HANOI, VIETNAM – The Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam has issued a new directive, Regulation 377, which formally codifies its central and decisive role in the selection and management of the nation's highest-ranking leaders. The regulation explicitly grants the Politburo the responsibility to prepare and nominate candidates for Vietnam's four most powerful political positions: the General Secretary of the Communist Party, the State President, the Prime Minister, and the Chairperson of the National Assembly.
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| The 13th Central Conference agreed to introduce personnel for the 14th Party Central Committee. |
This move consolidates and clarifies the established procedures for high-level personnel appointments, reinforcing the principle of centralized Party leadership over all state functions. The regulation, titled "On the Decentralization of Cadre Management and the Planning, Appointment, Nomination, and Dismissal of Cadres," serves as a comprehensive framework for the entire lifecycle of senior officials.
Core Responsibility: Nominating the "Four Pillars"
At the heart of Regulation 377 is the Politburo's exclusive authority over the nomination process for the country's top leadership. The regulation specifies the following procedures:
For Party Positions: The Politburo is responsible for preparing and presenting personnel recommendations to the Party Central Committee for the election of the General Secretary, as well as for new members of the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Central Inspection Commission.
For State Positions: The Politburo is tasked with preparing and introducing its chosen candidates to the National Assembly for the election of the State President, the Prime Minister, and the Chairperson of the National Assembly.
This framework ensures that all candidates for the highest state offices are first vetted and approved by the Party's most powerful body before being presented to the national legislature for the formal election process.
Extended Authority Over All Senior Government and Legislative Posts
Regulation 377 demonstrates that the Politburo's oversight extends far beyond the top four positions. The body is also responsible for preparing and introducing personnel for a wide range of other critical government and legislative roles. Before these nominations are put forward, the Politburo must first consult with the Party Central Committee. These key positions include:
Executive Branch: The Vice President, Deputy Prime Ministers, and all other cabinet members (Ministers).
Legislative Branch: Vice Chairpersons of the National Assembly, members of the National Assembly Standing Committee, the Chairperson of the Ethnic Council, the Secretary-General of the National Assembly, and the heads of all parliamentary committees.
Judicial and Oversight Bodies: The Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, the Procurator General of the Supreme People's Procuracy, and the State Auditor General.
Comprehensive Lifecycle Management of High-Level Cadres
The regulation grants the Politburo sweeping powers over the entire career trajectory of officials under its management. This comprehensive authority includes:
Personnel Decisions: Overseeing the evaluation, planning, training, deployment, appointment, nomination, transfer, and rotation of high-level officials.
Military and Security: Appointing key leaders within the Central Military Commission and the Central Public Security Party Committee, as well as approving the promotion, demotion, or stripping of general-officer ranks in the armed forces.
Provincial Leadership: Appointing key Party officials at the provincial level, including secretaries and deputy secretaries. In necessary cases, the Politburo can directly appoint an acting or interim party chief for a province.
Disciplinary Actions: The Politburo holds the power to suspend, dismiss, discipline, or accept the resignation of officials. It can also approve removals from strategic personnel planning, effectively ending an official's career path.
Delegation of Authority
While centralizing ultimate authority, Regulation 377 allows the Politburo to delegate certain responsibilities to other top leaders, including the State President, Prime Minister, National Assembly Chairperson, and the Standing Member of the Secretariat.
This delegated authority typically covers:
Appointing Politburo-managed officials to concurrent positions within specialized Party committees.
Handling the re-appointment and retirement procedures for senior officials, with the notable exception of members of the Party Central Committee, whose status remains under the direct purview of the Politburo.
The issuance of Regulation 377 provides a clear and formal legal basis for the Party's established personnel practices, leaving no ambiguity about the Politburo's preeminent role in shaping the leadership of both the Party and the State in Vietnam.
