Vietnam has overhauled its leadership. The country's National Assembly last week affirmed the individuals selected by the congress of the Vietnam Communist Party. Members of the new team are considerably younger than their predecessors, and their common characteristic is a commitment to economic reform.
The challenge for the new government -- like those of all one-party states -- is to clean up the corruption endemic to Vietnam without being deterred by the fear of undermining the Communist Party's claim to rule.
The personnel changes were initiated in April when the Vietnam Communist Party convened the congress it holds every five years. At that time, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, President Tran Duc Luong and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van indicated their readiness to step down. Nominated to replace them were Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung as prime minister, Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet as president and Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong as National Assembly chair. The fourth member of the leadership, Mr. Nong Duc Manh, who, as head of the Communist Party, is the most powerful of all, was renominated for a second five-year term as general secretary.
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