Will ‘one-man model’ work for Vietnam as To Lam looks set to consolidate power?

Vietnam’s Communist Party five-yearly congress is set to consolidate more power for General Secretary To Lam, whom observers say has behaved like he “expects a mandate”.But term and age limits on the leadership are expected to remain, they add, leaving Lam as just a “first among equals” when the conclave concludes on Sunday.The congress – where the one-party state’s highest decisions are made – opened on Monday and will set key economic targets for the country as well as pick new leaders.Leadership selection includes its most powerful position of general secretary, currently held by Lam, who was first named to the post in August 2024.Addressing the nearly 1,600 delegates at the congress on Tuesday, Lam pledged an annual economic growth of more than 10 per cent for the remainder of the decade.Pointing to external challenges such as security risks, fierce strategic competition and major disruptions in energy and food supply chains, Lam said Vietnam needed to cut red tape and expand global trade to protect its national interests.