List of prime ministers of Vietnam

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The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Thủ tướng Chính phủ nước Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam), known as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Vietnamese: Chủ tịch Hội đồng Bộ trưởng) from 1981 to 1992, is the highest office within the Central Government. The prime minister is simultaneously the Secretary of the Government Caucus Commission, a Party organ on government affairs, and Deputy Chairman of the Council for Defence and Security, an organ of the National Assembly.[1] Throughout its history, the office has been responsible, at least in theory but not always in practice, for handling Vietnam's internal policies. Since Vietnam is a one-party state, with the Communist Party of Vietnam being the sole party allowed by the constitution, all the prime ministers of the Democratic Republic and the Socialist Republic have been members of the party while holding office. The current prime minister is Phạm Minh Chính, since 5 April 2021. He is sixth-ranked in the Political Bureau (Politburo).[2][note 1]

The Office of the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic traces its lineage back to Hồ Chí Minh, the first Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic. The office has no official connection, or lineage, to the heads of government of the former South Vietnam (with the exception of Huỳnh Tấn Phát, a communist and the last head of government of South Vietnam). Officially there have been 8 prime ministers of Vietnam,[3] but there have been 29 prime ministers of Vietnam if the prime ministers of the Empire of Vietnam and South Vietnam are counted.[4]

The Prime Minister is elected by the proposal of the President of Vietnam to the National Assembly and is responsible to the National Assembly, which elects all ministers to government. Activity reports by the Prime Minister must be given to the National Assembly, while the Standing Committee of the National Assembly supervises the activities of the Central Government and the Prime Minister. Finally, the deputies of the National Assembly have the right to question the Prime Minister and other members of government.[5]

  1. ^ "Quyet đinh cua Ban Bi thư so 48-QĐ/TW: Ve viec lap Ban Can su đang o cac bo va co quan ngang bo, ngay 14 thang 12 nam 1992" [The decision of the Secretariat of 48-QD/TW: Commission for Elaboration of the party in government ministries and ministerial-level agencies, 14 December 1992] (in Vietnamese). Communist Party of Vietnam. 20 June 2012. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Party Congress announces CPVCC Politburo members". Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  3. ^ "Cac Thu Tuong Chinh Phu Tien Nhiem" [The Predecessors of the Prime Minister] (in Vietnamese). Office of the Prime Minister. thutuong-chinhphu.vn. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  4. ^ "Vietnam". worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  5. ^ "Political system". Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Retrieved 20 April 2012.