Vietnam's ruling Communist Party congress began Monday amid tight security in the capital, Hanoi. Hundreds of delegates are attending. The week-long congress will elect the country's next top leader and set economic targets for the rest of the decade.
Strict security measures have been taken for the delegates attending the Communist Party conference. Two people involved said that 1,600 delegates to the conference have been given Samsung brand tablet computers. However, they do not have any internet connection. Apart from that, they are not able to use any mobile phones. They have been ordered to stay in designated areas.
The congress, held every five years, elects the next general secretary of the Communist Party. This year's congress is expected to further consolidate the power of current general secretary Tho Lam. The 68-year-old is currently the most powerful person in Vietnam. He took over the party after the death of his predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong in July last year.
According to Vietnamese political rules, the roughly 1,600 delegates to the congress will first form a 200-member central committee. From that committee, 17 to 19 people will be chosen as members of the Politburo. The party's general secretary will be elected from among these Politburo members.
It is believed that Lam, in addition to remaining as General Secretary, may also take control of the presidency of Vietnam. Until recently, the presidency was under the control of a military leader. However, after the congress, the Politburo will propose the names of the head of state, head of government and head of parliament. Parliamentary elections will be held only after the election of leaders by the party.
To Lam has initiated several major reforms during her current term. She took office in July 2024 after the death of her predecessor, Nguyen Phu Trong.
Lam is said to be a risk-taker leader. She has implemented the most significant administrative reforms in decades, laying off thousands of civil servants to speed up decision-making.
Lam's initiative has paved the way for foreign investment, but critics say her tenure has also seen the security forces strengthened and tighter controls imposed on the media.
The main agenda of this year's Congress is security and ambitious economic growth.
According to the draft proposal, the party has set a target of at least 10 percent annual growth for the next five years. In the previous five years, the growth target was 6.5 to 7 percent, which was not fully achieved. In addition, special importance is being given to protecting the country's borders and diplomacy in the 'dangerous' global situation.
The conference is scheduled to end on January 25. It is expected that the final outline of Vietnam's leadership and goals for the next five years will be available on that day.
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