General Secretary To Lam re-elected for a second term as Party leader

THE HANOI TIMES — The 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam today (January 23) unanimously voted to re-elect To Lam as General Secretary for the 14th term, marking a continuation of the Party’s top leadership at the ongoing 14th National Party Congress.

One day earlier, Lam and nine other members of the 13th Politburo were re-elected to the 14th Central Committee at the ongoing 14th National Party Congress.

During his 17 months as Party chief, To Lam has led the Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat in issuing a series of major policy decisions aimed at steering Vietnam into a new era of strong and prosperous development.

Over the past year, a sweeping restructuring of the political system has been carried out from the central level to local administrations. In early 2025, many Party, Government and National Assembly agencies were merged to streamline their structures.

From July 2025, the number of provinces and centrally-run cities nationwide was reduced from 63 to 34. The number of communes, wards and special zones was cut from 10,035 to 3,321. District-level administrations were abolished and district-level courts and procuracies were merged into regional courts and procuracies.

General Secretary To Lam has described the reorganization of the administrative system as a strategic decision of historic significance, reflecting the strong reform mindset of the Party and the State. He said the move opens a new development trajectory with a vision of at least 100 years.

The Politburo has issued nine breakthrough resolutions across key areas, including promoting science and technology development, recognizing the private sector as one of the economy's most important drivers, affirming the leading role of the state sector, moving toward basic free healthcare for all citizens from 2030, designating November 24 as Vietnam Cultural Day with paid leave for workers and reforming lawmaking and law enforcement.

On the same afternoon, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that after five days of serious, urgent, responsible and effective work, the Congress held its closing session.

Attending the closing session were former leaders of the Party and the State, representatives of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and former members of the Party Central Committee from the fourth to the eighth terms.

Also present were Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, prominent intellectuals, artists and religious dignitaries, outstanding young people representing the younger generation, ambassadors, chargés d’affaires and heads of representative offices of international organizations.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, on behalf of the Congress, expressed gratitude to members of the 13th Party Central Committee who were not re-elected to the 14th term.

General Secretary To Lam presented flowers in appreciation to members of the 13th Central Committee concluding their term. They included State President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Nguyen Xuan Thang, Head of the Central Commission for Internal Affairs Phan Dinh Trac and Head of the Documents Subcommittee of the 14th Party Congress Nguyen Van Nen.

Le Quoc Minh, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper and Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilization, said the 14th National Party Congress had received a total of 898 congratulatory letters and messages from 167 political parties, 17 international organizations, 78 individuals, 242 political, friendship and people’s organizations and foreign localities and 394 associations of overseas Vietnamese.

These congratulatory letters and messages highly praised the leadership role of the Party and the country’s development orientation in the new period. They also affirmed Vietnam’s position and its increasingly effective contributions and efforts in the international arena.

Since the opening session on January 19, the Congress has received an additional 339 congratulatory messages from political parties, organizations, international friends and overseas Vietnamese.

These included 58 messages from political parties, 11 messages from international and regional organizations, 62 messages from individuals, 120 messages from foreign people’s organizations and localities and 80 messages from overseas Vietnamese associations.

"The congratulatory letters and messages reflected deep interest, strong confidence and firm support, making an important contribution to the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam," Minh said.

The 14th Party Central Committee will, on behalf of the Congress, send letters of thanks to political parties, organizations, international friends and overseas Vietnamese associations, he added.