Leaked internal information said that on May 28, the Ministry of Public Security convened a conference of key officials, including police directors of provinces and cities, and department directors of the ministry. This is a meeting directed by former Minister and incumbent State President To Lam. All top officials of the ministry voted and unanimously elected Deputy Minister Luong Tam Quang as Minister of Public Security.
The minutes of this conference were sent to the Politburo, with a request to add Luong Tam Quang to the Politburo, and approve him as minister. This is considered an act of rebellion again by the Ministry of Public Security. To Lam summoned powerful generals, whom he had raised and promoted over the past 8 years, to gather to put pressure on the country’s leadership.
What is very difficult to understand is why the Communist Party, led by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, has given so many privileges to the Minister of Public Security. It is known that regulations for appointing directors of departments all fall under the authority of the chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, except the director of the police departments. It is unclear why the Party excludes the provincial police departments, not assigning the right to appoint department directors to the chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, but instead assigns it to the Minister of Public Security?
This is explained as the Party offering a piece of carrot to the Minister of Public Security, to buy the loyalty of the head of this ministry. However, the giving of “carrots” but lack of “sticks” to control the power of the Minister of Public Security, so now the Party is having to swallow the bitter fruit, because it lost control over the Ministry of Public Security. The minister used this right to build his faction in all provinces and cities, and at the decisive moment, gathered them to the “royalty” to put pressure on the party chief.
Up to now, candidates for the position of Minister of Public Security must be members of the Politburo. If we follow precedent, a member of the Party Central Committee like Luong Tam Quang will be left out of this power tray. However, this time is an exception, when the Ministry of Public Security meets and chooses its own minister. The election results were submitted to the Politburo for fair dispute with the three Politburo members proposed by Nguyen Phu Trong’s faction. This is considered pressure caused by the Hung Yen faction on the Politburo. Without this pressure, Luong Tam Quang could only stand on the sidelines of the game.
The story of the Ministry of Public Security meeting and selecting its own ministerial candidate to put pressure on the Politburo is something that has never happened in the nearly 80-year history of this regime’s existence. State President To Lam, through the Ministry of Public Security, wants to rewrite the rules of the game according to his wishes. This is a rebellion. If General Secretary Trong does not take corrective measures, To Lam’s faction may occupy the Ministry of Public Security, and then control the Politburo.
From paving the way for Luong Tam Quang to compete with Politburo members, it shows that General Secretary Trong’s side has retreated. It is unknown how does To Lam put pressure on the Politburo and Trong’s faction, but clearly, that power group is backing down before To Lam. If Nguyen Phu Trong cannot eliminate Luong Tam Quang, and revoke the right to appoint the director of the police department from the hands of the Minister of Public Security, there will be many other police chiefs who will be more rampant in the future.
Although Luong Tam Quang has not yet become Minister, reality shows that the Politburo is losing ground. If Luong Tam Quang truly becomes minister, it will be a complete failure of the Politburo, as well as of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
This rebellious action by the Ministry of Public Security is considered a soft coup. Even though there was no gunfire, it was no less drastic than a real coup. Also use force to pressure, force those in power to make concessions, and hand over power.
If the “knife” is not taken away from To Lam’s hand, the entire Politburo will have to struggle to survive, facing an increasingly powerful To Lam.
Thai Ha – Thoibao.de
