Police Officers, Princelings Dominate Vietnam New Leadership

General Tran Dai Quang, former police chief, was elected as president in early April

General Tran Dai Quang, former police chief, was elected as president in early April

Many police generals and officers and princelings were elected to the new leadership of Vietnam in the 2016-2021 period, state media has reported.

by Vu Quoc Ngu, April 13, 2016

Many police generals and officers and princelings were elected to the new leadership of Vietnam in the 2016-2021 period, state media has reported.

Four members of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s Politburo are police generals named President Tran Dai Quang, former Minister of Public Security, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who was former lieutenant general, and Head of the party’s Commission for Organization Pham Minh Chinh, former lieutenant general.

Nguyen Hoa Binh, who was promoted as chief of the Supreme Court last week, was major general before becoming head of the Supreme People’s Procuracy. Mr. Binh is also member of the party’s 200-member Central Committee.

Last year, Lieutenant General Nguyen Duc Chung, head of the Police department in Hanoi, was promoted to the chairman of the city’s executive body People’s Committee. In the party’s 12th National Congress in late January, Chung was elected to the party’s Central Committee.

Tran Quoc To, a younger brother of President Quang, is also member of the Central Committee. To, who is the secretary of the party’s Committee in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, is a former police major general.

Two police officers have also been promoted to senior positions named former Senior Colonel Nguyen Van Nen, former head of the Government Office and currently head of the party’s Office. Last week, the parliament also approved Le Minh Tri, former lieutenant colonel, as chief of the Supreme People’s Procuracy to replace Nguyen Hoa Binh, a former major general.

The new government of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has three princelings named Deputy PM cum Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, son of late Foreign Minister Nguyen Co Thach, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, son of former President Tran Duc Luong, and Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Le Minh Hung, son of late Minister of Public Security Sen. Lieut. Gen. Le Minh Huong.