National Assembly re-elects Chairwoman Ngan

July 22, 2016 | 12:58

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The National Assembly has re-elected its incumbent Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan as its leader.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan takes the oath of office, July 22, 2016 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Ngan, 62, has become the first Vietnamese woman to lead the country’s legislature, with 483 (97.77 per cent) out of 490 deputies voting in her favour.

After the ballot, Ngan took the oath of office, vowing to “be absolutely faithful to the country, the people, and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. I will do my utmost to accomplish all tasks assigned by the Party, the state, and the people.”

The legislature has also re-elected its incumbent vice chairpersons, including Phung Quoc Hien, Uong Chu Luu, Tong Thi Phong, and Do Ba Ty.

The leadership will remain in office until 2020.

This is the second time in 2016 that the National Assembly elects new key cabinet personnel. After the 12th National Party Congress in January, this year with Nguyen PhuTrong re-elected as Communist Party General Secretary for the second term, Vietnam saw vacancy in some key leadership positions. Thus, in April, the legislature ratified changes in top personnel, with Ngan as National Assembly Chairwoman.

However, under to the Law on National Assembly Organisation, the first session of any five-year National Assembly term must conduct the election of the new leadership of the National Assembly and the government.

Over the past few years, Ngan has drawn the attention of the National Assembly by headlining in the mass media thanks to her numerous achievements.

Specifically, at the April election, 472 (95.5 per cent) out of 484 deputies voted in Ngan’s favour. Earlier, at the legislature’s November 2014 vote of confidence for officials with positions either elected or approved by the National Assembly, Ngan ranked first among 50 officials, with 390 votes in her favour, or 78.47 per cent of the total National Assembly members.

At a previous National Assembly vote of confidence in June 2013, Ngan also ranked first from 47 officials, with 372 votes in favour, fetching a backing by 74.7 per cent of all National Assembly members.

Notably, in early March 2016, Forbes Magazine listed Ngan as the most influential woman in Vietnam.

According to Forbes, Ngan is a woman of great talent who was first elected member of the Politburo in 2013 and was re-elected by the Party Central Committee at the 12th National Congress.

Before 2013, Ngan experienced the responsibilities of leadership from the grassroots to the central level, across many sectors, including economics, finance, commerce, labour, and social administration.

With her great experience and manifold contributions to society, “Ngan is the most influential woman in Vietnam right now,” Forbes said.

- Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan was born on April 12, 1954 in the province of Ben Tre’s Giong Tom district, in the southern Mekong Delta region. Before 2006, she was the director of Ben Tre’s Financial Department, then the Deputy Minister of Finance and the Party Committee Secretary in the northern province of Hai Duong. She was also a member of the ninth Central Party Committee.

- In 2006, she served as the Deputy Minister of Commerce (the former name for the current Ministry of Industry and Trade) and was re-elected to the tenth Central Party Committee.

- In 2007, she worked as Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

- In July 2011, at the first session of the 13th National Assembly, she was elected as the National Assembly’s Vice Chairwoman.

- In May 2013, she became a member of the Politburo. In January 2016, at the 12th National Party Congress, she was elected to become a member of the Central Party Committee and the Politburo.