Politics

Vietnam’s top leader attends parliamentary session silencing death rumors

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Jan 15 (EFE).- The general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, attended a parliamentary session on Monday amid concerns over his health and rumors of his death on social media.

Images published by the local media showed Trong greeting parliamentarians as he walked with his colleagues at the headquarters of the National Assembly in the capital, Hanoi.

As the head of the Communist Party since 2011, Trong is the most powerful figure in Vietnam’s single-party system, and generally receives international leaders visiting the country.

But Trong’s absence during the official visits of the Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo in the last two weeks led to rumors about his poor health on social media.

Trong, 79, began an unprecedented third term as the head of the Communist Party in 2021, breaking the existing two-term limit and the 65-year age cap for the top position.

Furthermore, between 2018 and 2021, he also served as the country’s president, a role which was mostly ceremonial, expanding his international profile.

Trong’s tenure as the party head has seen increased repression against dissidents and a relentless anti-corruption campaign targeting top politicians and businessmen. EFE

esj/up/sc

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