Vietnam names its fourth president in almost two years after months of political turmoil

() – Vietnam on Monday elected Luong Cuong, a military general, as its new president, the fourth official to serve in the largely ceremonial role in 18 months.

Cuong, 67, was chosen by the National Assembly to replace To Lam, who remained president even after being formally appointed as general secretary of the ruling Communist Party in August.

The role of secretary-general is the most powerful position in Vietnam, while the presidency is primarily ceremonial and involves meeting foreign dignitaries.

In a speech, Cuong promised to pursue foreign policies that seek independence and peace and promote Vietnam “as a friend, a reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the international community.”

Cuong, who served in the Vietnamese Army for more than four decades, has been a member of the Politburo since 2021.

His appointment came after months of unusual tumult in Vietnamese politics and the death of former party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who had dominated the country’s leadership since 2011.

Trong was an ideologue who considered corruption the most serious threat to maintaining the party’s legitimacy and launched a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign known as the “burning oven,” which attacked both business and political elites, including former presidents. Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Vo Van Thuong and the former head of Parliament, Vuong Dinh Hue.

Lam, who at the time was Vietnam’s top security official, led the campaign until May. When he took office as the new secretary general, he promised to continue the fight against corruption.

The campaign, although popular among many Vietnamese citizens, spooked investors and made the bureaucracy more cautious, slowing down decision-making in the country.

Cuong’s appointment as the new president was a “measure to stabilize the system” after a period of turbulence, said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting scholar at the Vietnam Studies Program at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

“Luong Cuong’s appointment represents a deliberate attempt to restore balance between Vietnam’s military and security factions, particularly ahead of the 2026 Party Congress,” he said.

“By ceding the presidency, To Lam demonstrates her commitment to the principle of collective leadership, while retaining decisive power in the system,” he said.

Vietnam’s leaders are scheduled to convene a Communist Party Congress in early 2026.

Critics said Cuong’s appointment would widen repression in Vietnam.

Ben Swanton of The 88 Project, a group that advocates for freedom of expression in Vietnam, said Cuong would be a “trusted deputy” to Lam.

“The installation of Luong Cuong as president is another example of the expansion of Vietnam’s police state,” he said.