Currently, Vo Van Thuong is the youngest person in the four regime’s highest positions (Four Pillars), although he has completed 2 terms in the state presidential position, and he will still be young. So, after the end of his term as President, will Mr. Thuong be able to move forward? And if he moves forward, which position will he move to?
For many years now, the Vietnamese president has been considered an impractical position, it is the weakest in the Four Pillars. The chairperson of the National Assembly is also a seat with no real power, but in return, many people sitting in it have a high prospect of climbing. Previously, Nong Duc Manh rose from this position to the party’s General Secretary, and Nguyen Phu Trong did the same. As for the position of President, no one has ever risen higher, usually retires after leaving this position.
In early March, Mr. Vo Van Thuong and incumbent Minister of Public Security To Lam entered the “reverse final,” that is, two people fought each other, whoever loses will “get” to sit in the President’s seat. As a result, Vo Van Thuong lost and was forced to sit in this position of President without any real power.
Nominally, the position of President is a member of the Central Military Commission and the Police Central Party Committee, two ministries that determine the political power for those who hold it. After more than 3 months as President, on June 15, Mr. Vo Van Thuong attended the first meeting of the Central Police Committee and was appointed by the Politburo to join the committee for the 2020-2025 term.
In the Central Police Committee, To Lam is the Secretary, Mr. Tran Quoc To is the Deputy Secretary, and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh are the Standing members, along with the Deputy Police Ministers. Although it is nominally like that, the biggest real power in the Party Committee of the Public Security is Nguyen Phu Trong, the second is To Lam. The rest are not having much power. Nominally, Vo Van Thuong and Nguyen Phu Trong are both standing members, but their real powers are completely different. If the Ministry of Public Security is the sword of the regime, then Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong has the sword, and Mr. Vo Van Thuong can only “touch” the sword.
On July 3, President Vo Van Thuong officially joined the Central Military Commission. In the Central Military Commission, Nguyen Phu Trong is the Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Phan Van Giang is the Deputy Secretary, and Vo Van Thuong and Pham Minh Chinh are the Standing members, along with Luong Cuong Nguyen Tan Cuong and Vo Van Minh.
Although Vo Van Thuong and Pham Minh Chinh are both Standing members of the Central Military Commission, in real power, Pham Minh Chinh is on par with Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, and Vo Van Thuong has almost no power on the Party body of the Ministry of Defense. Thus, if it is said that the Ministry of Defense is the second sword of the regime, then Pham Minh Chinh and Nguyen Phu Trong both hold this sword. Once again, Vo Van Thuong could only touch this second sword, but could not control it.
Nominally, the President is a member of both the Central Police Commission and the Central Military Commission, while the Chairman of the National Assembly is not. But if the successor is chosen, then no one chooses the Presidential seat, but the National Assembly Chairperson, because it has more real power.
Then, obviously Mr. Vo Van Thuong has two hands to touch the regime’s two swords, but can’t do anything. Therefore, the new Presidential seat is the most rejected of the Four Pillars. Sitting there is just a decoration for the Communist Party.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
