As of July 1, six newly merged provinces and municipalities in the Mekong Delta have officially adopted the two-tier local government model. The new provinces include Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Can Tho City, An Giang, and Ca Mau.

The Politburo and Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam announced personnel appointments for the Party Secretaries for the 2020-2025 term following the administrative mergers. The Prime Minister also signed off on appointments for the chairpersons of provincial People's Committees for the 2021-2026 term.

Vietnam’s youngest provincial Party Secretary

All six Party Secretaries and provincial chairmen are men. The oldest is Nguyen Tien Hai, the 60-year-old Party Secretary of An Giang. The youngest is Le Quoc Phong, 47, who serves as Party Secretary of Dong Thap and holds the distinction of being the youngest provincial Party Secretary in Vietnam.

Four of the six Party Secretaries are members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party: Ngo Chi Cuong (Vinh Long), Do Thanh Binh (Can Tho), Le Quoc Phong (Dong Thap), and Nguyen Tien Hai (An Giang).

Most of them hold graduate degrees. For instance, Le Quoc Phong holds a PhD in Applied Biology specializing in Biotechnology. Nguyen Van Quyet, Party Secretary of Tay Ninh, has a master’s in Party and State Governance, while Do Thanh Binh, Party Secretary of Can Tho, holds a master’s in Economics.

A generation of 7X chairpersons

Five of the six provincial chairpersons were born in the 1970s. The oldest is Nguyen Van Ut, born in 1969, who serves as Chairman of the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee.

The youngest chairpersons are Tran Tri Quang (Dong Thap) and Ho Van Mung (An Giang), both aged 48. Mung is also an alternate member of the 13th Party Central Committee.

Most provincial chairpersons also hold advanced degrees. Lu Quang Ngoi (Vinh Long) has a PhD in Political Science. Ho Van Mung (An Giang) has a master’s in Economic Management. Tran Tri Quang (Dong Thap) has a master’s in Civil Engineering. Nguyen Van Ut (Tay Ninh) holds a master’s in Economics, and Pham Thanh Ngai (Ca Mau) has a master’s in Economic Law.

Among the group, the only official with a background in the armed forces is Tran Van Lau, Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee and a military colonel.

Some leadership roles were shifted following the mergers. Nguyen Manh Hung, former Party Secretary of Tay Ninh, is now the Standing Deputy Party Secretary and Chairman of the Tay Ninh People's Council.

Ho Thi Hoang Yen, formerly Party Secretary and People's Council Chairwoman of Ben Tre, now serves as Standing Deputy Party Secretary of Vinh Long. Dong Van Thanh, previously Party Secretary and Council Chairman of Hau Giang, is now the Standing Deputy Party Secretary and Chairman of the Can Tho People's Council.

Tran Van Huyen, former Chairman of Hau Giang, is now Deputy Party Secretary of Can Tho.

Truong Canh Tuyen, former Chairman of Can Tho, now serves as Deputy Party Secretary of the city.

Le Van Han, former Chairman of Tra Vinh, now serves as Deputy Party Secretary and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Vinh Long.

Nguyen Thanh Nhan, former Chairman of Kien Giang, now serves as Deputy Party Secretary and Chairman of the An Giang People's Council.

Pham Van Thieu, former Chairman of Bac Lieu, now serves as Deputy Party Secretary and Chairman of the Ca Mau People's Council.

Hoai Thanh