Vietnam completes leadership reshuffling

HANOI - Over the past few days, the Vietnamese legislature has replaced top leaders of the country, including the house speaker, the president and the prime minister at the ongoing 11th session of the 13th National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam in capital Hanoi.

On Thursday, Nguyen Xuan Phuc was elected to become the new prime minister, while Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan became the country's first NA chairwoman on March 31 and Tran Dai Quang was elected the new president on April 2.

In their respective sworn statements, the three newly-elected leaders pledged to well fulfill the duty assigned by the Vietnamese party, the state and the people.

Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, born in 1954, was elected as the NA Chairperson with 472 "yes" votes out of 481 valid ballots cast by NA deputies at the last gathering of the 13th NA.

After receiving a flower bouquet from her predecessor Nguyen Sinh Hung, Ngan stressed that she "always remembers the swearing in front of the National Assembly, to fully implement duties and rights of a NA chairperson following legal regulations, and to promote good traditions of predecessors."

Ngan pledged to join hands with members of the NA Standing Committee to "take a lead and perform well tasks of the highest organ of power of the people and the highest organ of power of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam."

Tran Dai Quang, born in 1956, was approved to be new Vietnamese President with 452 "yes" votes out of 481 valid ballots.

Being offered a flower bouquet from Ngan, Quang spoke at the NA that he would like to send special thanks to the NA for electing him as the country's president.

"With such great honor and responsibility of a head of state, chairman of the Council for Defense and Security, commander-in-chief of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces, I pledge to try my best to serve the nation and serve the people, inherit and promote the heroic traditions of country construction and defense, as well as experiences of my predecessors in strengthening the national unity, continuing to comprehensively promote the renovation, pro-actively and actively integrating, increasing role and reputation of Vietnam in international arena, making appropriate contributions to the career of safeguarding peace, national independence, democracy and social progress in the world," said Quang.

With 446 "yes" votes out of 490 valid ballots cast by the NA deputies, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, born in 1954, was approved to be the new cabinet chief.

In his speech delivered at the NA after being elected, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said "I will try my best to serve the nation and serve the people, all for the goal of building a socialist country of Vietnam with rich people, strong nation, democracy, equality and civilization."

The newly-elected cabinet chief also pledged to speed up innovation and international integration, make efforts to realize goals of socio-economic development tasks, and increase the effectiveness of anti-corruption work, among others.

Earlier, Nguyen Sinh Hung, Truong Tan Sang and Nguyen Tan Dung were relieved from their duties of NA Chairman, President and Prime Minister, respectively, as they were not elected to enter the 200-member Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPVCC).

In early March, Vietnamese party chief Nguyen Phu Trong said that the 12th CPVCC agreed to replace and re-arrange key leadership positions to promptly implement the resolution of the 12th national party congress.

Trong was re-elected the general secretary of the 12th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam in January.