To Lam Elected Vietnam's State President

HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam's National Assembly unanimously elected Communist Party General Secretary To Lam as the country's state president on Tuesday, consolidating the top party and state roles in one leader for the next five years and marking a departure from the nation's traditional collective leadership model.

The vote, which followed the Communist Party's nomination finalized in late March, saw all present lawmakers approve Lam for the position, according to a parliament official. At 68, the former public security minister now holds a dual mandate after securing a second term as party chief in January. This is the first time a leader has obtained both posts through the party's standard selection process at a congress, rather than temporarily following a predecessor's death. Lam briefly combined the roles earlier in 2024 after the passing of longtime General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

In a speech after his swearing-in, Lam described the dual responsibilities as "a very huge honor... a responsibility, and a sacred and noble duty." The assembly chairman, Tran Thanh Man, who was reelected to his post on Monday, confirmed the resolution passed with 100 percent support from...