Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam

Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee
Bộ Chính trị Ban Chấp hành trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam

Information
General Secretary	Nguyễn Phú Trọng
Elected by	Central Committee
Responsible to	Central Committee
Seats	18 (see 13th Politburo )

Meetings are held regularly; decisions within the Politburo are made through collective decision-making, which means that policies are only enacted if a majority of Politburo members support them. ^[1] In the 1960s, outside analysts believed the Politburo was divided into two factions (pro-China and pro-Soviet); this forced Politburo members to decide policy through compromise. This was later proven wrong, because Hồ Chí Minh became a staunch believer in collective decision-making during the 1950s after the beginning of de-Stalinisation in the Soviet Union. ^[7] Hồ's successor, Lê Duẩn, stated at the 4th National Congress that "Only with collective decisions made by collective intelligence will we be able to avoid subjectivism that leads to errors and sometimes to dangerous consequences". ^[8] Hồ's emphasis on the maintenance of unity led the Party to eschew the Communist Party of China's (CPC) policy of "criticism and self-criticism". ^[9] The CPC's criticism and self-criticism policy was used to resolve "internal contradictions"; the problem with this concept was that it always assumed that one side was right. ^[9] "Criticism and self-criticism" was not introduced in Vietnam, chiefly for this reason. ^[9]

However, Zachary Abuza (author of Renovating Politics in Contemporary Vietnam) claims that Politburo decision-making is built on factional infighting and ideological differences rather than on any notion of collective leadership. ^[3] The Politburo is responsible to the Central Committee, and the Central Committee can question the Politburo. The composition of the Central Military Commission, the leading Party organ on military affairs, is decided by the Politburo. It is the responsibility of the Secretariat (not the Politburo) to ensure the implementation of directives stemming from the Politburo. ^[1]

Power in relation to the state

Before the reforms of Nguyễn Văn Linh during the late 1980s, the Politburo was the supreme decision-making organ in all areas of party and state. Before 1988, the Politburo had no clear guideline on its responsibilities on socioeconomic issues. Because of this lack, the Politburo frequently meddled in the affairs of the Council of Ministers (the central government). Until 1988, the Politburo made detailed planning and budgetary decisions; from 1988 onwards, the Politburo decides a plan's general orientation, but lets the central government make detailed socioeconomic decisions. The all-encompassing role of the Politburo before 1988 blurred the roles of the party and state in the decision-making process. Another problem until 1988 was that many members of the Politburo were leading officials within the state (again blurring the roles of party and state). ^[10]

The Politburo has the unofficial power to appoint members of the central government through the National Assembly of Vietnam. Because the National Assembly is dominated by the party, party leadership has considerable leverage in appointing members of the central government. However, even if the Politburo decides the appointment of officials, party members can oppose the nominees; the appointment of Đỗ Mười was opposed by the Club of Resistance Veterans, a group of reformist communist cadres. ^[11]

Current members

Main article: 13th Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam

The current 18-member Politburo was elected on January 31, 2021 at the first plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee. ^[12] Nguyễn Phú Trọng was re-elected for his third term as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, a position he has held since 2011. ^[13] On 30 December 2022, at the 13th CC's 2nd Extraordinary Plenary Session, Phạm Bình Minh offered his resignation as a member of the 13th Politburo; the plenum approved the resignation, and he was removed from the 13th CC as well. ^[14] Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, the President of Vietnam and the second-ranked member of the 13th Politburo, voluntarily resigned from all state and party offices at the 3rd Extraordinary Plenary Session on 17 January 2023. ^[15] Vũ Đức Đam also resigned from his position of Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam. ^[16] Võ Văn Thưởng was elected as President thereafter. ^[17]

Members of the 13th Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam
^{[18] [19]}

Rank	Name	12th POL		Birth	PM	Birthplace	Education	Ethnicity	Gender	Ref.
		New	Rank
1	Nguyễn Phú Trọng	Old	1	1944	1968	Hà Nội City	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[20]
	Nguyễn Xuân Phúc	Old	6	1954	1982	Quảng Nam province	Undergraduate	Kinh	Male	[21]
2	Võ Văn Thưởng	Old	17	1970	1993	Vĩnh Long province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[22]
3	Phạm Minh Chính	Old	9	1958	1986	Thanh Hoá province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[23]
4	Vương Đình Huệ	Old	11	1957	1984	Nghệ An province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[24]
5	Trương Thị Mai	Old	14	1958	1985	Quảng Bình province	Graduate	Kinh	Female	[25]
6	Tô Lâm	Old	5	1957	—	Hưng Yên province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[26]
	Phạm Bình Minh	Old	13	1959	1984	Nam Định province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[27]
7	Nguyễn Văn Nên	New	—	1957	1978	Tây Ninh province	Undergraduate	Kinh	Male	[28]
8	Phan Đình Trạc	New	—	1958	1980	Nghệ An province	Undergraduate	Kinh	Male	[29]
9	Trần Cẩm Tú	New	—	1961	1990	Hà Tĩnh province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[30]
10	Phan Văn Giang	New	—	1960	—	Nam Định province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[31]
11	Nguyễn Hòa Bình	New	—	1958	1981	Quảng Ngãi province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[32]
12	Trần Thanh Mẫn	New	—	1962	1982	Hậu Giang province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[33]
13	Nguyễn Xuân Thắng	New	—	1957	1983	Nghệ An province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[34]
14	Lương Cường	New	—	1957	1978	Phú Thọ province	Undergraduate	Kinh	Male	[35]
15	Trần Tuấn Anh	New	—	1964	1996	Quảng Ngãi province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[36]
16	Đinh Tiến Dũng	New	—	1961	1987	Ninh Bình province	Graduate	Kinh	Male	[37]

