Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned, state media said on Tuesday, after several days of rumors of his impending impeachment.
This sudden departure is very unusual in Vietnam, where political changes are usually carefully orchestrated by the communist regime anxious to give the appearance of stability.
The country shaken by an anti-corruption campaign
The resignation comes following the dismissal in January of two deputy prime ministers, as part of an anti-corruption campaign that also led to the arrest of dozens of other senior officials.
According to VNA, Nguyen Xuan Phuc “assumed his political responsibilities as a leader after several senior officials, including two deputy prime ministers and three ministers, committed violations and misconduct, resulting in very serious consequences”.
Nguyen Xuan Phuc had been president of Vietnam since 2021. He had previously served as prime minister since 2016.