The National Assembly on April 7 approved a resolution to elect the State President via an electronic voting system, following a closed ballot for the country’s head of state.
Under the adopted resolution, To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, was elected to serve as State President for the new term. This marks the second time he has concurrently held the positions of Party chief and head of State.
After the vote, the newly elected president took the oath of office in accordance with constitutional procedures.
General Secretary and President To Lam (Photo: Pham Thang).
To Lam, born in 1957 in Hung Yen Province, has served as a member of the Party’s Central Committee in the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th terms, as well as a member of the Politburo in the 12th, 13th and 14th terms. He has also been a National Assembly deputy for the 14th, 15th and 16th terms.
Holding the titles of professor of security science and doctor of law, To Lam has spent much of his career in the public security sector.
He became deputy minister of Public Security in 2010 and was appointed minister six years later. In 2014, he was promoted to the rank of senior lieutenant general.
In 2019, he was elevated to general and remained minister of Public Security until May 2024, when he was first elected State President.
After three months as head of State, he was elected general secretary while continuing to serve concurrently in both roles from August 2024 to October 2024.
Following his dismissal from the presidency by the National Assembly, he continued as general secretary of the 13th term. At the 16th National Party Congress, he was re-elected to the Central Committee, Politburo and as general secretary for the 14th term.
