Party and State leaders cast their votes to relieve key cabinet members on Wednesday, setting the stage for the new members to be nominated and confirmed. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — Newly elected Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Wednesday presented to the National Assembly a list of nominees for 14 positions, including two deputy prime ministers and 11 ministers, for his new cabinet.

Lê Minh Khái, former head of the Government Inspectorate and Lê Văn Thành, Secretary of the Hải Phòng City Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Council, were nominated for the deputy PM posts.

Khái, born in 1964 in the Mekong Delta province of Bạc Liêu, holds a bachelor’s degree in politics and a master's degree in economics. Since March 2007, he has served as Vice Government Inspector General, Vice Secretary of Bạc Liêu Party Committee, Chairman of Bạc Liêu People’s Committee, Secretary of Bạc Liêu Party Committee, and eventually Government Inspector General.

Thành, born in 1962 in the northern province of Hải Phòng, holds a masters in economic management. Thành served as the Vice Chairman of Hải Phòng People’s Committee, then Secretary of Hải Phòng Party Committee, and eventually Chairman of Hải Phòng People’s Council since June 2016.

Trịnh Đình Dũng was also relieved of his duty as Deputy Prime Minister on Wednesday. Dũng along with Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hoà Bình did not remain in the 200-plus-member Central Party Committee after the 13th National Party Congress held earlier this year.

PM Chính also presented nominations for 11 ministerial posts and the successor to Khái in the Government Inspector General position.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn, 58, is set to replace Phạm Bình Minh as the next Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Minh will continue in his other role as deputy prime minister, as will Vũ Đức Đam and Trương Hòa Bình, meaning the new cabinet will have a total of five deputy PMs.

Deputy Minister of Defence, Colonel General Phan Văn Giang, 60, is nominated as Minister of Defence, replacing General Ngô Xuân Lịch, 66.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Phạm Thị Thanh Trà, 57, is nominated to be the new Minister of Home Affairs.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng, 57, is nominated as Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, replacing Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện, 62.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lê Minh Hoan, 60, is set to replace Nguyễn Xuân Cường, 61, as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Nguyễn Hồng Diên, 56, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Education and Popularisation, is set to replace Trần Tuấn Anh, 51, as Minister of Industry and Trade.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyễn Thanh Nghị, 44, is set to replace Phạm Hồng Hà, 63, as Minister of Construction.

Former State Auditor General Hồ Đức Phớc is set to replace Đinh Tiến Dũng, 59, as Minister of Finance.

Deputy Chairman of the Government Office Trần Văn Sơn, 50, is nominated to replace Mai Tiến Dũng, 62, as Minister, Chairman of the Government Office.

President of Việt Nam National University Nguyễn Kim Sơn, 54, is set to replace Phùng Xuân Nhạ, 57, as Minister of Education and Training.

Vice-Chairman and General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Hầu A Lềnh, 47, is set to replace Đỗ Văn Chiến, 58, as Minister, Chairman of the Government’s Committee for Ethnic Affairs.

Secretary of Nam Định Province Party Committee Đoàn Hồng Phong, 58, is set to replace Khải as the Government Inspector General.

The predecessors in these 12 posts were officially relieved of their duties by the National Assembly in a vote on Wednesday.

This leaves the nine posts of the Minister of Health, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Minister of Information and Technology, Minister of Justice, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Investment and Planning, Minister of Transport, and Minister of Public Security unchanged.

The parliament spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the nominations and is expected to vote on the issue on Thursday morning. — VNS