Vietnam’s southern political fraction once stormed the country’s political arena, especially during the time when Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung was Prime Minister. With the power of money, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung influenced the Party Central Committee and the Politburo. As the government leader, Mr. Dung overshadowed Mr. Nong Duc Manh’s role as the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s General Secretary.
In 2006, when he first became PM, Dung won the position of Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-corruption. With this tool in hand, Mr. Dung turned the political scene and attracted many allies to his side.
This position Mr. Dung held until the end of January 2013 was taken away by Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, who was elected to replace Manh two years earlier. It can be said that, with the position of Head of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-corruption, in his hand he holds the power to run the country’s economy, and in addition to having Mr. Le Hong Anh – a native of Kien Giang, holded the Ministry of Public Security, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, made the other political fractions afraid.
In 2011, Anh left the position of Minister of Public Security, Dung seemed to have lost an important sword. And also in 2011, Trong took the position of General Secretary, replacing Mr. Nong Duc Manh. Thanks to that, it was not until 2013 that Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong was able to take the position of Head of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-corruption, and slowly regained his power from the position of Prime Minister to the position of General Secretary.
By the end of his second term, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung lost a lot of allies and power, from which he lost his search for a special place to stay at the Politburo. It can be said that 2016 is a milestone that the Southern fraction lost, because Mr. Dung in Kien Giang and Mr. Le Thanh Hai in Saigon officially retired.
When Mr. Dung retired, he also withdrew his eldest son, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nghi, from the Ministry of Construction to return to Kien Giang to strengthen his forces, to increase his flanks and wait for the opportunity to return to the Central Government.
Just one term, the person close to Mr. Dung, Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, won the Prime Minister’s seat. At that time, the forces of Mr. Dung had the opportunity to rise up, and the pioneer was Nguyen Thanh Nghi. Currently, after 2 years of working as a member of the Government, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nghi has connected with the incumbent PM very well and has built up a core force.
The 13th National Congress in early 2021 showed the catastrophic failure of the Southern fraction. There are only 3 Politburo members from the South: Mr. Nguyen Van Nen from Tay Ninh, Mr. Tran Thanh Man from Hau Giang and Mr. Vo Van Thuong from Vinh Long. These three people say they are from the South, but they are actually supporting the forces of the North. Therefore, in the Politburo, the Southern forces have no figure able to talk on an equal footing with the Northern forces. So the Southern faction needs to rise up within the next 3 years is a big task. That task is placed on the shoulders of Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung’s family and no one else.
Mr. Vo Van Kiet is from the South. When he was still alive, Mr. Kiet and Mr. Le Duc Anh were two figures who supported Mr. Dung to climb to the top of power. It can be said that Kiet was a great benefactor of Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung’s family.
Before the 100th anniversary of Mr. Vo Van Kiet’s birth, the press simultaneously waved gongs and knocks praising the merits of this late southern Prime Minister. Following that, on November 23, a series of South Vietnamese officials, both former and incumbent ones, gathered in Vinh Long to attend an extremely grand ceremony commemorating the birthday of late PM Kiet. Attendees include: Mr. Vo Van Thuong – Permanent Secretary of the Secretariat, Mr. Chinh – Prime Minister, Mr. Tran Thanh Man – Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Mr. Nguyen Van Nen – Secretary of the City Party Committee. In Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Dung – former PM, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan – former chairwoman of the National Assembly, Mr. Truong Tan Sang – former President, Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet – former President, Mr. Le Hong Anh – Former minister of Public Security and former standing secretary of the Secretariate, and Ms. Truong My Hoa – former Vice President.
It can be said that this is the biggest mockery of the Southern fraction ever. It is unclear what former senior officials were discussed. And if there is an expectation of restoring the Southern fraction, that responsibility is still placed on the shoulders of the Nguyen Tan Dung’s family.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
