The 8th Plenum ended very boringly, partly showing that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong did not go through a smooth plenum. The most important content of this plenum is to discuss personnel work for the 14th Party National Congress scheduled in early 2026.
The 8th Plenum showed that the General Secretary’s reputation has declined seriously and unprecedentedly. Not only outside information is shared on social networks, but also mainstream media – Voice of Vietnam, in the middle of the event, on October 5, released a “blockbuster” article attacking the party chief.
The article is titled “We have let cadres who are not virtuous and talented enough enter the 12th Central Committee.” This article criticizes: “In many recent terms, many officials who were not virtuous and talented enough still made it to the Central Committee.” Obviously, General Secretary Trong was the head of the Human Resources Subcommittee of the 12th and 13th National Congresses.
Perhaps that is the reason why, on behalf of the Politburo, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led the meeting to discuss personnel planning for the 14th Party Central Committee. This was still considered a “monopoly” absolute decision of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, from before the 12th National Congress until now.
The announcement of the 6th working day of the 8th Plenum said the above.
In addition, a day earlier, the 8th Plenum of the Central Committee elected 3 additional members for the 13th Central Inspection Commission, including Major General Vu Hong Van, Director of the Department of Internal Political Security, sister-in-law of Minister of Public Security To Lam. This is a sign that To Lam’s octopus has penetrated very deeply into the Party apparatus, which was originally the monopoly of General Secretary Trong.
The only personnel issue Mr. Trong raised successfully was that the Plenum agreed to elect additional Head of the Foreign Affairs Commission Le Hoai Trung to the Secretariat. As for other “complicated and sensitive” tasks, they are zero.
Specifically:
One, Pham Minh Chinh still stands firm, even though Mr. Chinh’s junior in Quang Ninh, Nguyen Van Doc, has just been mercilessly beheaded.
Second, the failed plan to fill two vacant Politburo member seats left by Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Pham Binh Minh. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, proposed by Trong to be included in the Politburo, also failed!
Third, the plan to remove Minister To Lam from the Ministry of Public Security and let Phan Dinh Trac, sit in his place, according to the General Secretary’s calculations, was also not achieved.
The things just listed show that in personnel matters, Trong has lost his authority. At this point, it’s not what Trong wants.
According to observers, the closing speech of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, read on October 8, revealed many things. This speech shows that the personnel plan for the Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat and key leadership positions of the Party and State for the 14th National Congress has failed, and must be abandoned to discussed further in the following plenums.
In his closing speech, Trong initially said, “After working on personnel planning of the Central Committee, we can work on the Politburo and the Secretariat.” But right in the next paragraph, the General Secretary emphasized: “Using the personnel planning for the Politburo, the Secretariat and key leadership positions of the Party and State, as a basis. for the preparation of personnel for the new Central Committee at the 14th National Congress.”
This makes people unclear, which stage is the basic stage of General Secretary Trong’s work? It reflected that “planning for the 14th Central Committee” – an important content of the session – has not yet been completed.
This confusion is also shown in the fact that, after the plenum, General Secretary Trong was still unsuccessful in restructuring the “dream” Quartet. Those are the four highest positions of the regime that Mr. Trong wants, which can ensure his absolute safety, so that he can retire safely, without being retroactively prosecuted by rival forces within the Party.
That is the common worry of dictators who have lost all humanity and consider comrades as enemies.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
