Vietnam president offers to resign days after country canceled Dutch State visit

The communist party in Vietnam has agreed to the resignation of President Vo Van Thuong. The president and his wife, Phan Thị Thanh Tâm, were supposed to meet with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima during a State visit, which Vietnam postponed at the last minute.

The government has said that Thuong violated the public’s trust and that this had a negative impact on public opinion. The 53-year-old had been in the position for a year. The Vietnamese parliament must officially approve his departure, which could happen on Thursday.

Although the role of president in Vietnam is largely ceremonial, it is one of the most important political positions in the country. Only the leader of the Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, is more powerful.

The government said that Thuong's "deficiencies" harmed the reputation of the Communist Party, the State and Thuong himself. Police recently arrested the former head of Quang Ngai province for allegations of corruption that took place a decade ago. Thuong was the party chief there at the time.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were supposed to take part in a State visit to Vietnam this week, which was suddenly postponed shortly before their departure at the request of the Vietnamese authorities. The Dutch government's press office said at the time that Vietnam indicated the delay was due to "domestic circumstances."

Vietnam did not provide clarity about the postponement of the royal visit. When asked about the exact reason for the delay, the king said on Friday, "We really don't know," adding that it came as "a total surprise." He called it "a great pity" also for everyone who "worked very hard for months on the State visit."

In the last few days there was speculation about Thuong's possible resignation. Members of Parliament received a letter calling for an "extraordinary meeting" on March 21 on "personnel matters."

Thuong's predecessor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, also resigned more than a year ago. The Communist Party blamed him for "transgressions and misconduct" by officials.