How Vietnam elected the country’s youngest-ever president

[HANOI] Last Thursday (Mar 2), Vietnam’s National Assembly formally selected the country’s new president, Vo Van Thuong, at an extraordinary session. The appointment came less than two months after his predecessor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, stepped down amid the Communist Party of Vietnam’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign.

At 52 years of age, Thuong – widely regarded among the party leaders as being a safe pair of hands – is the youngest president in Vietnam’s history. He is set to be at the helm until the next party congress is held in 2026.

His appointment is part of the “four pillars” of Vietnam’s collective political power, with the other three top positions being the party secretary-general, the prime minister and the chairman of the National Assembly.