Vietnam elects general Luong Cuong as president amid turbulence

In Monday's vote, the general received the approval of all 440 deputies present at the parliamentary session. The new president was previously a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and head of the political department of the People's Army of Vietnam.

Cuong will replace To Lam as head of state, who took over as general secretary of the CPV in August. As president, and previously as minister of public security, Lam was a key figure in the wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign initiated by the late CPV general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away in July.

According to Vietnam's communist authorities, the anti-corruption campaign aims to eradicate widespread bribery, which poses the greatest threat to their rule. However, critics argue that it is merely a pretext for removing political opponents.

In a conversation with the AP agency, Nguyen Khac Giang from the Singapore-based ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute stated that the decision to grant the presidency to Cuong is intended to stabilize the system after a period of political turbulence.

Meanwhile, according to The 88 Project, an organization dealing with freedom of speech, Cuong will be "a reliable substitute" for Lam, and his election as head of state will only "intensify repression in the country."

The presidential office in Vietnam mainly plays a ceremonial role – the highest power is held by the CPV general secretary. Traditionally, in accordance with the principle of collective leadership in Vietnam, these functions are not combined.

Born in 1957 in the city of Viet Tri, Luong Cuong became a party member in 1978. He joined the military in 1975. In January 2016, he became the deputy head of the General Political Department of the Vietnamese People's Army, and in May 2016, head of the General Political Department.