New President Trần Đại Quang is sworn into office Saturday morning after 91.5 per cent of total National Assembly (NA) deputies elected him to the position by a secret ballot. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI (VNS) — New President Trần Đại Quang was sworn into office Saturday morning after 91.5 per cent of the total National Assembly (NA) deputies elected him to the position by a secret ballot. 

Quang, who is a Politburo member and Minister of Public Security, was born on October 12, 1956, and currently serves as a deputy of the 13th parliament. 
Among the 481 valid votes, 452 (or 91.5 per cent of the total 494 NA deputies) elected him as the President. 
A resolution on the election of the new State leader was also approved by 93.12 per cent of the deputies at the plenary session. 
In the following swearing-in, Quang thanked the lawmakers for voting for him. 
He vowed to “be absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the People and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, and make concerted efforts to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Party, the State and the People”. 
He also promised to devote himself to serving the Fatherland and the People, uphold the nation’s glorious traditions, and solidify the national great unity bloc, while adamantly and persistently protecting the country’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. 
He will also push forward with comprehensive reforms and raising Việt Nam’s stature and prestige in the international arena, so as to help ensure peace, national independence, democracy, and social progress in the world. 
At the ceremony, the newly-elected NA Chairwoman Nguyẽn Thị Kim Ngân and former President Trương Tấn Sang congratulated Quang on his election.

New President vows to fulfill assigned tasks

In a brief interview granted to Vietnam News Agency reporters, the newly-elected President said being elected to the Presidency was a great honour and responsibility. The experience of his predecessor Trương Tấn Sang and other former State leaders would be invaluable to him in realising the tasks assigned by the Party, the NA and the people. 
Quang said he would apply himself to fine-tuning the legal system to constitutionalise the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress and the amended 2013 Constitution, and also improve the effectiveness of State management. 
He would steer the building of the regular, elite and modern people’s revolutionary armed forces, so as to firmly safeguard the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, along with political stability and peace for national development. 
The new leader added that he would work with, and ask the Politburo and the NA to detail the duties of the President as General Commander of the people’s armed forces, and the organisation and operations of the Council for National Defence and Security, as suggested by Trương Tấn Sang at the ongoing 11th meeting of the 13th NA. 
He would also bolster the implementation of a consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development. He would also promote proactive international integration, and ensuring a peaceful and stable environment while optimising external resources to develop the country. 
Another focus of his tenure would be to press ahead with judicial reforms, thus ensuring pure, strong, democratic and strict justice and the protection of human rights, Quang noted. 
The President would also actively coordinate with the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and its member organisations, to better people’s living standards, protect the rights and legitimate interests of Vietnamese expatriates, enhance democracy and strengthen national unity. 
He added that he hoped Vietnamese people living in the country, and around the world, would join hands in upholding patriotism, grasp opportunities and weather challenges to secure and build a prosperous Việt Nam. 
On Saturday afternoon, the parliament conducted a secret ballot on some senior NA posts. 
As a result of voting, a majority of lawmakers agreed to relieve Huỳnh Ngọc Sơn from his duty as NA Vice Chairman; Ksor Phước from Chairman of the Council of Ethnic Affairs; Nguyễn Văn Hiện from Chairman of the NA Committee on Judicial Affairs; and Phùng Quốc Hiển from Chairman of the NA Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs 
The parliament also let Nguyễn Kim Khoa step down from the position as Chairman of the NA Committee on National Defence and Security; Đào Trọng Thi from Chairman of the NA Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children; Trương Thị Mai from Chairwoman of the NA Committee on Social Affairs; and Nguyễn Hữu Vạn from Auditor General of the State Audit Office of Việt Nam. 
Delegates voted to approve resolutions relating to the discharge. 
The NA is scheduled to convene a plenary session today, with scheduled group discussions on a list of nominees to the positions of NA Vice Chairmen and members of the NA Standing Committee. 
The deputies will touch upon the ratification of a diplomatic note on visa issuance between Việt Nam and the US. 

Biography of President Trần Đại Quang

- Date of birth: October 12, 1956 
- Native land: Quang Thiện Commune, Kim Sơn District, Ninh Bình Province 
- Ethnicity: Kinh 
- Academic title, degree: Professor, PhD in law
+ Political theory training: High level
+ Foreign language: Chinese (master’s degree)
- Date of Party admission: July 26, 1980
- Deputy of 13th National Assembly
- Summary of career:
+ July 1972 - October 1975: Student at people’s police school and school of foreign languages under Ministry of Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Security).
+ October 1975 - June 1987: Officer at Political Protection Department I, and deputy head of Political Protection Department II’s professional office under the Ministry of Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Security).
+ June 1987 - June 1990: Head of staff office and head of professional office, Political Protection Department II, under the Ministry of Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Security).
+ June 1990 – September 1996: Deputy Secretary of Party Committee and deputy head of Security Staff Department, Ministry of Home Affairs (now Ministry of Public Security).
+ September 1996 – October 2000: Head of Security Staff Department, Ministry of Public Security; member of General Security Department Party Organisation; member of General Security Department Party Standing Committee; and Secretary of Security Staff Department Party Committee, Ministry of Public Security.
+ October 2000 – April 2006: Deputy Secretary of Party Committee and Deputy head of General Security Department, Ministry of Public Security; promoted to Major General (2003); and conferred the title of Associate Professor (2003).
+ April 2006 – January 2011: Member of 10th Party Central Committee, member of Central Public Security Party Committee, member of the Central Public Security Party Standing Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security, Promoted to Lieutenant General (2007), and conferred the title of Professor (2009).
+ January 2011 – August, 2011: Politburo member, member of Central Public Security Party Standing Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security.
+ From August 2011 – now: Politburo member (11th and 12th tenures), member of National Defence and Security Council, member of Party Delegation to the Government, Secretary of Central Public Security Party Committee, Minister of Public Security, promoted to Senior Lieutenant General (2011) and General (2012), Head of Central Highlands Steering Committee, deputy of 13th National Assembly, Deputy head of Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption, Deputy head of central internal political protection sub-committee.
+ Elected President of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam at the 11th session of the 13th National Assembly on April 2. — VNS