business leaders have commenced.

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