Nguyen Xuan Phuc, former President of Vietnam. --Photo  VNA/VNS

Party Central Committee relieves Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Presidency, Party positions

Hanoi (Vietnam News/ANN) -- Nguyen Xuan Phuc has stepped down as President of Vietnam after a number of senior officials were found to have committed violations in connection with COVID-19 test kits and repatriation flights.
The 13th-tenure Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam convened on Tuesday and decided to relieve Nguyen Xuan Phuc of all duties, including the Presidency, Politburo and Party Central Committee membership, and Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council for the 2021-26 term.
According to the announcement from the Party Central Committee, Nguyen Xuan Phuc is a key leader of the Vietnamese Party and State, born to a family with rich revolutionary history, and matured politically from the grassroots level.
He was entrusted by the Party Central Committee and the Politburo to hold many important Party and State leadership roles.
In the 2016-21, as he served as the Prime Minister of Vietnam, the Party recognised that Phuc had made many efforts in leading the national COVID-19 response and achieved important accomplishments.
However, the Party Central Committee noted that during his term, Phuc must bear the “political responsibility of the leader” as many officials, including two Deputy Prime Ministers and three ministers, had committed violations and shortcomings, causing very serious consequences.
Two former Deputy Prime Ministers, Phạm Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam, have resigned from their positions, while two former ministers – former Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long and former Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngọc Anh – and many officials have been criminally handled, in connection with the COVID-19 test kits and repatriation flights scandals.
“Fully aware of his responsibilities before the Party and people, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Phuc has submitted an application to resign from his assigned positions, and retire,” the announcement from the Party Central Committee reads.
Based on the current regulations of the Party and State and considering the wishes of Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Party Central Committee has agreed to let him resign from the positions of the member of the Politburo, member of the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council for the 2021-26 term.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update January 18, 2023)