New Delhi, April 7 -- Vietnam's National Assembly elected Communist Party chief To Lam as president on Tuesday, consolidating the country's top party and state roles in a rare concentration of power as he moves to tighten control and tackle economic headwinds.

Lam was the sole nominee for the five-year post, with the assembly's approval largely a formality in the one-party state. The 68-year-old received 99% of the vote in results announced at the parliamentary session in Hanoi.

My top priority "is to secure peace and stability while promoting rapid, sustainable national development," Lam told delegates.

While Lam held both jobs briefly in 2024, he's the first person to secure the twin roles at a party congress. Only a small group of V...