Vietnam's Communist Party has named police minister To Lam as the state president, the government said Saturday, and also nominated a new head of the parliament in a major leadership reshuffle.
Unprecedentedly for a one-party nation once known for its stable politics, two state presidents and a parliament speaker have stepped down in less than 18 months, all for unspecified "wrongdoing" amid a major anti-graft campaign that is unnerving foreign investors because of its chilling effect on bureaucracy.
After approval from parliament, which could come this week, Lam, 66, will replace Vo Van Thuong, who stepped down in March after being accused of violating party rules, just over a year after his appointment.