Vietnam Names New Cabinet Members

BowerGroupAsia wrote an update to clients on Vietnam’s new Cabinet members.

Context

• Following the meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam August 16, the National Assembly held an extraordinary session August 26 to elect a new chief justice, chief prosecutor and three deputy prime ministers, who had been earlier nominated by the Central Committee. The National Assembly also announced that the new state president will be elected during the October session.
• The new appointments, which have been endorsed by the National Assembly, are as follows:
  • Nguyen Hoa Binh, chief justice, was appointed standing deputy prime minister.
  • Bui Thanh Son, minister of foreign affairs, was appointed deputy prime minister.
  • Ho Duc Phoc, minister of finance, was appointed deputy prime minister.
  • Do Duc Duy, party chief of Yen Bai province, was appointed minister of natural resources and environment, replacing Dang Quoc Khanh, who was dismissed in early August.
  • Nguyen Hai Ninh, party chief of Khanh Hoa province, was appointed minister of justice, replacing Le Thanh Long, who was promoted to deputy prime minister.
  • Le Minh Tri, chief of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, has been appointed chief justice, replacing Nguyen Hoa Binh, who was promoted to deputy prime minister.
  • Nguyen Huy Tien, standing deputy chief prosecutor, was appointed chief prosecutor, replacing Le Minh Tri, who was promoted to chief justice.

Significance

• The National Assembly was expected to name the new minister of finance, who will succeed Phoc. However, the appointment was not announced, suggesting senior officials may still be considering candidates for this position. Candidates have been rumored to include Nguyen Huu Nghia, the party chief of Hung Yen province, and Ngo Van Tuan, the state chief auditor. Until the position is determined, Phoc will assume the dual roles of deputy prime minister and minister of finance. Deputy Prime Minister Son will remain the minister of foreign affairs position until his successor is confirmed.
• The National Assembly deputies voted to remove former Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai and former Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Khanh, who were dismissed from the Central Committee and “resigned” from their positions in the Cabinet in early August due to their alleged involvement in corruption scandals. The deputies also approved the promotion of Tran Luu Quang from deputy prime minister to chairman of the Central Economic Committee.

Implications

• The three new deputy prime ministers and ministers have been approved to assume their roles within the current political term (2021-2026). Given the age of the deputy prime ministers, they may not be qualified to stay in the Cabinet for the next political term (2026- 2031). The two new ministers, however, could remain in their positions through the next term. This development suggests further changes to the deputy prime minister positions after the Communist Party congress in January 2026.

We will continue to keep you updated on developments in Myanmar as they occur. If you have any questions or comments, please contact BGA Head of Research Murray Hiebert at mhiebert@bowergroupasia.com.

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BowerGroupAsia

BowerGroupAsia