Asia-Pacific

Quits of leaders agreed in Vietnam

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-24 21:59

Deputies of Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) agreed with the resignations of the country's prime minister, state president and the NA chairman on Saturday afternoon, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Vietnam's prime minister Phan Van Khai, state president Tran Duc Luongand the NA chairman Nguyen Van An appealed to resign at National Assembly Saturday on June 24,2006.[Xinhua]

Most of the legislators, who voted on whether to accept the resignations of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, State President Tran Duc Luong, and NA Chairman Nguyen Van An on the same day, agreed with their aspirations of resignation, the agency quoted Bui Ngoc Thanh, head of the secretariat of the NA's ongoing ninth session, as saying.

Up to 78.5 percent of the legislators agreed with An's resignation, while the respective rates with Luong and Khai were 92.9 percent and 91.68 percent, he said.

However, the vote's results will not be officially announced until Monday morning. On Saturday morning, Khai, born in 1933, Luong, 1937, and An, 1937, officially submitted their resignations due to age factor, paving the way for a new generation of leaders.

The NA is also to consider and decide the posts of state president, NA chairman, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, six ministers and chief of the government inspectorate. The six ministerial posts involve the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, finance, transport, culture and information, and education and training.

In mid-May, when having informal talks with reporters on the sidelines of the NA's ninth session, Khai, who has acted as prime minister since September 1997 after serving as deputy prime minister between July 1991 and August 1997, implied that he had nominated Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung as his successor.

During its ongoing ninth session from May 16 to June 29, the NA, besides the personnel matters, is to focus on approving some 10 bills and giving opinions to 13 others, and reviewing reports of governments on major socioeconomic issues.