References

Citations

1. Staff writer. "Điều lệ Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam thông qua tại Đại hội đại biểu toàn quốc lần thứ XI của Đảng" [Statute of the Communist Party of Vietnam which was approved at the 11th National Congress]. 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
2. Stern 1993, pp. 3–4.
3. Abuza 2001, p. 19.
4. Jeffries 2006, p. 21.
5. "Party Congress announces CPVCC Politburo members". Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
6. Abuza, Zachary (16 November 2001). "The Lessons of Le Kha Phieu: Changing Rules in Vietnamese politics". Vietnamese Professionals of America. The Catholic University of America: 12.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. Porter 1993, p. 114.
8. Porter 1993, pp. 114–115.
9. Porter 1993, p. 115.
10. Porter 1993, p. 83.
11. Porter 1993, p. 84.
12. "BREAKING NEWS: LIST OF NEWLY-ELECTED POLITBURO MEMBERS". Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. 31 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
13. "Vietnam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong wins re-election". Tuổi Trẻ. 31 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
14. "Deputy PMs Minh and Đam resign from the Party Central Committee". Viet Nam News. 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
15. "Party Central Committee agrees to let Nguyen Xuan Phuc cease holding posts". VietnamPlus. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
16. VnExpress. "Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam loses Central Party Committee membership - VnExpress International". VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
17. VnExpress. "Vo Van Thuong elected Vietnam's president - VnExpress International". VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
18. "Danh sách Bộ Chính trị Ban Bí thư Ủy ban Kiểm tra Trung ương khóa XIII" [The Politburo, General Secretary, Party Central Committee Secretariat, Central Inspection Committee and Chairman of the XIII Central Inspection Committee] (in Vietnamese). Government of Vietnam. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
19. "Bộ Chính trị - Khóa XIII | Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng". tulieuvankien.dangcongsan.vn. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
20. "Đồng chí Nguyễn Phú Trọng" [Comrade Nguyễn Phú Trọng] (in Vietnamese). Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. 5 July 2021. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
21. "Đồng chí Nguyễn Xuân Phúc" [Comrade Nguyễn Xuân Phúc] (in Vietnamese). Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
22. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Thường trực Ban Bí thư Võ Văn Thưởng" [Member of the Politburo, Standing Member of the Secretariat Võ Văn Thưởng] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
23. "Biography of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh" (in Vietnamese). Việt Nam News. 5 April 2021. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
24. "Biography of new NA Chairman of National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue". Vietnam Times (in Vietnamese). 8 April 2021. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
25. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Bí thư Trung ương Đảng Trương Thị Mai" [Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Organisation Committee Trương Thị Mai] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
26. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Đại tướng - Bộ trưởng Bộ Công an Tô Lâm" [Member of the Politburo, General, Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
27. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Phó Thủ tướng Thường trực Chính phủ Phạm Bình Minh" [Member of the Politburo, Standing Deputy Prime Minister of the Government Phạm Bình Minh] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
28. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Bí thư Thành ủy Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh Nguyễn Văn Nên" [Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Hồ Chí Minh City Party Committee Nguyễn Văn Nên] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
29. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Bí thư Trung ương Đảng, Trưởng ban Nội chính Trung ương Phan Đình Trạc" [Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Internal Affairs Department Phan Đình Trạc] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
30. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Bí thư Trung ương Đảng, Chủ nhiệm Ủy ban Kiểm tra Trung ương Trần Cẩm Tú" [Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Inspection Committee Trần Cẩm Tú] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
31. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Đại tướng, Bộ trưởng Bộ Quốc phòng Phan Văn Giang" [Member of the Politburo, General, Minister of Defense Phan Văn Giang] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
32. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Đại tướng, Bí thư Trung ương Đảng, Chánh án Tòa án nhân dân tối cao Nguyễn Hòa Bình" [Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court Nguyễn Hòa Bình] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
33. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Phó Chủ tịch Thường trực Quốc hội nước CHXHCH Việt Nam Trần Thanh Mẫn" [Member of the Politburo, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Trần Thanh Mẫn] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
34. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Giám đốc Học viện Chính trị quốc gia Hồ Chí Minh, Chủ tịch Hội đồng Lý luận Trung ương Nguyễn Xuân Thắng" [Member of the Politburo, Director of the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council Nguyễn Xuân Thắng] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
35. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Đại tướng, Chủ nhiệm Tổng cục Chính trị Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam Lương Cường" [Member of the Politburo, General, Chairman of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army Lương Cường] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
36. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Trưởng Ban Kinh tế Trung ương Trần Tuấn Anh" [Member of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Economic Commission Trần Tuấn Anh] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
37. "Ủy viên Bộ Chính trị, Bí thư Thành ủy Hà Nội Đinh Tiến Dũng" [Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee Đinh Tiến Dũng] (in Vietnamese). National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.

Sources

• Abuza, Zachary (2001). Renovating Politics in Contemporary Vietnam. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN   978-1555879617.
• Jeffries, Ian (2006). Vietnam: A Guide to Economic And Political Developments. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   978-0415392143.
• Porter, Gareth (1993). Vietnam: The Politics of Bureaucratic Socialism . Cornell University Press. ISBN   978-0801421686.
• Stern, Lewis (1993). Renovating the Vietnamese Communist Party: Nguyen Van Linh and the Programme for Organizational Reform, 1987–91. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN   978-9813016552.