Vietnam pM steps down after 10 years at post

HANOI: Vietnam’s prime minister stepped down after 10 years in office, leaving behind a mixed legacy of promoting failed state enterprises but at the same time attracting foreign investment and daring to challenge China.

In a formal vote, 430 of 462 members of the rubber-stamp National Assembly voted to remove Nguyen Tan Dung, three months before the end of his term, the government said on its website.

Dung’s departure was a mere formality after he lost a leadership battle during the ruling Communist Party’s congress in January. Dung lost to Nguyen Phu Trong, who was re-elected party general secretary for a second five-year term.

The National Assembly is scheduled to appoint Dung’s deputy, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, as prime minister today.

In Vietnam, the Communist Party general secretary, the prime minister and the president form the triumvirate of power.

Dung was easily the most high-profile prime minister Vietnam ever had.

He was charismatic, a good orator and mixed easily with foreign leaders, which raised the country’s profile. But within the party he was blamed for the failures of huge state-owned enterprises including the monumental collapse of the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group and Vietnam Shipping Lines.

Many of the state owned enterprises ended up with mountains of public debt.

“Be that as it may, during Dung’s tenure, Vietnam continued to grow and draw large-scale foreign investment, defying regional and global trends,” said Jonathan London, a Vietnam expert at the City University of Hong Kong, said.

Dung’s position as an experienced leader will be hard to fill.

“Dung’s successor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who comes to the office with considerable less punching power, is a study in contrast with Dung,” said London. — AP