Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang has died

The authorities did not reveal the exact nature of his illness. Together with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, he took over the leadership of the regime in 2016. During his tenure, he received the harsh criticism from the international community for suppressing dissent. His election had confirmed the political domination of the conservatives.

Hanoi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Vietnamese president Tran Dai Quang (photo) died this morning at the age of 61, State media announced. A conservative figure of the communist regime, he had been seriously ill for months, but continued to perform his official duties despite visible fatigue and weight loss. The authorities did not reveal the exact nature of his illness.

Along with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Tran Dai Quang took over the leadership of the regime in 2016. Although his was a rather ceremonial role, he was one of the key men within the powerful Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Pcv) . It names the president and is the highest governing body in the country, being responsible for all the most important decisions. The death of the president does not destabilize the dictatorship: the real number one of the regime remains the general secretary of the Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong.

Former Minister of Public Security, key role of the regime, during his tenure, Tran Dai Quang received the harsh criticism of the international community: he contributed to the repression of any discordant voice, ordering the detention of political prisoners, bloggers or journalists. It was the first time that a police general was elected president in Vietnam. His election had confirmed the political domination of the conservatives, after a CP congress in January 2016 marked by strong struggles between conservatives and reformers.