Hanoi, May 22 (Agency) Lam, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam, was elected as Vietnam’s new president on Wednesday, local media reported. At the ongoing seventh session of the 15th National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam, Lam won a majority of the parliamentary vote to become state president for the 2021–2026 tenure, according to Vietnam News Agency. During the swearing-in ceremony, the newly elected president said he would strive and make every effort to fulfil the duties entrusted by the party, the state, and the people.
General To Lam, born in 1957, hails from the northern province of Hung Yen. He has been serving as a Politburo member in the 12th and 13th terms. He has been the minister of public security since April 2016. On March 20, the 13th Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee accepted the resignation of Vo Van Thuong as a Politburo member and Vietnam’s state president upon his personal request. During an extraordinary session held on March 21, the country’s top legislature passed a resolution to relieve Thuong from the post of state president and the 15th tenure NA deputy. The same day, vice president Vo Thi Anh Xuan was named as the acting president of the country. The seventh session of the 15th Vietnamese NA convened on Monday and is expected to close on June 28.