HANOI:Vietnam's ruling Communist Party gathered for its first national congress since 2016 on Monday with a mission to select new leaders and shape policy for the next five years and beyond.
The event, the 13th congress since the Communist Party of Vietnam was established in 1930, brought nearly 1,600 delegates from across the country to Hanoi. On a foggy morning in the capital, they paid a ceremonial visit to the mausoleum of founding revolutionary Ho Chi Minh before meetings began.
Vietnamese officials traditionally visit the mausoleum ahead of important meetings and national events.
Amid stringent coronavirus testing to preserve Vietnam's comparative success in keeping the pandemic at bay, delegates will pick a new leadership team in nine days of meetings, mostly behind closed doors, aiming to bolster both the country's ongoing economic success and the legitimacy of the Party's rule.
Delegates to the congress, foreign dignitaries, support staff and media attending the event were all tested twice for the coronavirus in the days leading up to the gathering. According to the health ministry, a total of 10,000 people have been tested in conjunction with the congress.
That approach echoes the tough quarantine measures, testing and tracing that have contributed to Vietnam having far fewer virus cases than most other countries: it has reported just over 1,500 COVID-19 infections and 35 deaths in total.
In turn, that has helped Vietnam's economy outstrip much of Asia in the past year. One of the last five Communist-ruled countries in the world besides China, Cuba, Laos and North Korea, Vietnam is already eyeing average annual gross domestic product growth of 7.0% over the next five years.
But a new leadership will be faced with the challenge of balancing relations with China and the United States, for which Vietnam has become an important strategic partner, in a world economy that's become detached from previous certainties.
In the months running up to the meeting there has been intense competition for a limited number of top posts. Vietnam officially has four 'pillars' of leadership: the Party chief; the state president; the prime minister and the National Assembly Chair.
Vietnam's two-term Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, 76, has been struggling with bad heath but is expected by analysts to continue for a third term. Trong wasn't seen in images/footage of the mausoleum visit released by state media, and wasn't mentioned in a report on the event by state news agency VN News, but was seen attending a meeting later.
While a 2016 power struggle and subsequent crackdown on corruption in government has deepened factional fault lines across Party ranks, most analysts expect continuity in Vietnam's economic, domestic and foreign policy-making after the congress.
The main candidates for the new positions to be determined at the congress are all widely known in Hanoi's political circles, but were officially declared top secret in December to discourage potentially critical debate.
The Communist Party retains tight control of domestic media and tolerates little criticism.
Reuters
Mon Jan 25 2021
Police officers patrol past a poster for the 13th national congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam on a street in Hanoi, Vietnam January 20, 2021. REUTERS pic
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Chegubard ditahan polis berkaitan hantaran mengenai kasino di Forest City
Chegubard ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City pada Sabtu.
Zahid minta pihak dalam BN buka "buku baharu"
Ahmad Zahid menegaskan senario politik tanah air sudah berubah dan terdapat banyak video lama dari parti lawan yang meminta pengundi menyokong DAP.
Malaysia kongsi pengalaman dalam usaha berterusan mempertahan Palestin
Delegasi negara akan berkongsikan peranan Malaysia dalam usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds kelima yang berlangsung di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Universiti Malaya mohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia
Jabatan Pengajian Antarabangsa dan Strategik, Universiti Malaya memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia berhubung kenytaaan tidak bertanggungjawab Profesor Dr Bruce Gilley pada 24 April lalu.
Genting Malaysia nafi terbabit perbincangan
Selepas Berjaya Corporation Bhd dan Kerajaan Negeri Johor, kini Genting Malaysia Bhd pula menafikan sebarang penglibatan dalam perbincangan mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 27 April 2024.
Kes bunuh bekas isteri: Warga Amerika Syarikat terlepas tali gantung
Mahkamah memutuskan perayu tidak mempunyai niat untuk membunuh bekas isterinya.
Bukan 'Datuk' yang saya buru - Pandelela
Gelaran Datuk tiada dalam buruan ratu terjun negara, Pandelela Rinong.
Bekas pengurus besar PPNT didenda RM5,000 kemuka resit palsu
Che Sa'adon didakwa menggunakan resit bertarikh 17 Sept 2016 bagi pembelian ikan kerapu hibrid berjumlah RM600 di pejabat PPNT pada Sept 2016.
RM6 bilion diperlukan bagi program restorasi hutan terosot - Muhyiddin
Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin menegaskan bahawa kerajaan amat serius dalam melaksanakan program restorasi hutan terosot di seluruh negara.
MAVCOM terima 1,403 tuntutan bayaran balik berkaitan COVID daripada pengguna
MAVCOM menerima 1,403 permintaan bayaran balik berkaitan dengan COVID-19 daripada pengguna pada separuh kedua 2020.
"Gunung tinggi sanggup aku daki..", padahal lelaki ini menipu pernah takluk Gunung Everest
Ia selepas satu siasatan dilakukan bagi menentukan kebenaran sama ada mereka benar-benar mendaki gunung tersebut.
Pilihan Raya Sarawak mungkin tahun depan - Dr Sim
Mengadakan pilihan raya ketika kes COVID-19 masih meningkat hanya akan membahayakan nyawa rakyat Sarawak
Taman tema didenda lebih RM10 juta, sebabkan kematian empat pengunjung
Dreamworld didenda RM10.4 juta susulan kematian empat pengunjung yang semasa melakukan aktiviti air Thunder River Rapids pada 2016.
Rosmah 'biaya' cybertroopers RM100,000 sebulan, pantau berita negatif termasuk isu beg tangan mahal
Datuk Rizal Mansor mendedahkan kepada Mahkamah Tinggi bahawa isteri bekas Perdana Menteri itu mengarahkannya menubuhkan satu pasukan cybertroopers.
Ciapan terakhir 'Black Panther', Chadwick Boseman cipta rekod 'likes' terbanyak dalam sejarah Twitter
Twitter mengesahkan ciapan terakhir dalam laman sosial rasmi Boseman itu mendapat likes paling banyak dalam sejarah Twitter.