Vietnam elects To Lam as new president

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Vietnam’s former Public Security Minister To Lam has been elected the country’s new president, replacing Vo Van Thuong, who had resigned for allegedly violating Communist Party rules.

The Vietnamese lawmakers voted to elect To after the Southeast Asian nation’s Communist Party Saturday announced his candidacy, an official statement said.

Previous, he was serving as the public security minister, a position he relinquished ahead of his election as chief executive.

In mid-March, then-Vice President Vo Thi Anh was appointed as acting president, after Vo Van stepped down.

In Vietnam’s one-party political system, the president is one of the top four positions.

Other three key leaders serving the country are Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue.

Born on July 10, 1957 in Nghia Tru commune, Van Gang district in northern Hung Yen province, To studied at the People's Security Academy from October 1974 to July 1979 and started to work at the Ministry of Public Security since July 1979.

In August 2010, he was appointed as deputy public security minister and later appointed as public security minister in April 2016.