HANOI, January 17. – Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned Tuesday over allegations of administrative corruption, while the Central Committee of that country’s Communist Party accepted the resignation.
According to national media, the former president was responsible for various “irregularities with dire consequences” by officials, including two deputy prime ministers and three ministers, Telesur reported.
After those officials resigned and others were prosecuted, Phuc, who served as prime minister from 2016 to 2021, decided to step down voluntarily.
At the same time, the former head of state left his corresponding positions in the Politburo and in the XIII. Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
With this decision, the 69-year-old Asian politician, who took office in 2021, becomes the first president of this country to leave office early.
The Vietnamese media emphasizes that although there were violations in the exercise as a civil servant, the former president played a relevant role within the administration in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vice president, Vo Thi Anh Xuan, will in turn serve as interim head of state pending official appointment, who will also serve as president of the National Security and Defense Council.