Vo Van Thuong, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), was elected as the new President on Thursday.

The country’s top legislature convened a special meeting and elected Thuong as the new president with an approval rate of 98.38 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

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In a statement, Thuong vowed to be absolutely loyal to the nation, the people and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and to work hard to fulfil the duty assigned by the Communist Party of Vietnam, the state and the people.

He will serve until the present term ends in 2026.

Thuong, who was born in December 1970, is the youngest among members of the Politburo of the CPV.

In his official biography, Mekong Delta’s Vinh Long province is listed as his hometown.

He has an M.A. in Philosophy and an advanced degree in political theory from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

Thuong started his political career in 1993, working on student and youth affairs, and became secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City’s Communist Youth Union in 2003.

He was elected as an alternate member of the CPV Central Committee in 2006 and was appointed first secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in 2007.

In 2011, he was elected as a member of the CPV Central Committee and then appointed secretary of the Quang Ngai Provincial Party Committee from August 2011 to April 2014.

The Politburo then appointed him as standing deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City’s Municipal Party Committee term 2015-2020.

Thuong was re-elected to the CPV Central Committee in 2016 and became a member of the Politburo for the first time.

In 2021, he was elected as a member of the CPV Central Committee for the third time and became a member of the Politburo for the second time.

He was also assigned to serve as permanent member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat.

On January 17, Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned as President for personal reasons, with his memberships at the Politburo and the 13th CPV Central Committee being removed.

The next day, the National Assembly appointed Vo Thi Anh Xuan, who was elected as Vice President in 2021, as the acting president.