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Vietnam to slash provinces as top leader To Lam seeks to consolidate power

Lam ally to oversee appointment of new provincial leaders ahead of party congress in January.

By RFA Vietnamese 2025.04.16 -- Vietnam's ruling Communist Party approved plans to nearly halve the number of provinces, a crucial step toward enabling top leader To Lam, who faces a party congress in January, to stay in power.

The reduction in the number of provinces to 34 from 63 was approved on Monday by the Communist Party's central committee. The same day, the Politburo, the party's highest decision-making body, issued a directive for the appointment of new provincial leaders under the guidance of a close Lam ally.

Lam, who became secretary general of the Communist Party in August last year, faces a key hurdle in maintaining his position in Vietnam's one-party state - he will surpass the age limit to remain in office.

To secure a full term, the party must either grant him an exemption or amend its charter, both of which can only be decided by a majority of delegates at the National Congress.

Rewriting the map of provinces will also serve to significantly reduce the number of delegates at the upcoming congress, from 1,500 previously, strengthening Lam's ability to control the outcomes.

Since becoming leader, Lam has made several moves to consolidate power and shake up governance, an overhaul he says will make the economy more efficient.

Five of 21 state ministries were eliminated and some state and party offices and institutions were shuttered. The consolidation of provinces will be accompanied by a downsizing of lower level administrative divisions.

To bolster his high-level support, Lam has filled the ranks of the 18-member Politburo with allies from his long career as a top police official and from his native Hung Yen province, an hour south of the capital Hanoi.

Lam's moves to consolidate power also come at a time when Vietnam's export reliant economy faces an ever more difficult balancing act between China and the U.S.

President Donald Trump's administration has threatened a 46% tariff on Vietnam's exports, which would cause substantial pain for industries such as electronics and garment manufacturing that employ millions.

The U.S. says Vietnam has become a conduit for Chinese exporters seeking to avoid U.S. tariffs.

Edited by Stephen Wright and Taejun Kang.

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