Vietnam appoints younger, more educated provincial Party honchos

Vu Quoc Hung, former chairman of the Central Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, said the nominations for and election of provincial Party leaders for the 2020-2025 term has seen younger people take office.

In the nation’s 63 localities, 51 Party secretaries hold a master's degree or higher educational qualifications.

The youngest of them is Le Quoc Phong, 42, a Hanoian with a master's degree in biology. Phong was voted Party Committee Secretary of the Mekong Delta’s province of Dong Thap in October.

Le Quoc Phong, 42, is currently the youngest provincial-level Party secretary in Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Hong Ngu.

He is also one of 28 provincial-level Party chiefs that are under 50. The under 50 group has many former top ministry officials.

The Party Secretary of Phu Yen Province, Pham Dai Duong, 46, used to be the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology.

Party secretaries Le Quang Manh, 46, of Can Tho, and Vu Dai Thang, 45, of Quang Binh are former deputy ministers of Planning and Investment.

Le Quang Tung, 49, was the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism before he became Party chief of Quang Tri Province. He also worked as head of the investment ministry’s Department for Local and Regional Economy.

Dao Hong Lan, 49, the first ever female Party Secretary of Bac Ninh, is a former Deputy Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Dao Hong Lan, 49, the first ever female Party Secretary of the northern province of Bac Ninh. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Phong.

Meanwhile, Vuong Dinh Hue, 63, a native of Nghe An Province, was appointed new Party Secretary of Hanoi in February to replace Hoang Trung Hai, who received an official warning from the Politburo, the main decision-making body of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Hue was Vietnam's Finance Minister from August 2011 to May 2013, head of the Central Economic Commission from December 12 to April 2016, and a Deputy Prime Minister from April 2016 till taking up his new position.

For Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Van Nen, 63, was elected as Party Secretary in October. A native of Tay Ninh Province, Nen had left his seat as Chief of the Party Central Office, the Communist Party's advisory agency, to take up the new position.

Nen was also Chairman of the Government Office with cabinet rank and a member of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee.