Ammon News - Vietnam's lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously elected Communist Party Secretary General ​To Lam as the country's state president for the next five years, making him the most powerful Vietnamese leader in decades.

The widely anticipated move marks a break from ‌Vietnam's traditional collective leadership system, consolidating authority in one figure in ways analysts say could tilt the one‑party state toward greater authoritarianism, while also enabling faster decision making, similar to its neighbour China.

The parliament said on its website that all 495 deputies present at Tuesday's National Assembly session endorsed the Communist Party's nomination, while five lawmakers were absent. Officials have said the nominations for top state leadership posts were finalised in a meeting in late March.

The former head of public ​security now has a double mandate to rule the country for the next five years, after he secured a second term as general secretary in January.

In another largely expected move later ​on Tuesday, the parliament also unanimously elected Le Minh Hung as the country's new prime minister.

Reuters