Former Vietnamese government ministers corruption trial part of wider party ructions
Two former Vietnamese government ministers are among several who will stand trial in Hanoi today for corruption. They are accused of using a state-owned enterprise to illegally acquire a private television company.
The case is the latest in an ongoing corruption crackdown by President Nguyen Phu Trong in the one-party state.
The crackdown is expected to intensify in the lead-up to local Communist Party elections next year and the Party Congress in January 2021, where the major leadership positions will be decided for the next five years. Trong was elected as General Secretary at the last Congress in 2016 following a power struggle with former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Many of those caught in Trong’s corruption crackdown were Dung appointees or supporters.
Trong and his conservative faction will continue to be the main beneficiary of this anti-corruption drive, further cementing his power as party leader in the immediate future. However, this consolidation of power will face challenges should Trong’s health deteriorate further—he was admitted to hospital with an undisclosed illness in April. Expect any further health issues to be kept confidential. However, word will still likely reach party rivals, refuelling power struggles with other factions, which threatens further efforts to centralise power.
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