Party Central Committee elects Politburo, General Secretary

The 11th Party Central Committee holds its first session in Ha Noi yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI — As the first task for its five-year term, the newly elected Party Central Committee yesterday elected a new Politburo, General Secretary, Secretariat, an Inspection Commission and its Chairman.

On Monday, the committee itself was elected by the 11th Party Congress. Then yesterday it elected a General Secretary and officials for the other top posts.

A full list of the Central Committee members are on pages 2 and 3. Details of those holding the other top positions will be announced today.

The Central Committee consists of 175 full members and 25 alternate members.

At yesterday's morning session, Politburo member and permanent member of the 10th Party Central Committee's Secretariat, Truong Tan Sang presented a report appraising opinions gathered from delegates on Party draft documents.

The documents contain strategies for socio-economic development, the political platform, Party statutes, and other themes up for discussion.

Sang's report, based on two and a half days of debate from January 12, covered nearly 1,430 opinions.

The report said the debates were exciting, frank and engaging. It added that most agreed with the documents presented to the Congress, which were praised for touching upon important issues of the nation and Party.

Sang also said that the Party documents had been carefully and scientifically prepared, scrutinised the truth and properly assessed the national situation. However, there were suggestions that some content and definitions be revised.

Sang's report said the theme of the Congress should be maintained. This was about enhancing Party leadership, promoting national synergy, boosting the doi moi (renewal) process and creating a foundation for Viet Nam to become a modern industrialised country by 2020.

Regarding a revised draft platform, Congress was advised to vote for one of two options. The first was to keep the name used in the draft: "Platform for national construction in the Transitional Period toward Socialism (supplemented and developed in 2011)". The second one was to add "and defence" after "construction".

As for the development of a socialist-oriented market economy, the Presidium made no suggested amendments to the draft, which touches upon the relationship between the market economy and socialist orientation as well as policies for the economic sector.

Sang's report also said the phrase used in the draft, "State economy holds the prime role", should be kept.

"Since the 8th tenure, the Party has used ‘State economy', not ‘State enterprises', and it includes public property, the State budget, State funds and State-owned enterprises," Sang said.

"State economy has a prime role, which means it has a decisive role in maintaining socialist orientation, stabilising and developing economics, politics and society."

As regards to the strategy for socio-economic development from 2011-20, the Presidium recommended updating the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) average growth rate during 2001-10 to 7.26 per cent instead of 7.2 per cent and mentioning more about the shortcomings of haphazard investment, improper land policies and power shortages.

There were suggestions to adjust strategy targets, including 8.2 per cent per year of GDP or US$5,000 of GDP per capita by 2020, but Sang said they should not be changed as they had been carefully studied.

Delegates shared ideas on the Political Report with content on Party building, economic growth targets in the next five years and renewal of the organisation of the Party and the political system.

The nine-day sitting is scheduled to conclude today. — VNS