There are less than 9 months to the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. This congress will elect a new leadership of Vietnam to lead the country into a „new era“ in the country’s development.
However, according to observers, there is party’s internal disunity due to different, even contradictory views on policies. This has weakened the solidarity and unity within the ruling party.
Notably, recently, on social networks, many pages and groups of the Public Opinion Forces and fanpages related to the Defense Ministry’s cyber warfare force have appeared.
Accordingly, as the 14th National Congress of the Party is approaching, these pages have published articles and statuses that defame incumbent General Secretary To Lam. For example, it is affirmed that Lam’s awarding of the Gold Star Medal to former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh was unworthy and not in line with the people’s wishes, etc.
At the same time, there are also many articles and video clips related to Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang. And the common point is that General Giang has revolutionary ethics and is more worthy of holding the role of the party chief than former police General Lam.
According to observers, if the above information had appeared before, it would not have been worth mentioning. But it appeared right at a sensitive time, when the process of streamlining the internal apparatus of the army was being carried out urgently.
This has caused public opinion to question whether this is a current of public opinion within the military that is showing hidden opposition to the General Secretary, demanding more positions in the state and party agencies to the army generals before the 14th Party Congress slated in January 2026.
Specifically, when the senior military officials from Hung Yen province are being promoted to senior positions in the Defense Ministry, such as Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and Lieutenant General Nguyen Hong Thai. Accordingly, Lam is making efforts to put some of his confidants in charge of the army, which is a competitor of the police forces.
Or, could this be a trick of an external political force that is deliberately creating a „smokescreen“ to pull the strings to divide the internal affairs of the Communist Party of Vietnam, to manipulate and control when necessary?
Public opinion sees that the „populist“ statements of General Secretary To Lam in recent times are all true to the reality of the country. However, what people are waiting for are concrete actions, not empty slogans from the party chief as seen.
Especially the policies towards the police forces in the past, such as the recent Decree 168/2024, have brought too many inconveniences and lost the people’s hearts.
If General Secretary To Lam is a true national leader, then he should abandon the petty governing mindset of a police general, to innovate with the service mindset of technocrats in the style of a true and professional politician.
According to insiders, the fact that many social networking sites have abused the image of General Phan Van Giang. It could also come from a group of soldiers who have been streamlined or transferred and are dissatisfied, so they secretly oppose.
However, we cannot rule out a „long-term“ possibility, which is a political trick to pave the way for a possible “coup” in the army, under the “green light” from Beijingi. To put a pro-China army general in charge of the General Secretary position in place of To Lam.
This could also be a reason to put pressure on To Lam and the Hung Yen faction so that President Luong Cuong or General Phan Van Giang would continue to stay after the 14th Congress to continue holding the position of Minister of Defense or President if he is still healthy enough.
As for the General Secretary position, To Lam will continue to hold it, this is considered a compromise solution to maintain peace and to balance the two leading political forces today, the army and the police. Let’s wait and see.
Tra My – Thoibao.de
