New Delhi: Vietnam has a new president, its third in less than 18 months. To Lam, 66, the nation’s public security minister, took over this week after Vo Van Thuong resigned in March over “shortcomings” and violation of norms of the ruling Communist Party.
Lam was elected unanimously by lawmakers in the National Assembly after the Communist Party nominated him for the post. There was no other candidate in the contest.
Lam is said to have been instrumental in the aggressive anti-corruption campaign led by the Communist Party that was seen as a crackdown on businesses and politicians and led to the exit of three of Vietnam’s top five leaders for “wrongdoings”.
In his first remarks after being confirmed as president, Lam reportedly told the nation’s Parliament that he would “resolutely and persistently continue the fight against corruption”.
While the president’s post is largely ceremonial, it is one of Vietnam’s top four political positions or “four pillars”, and a stepping stone to the position of chief of the Communist Party. According to reports, the only other contender for the post of general secretary is Vietnam’s PM Pham Minh Chinh. It is also being speculated that as security minister, Lam might have misused power to remove his opponents from the race, Reuters reported.
Controversies have surrounded Lam throughout his political career. While security minister, he led crackdowns on civil society groups and was accused of involvement in the 2017 abduction of a former Vietnamese politician from Berlin. He was also seen in a video during the COVID-19 lockdown having a gold-encrusted steak at a London restaurant.
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Kenyan officials reach Haiti, force to be deployed soon
A delegation of Kenya’s command staff has reached violence-ridden Haiti while Kenyan troops are set to arrive soon as part of the UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission which will work in collaboration with Haiti’s police force.
Haiti is grappling with widespread violence that has rendered significant portions of the Caribbean country inaccessible to state control. In February this year, gangs had declared war on the government of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
Led by Kenya’s Recce Commandos, under the 2023 MSS initiative, several countries have pitched in by sending forces. Benin, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh and Chad are all contributing manpower while the US is contributing through infrastructure development, securing supplies, and training the troops.
Kenya’s President William Ruto was in the US this week to meet US President Joe Biden and one of the agendas was the current situation in Haiti.
While Kenyan troops are undergoing training and taking French classes in preparation for deployment, the political opposition in the country is not happy and has called Ruto’s agenda behind this initiative as just “monetary gains”, according to an Al Jazeera report.
There has also been pushback from human rights groups and lawyers.
A court in Kenya declared “that the government did not have the jurisdiction to deploy the police and a special security arrangement with Haiti would be required”. This caused a temporary pause in the MSS mission, which was resumed after a new transitional governing council of new Prime Minister Fritz Belizaire was appointed in Haiti.
Spain, Argentina spar over remarks on Spanish first lady
Spain has permanently recalled its ambassador to Argentina after a row over comments made by Argentina’s President Javier Milei on Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez.
At a rally in Madrid last weekend organised by Spain’s far-right Vox party, Milei spoke about the corruption allegations against Begoña. Without naming her, he said: “When you have a corrupt wife, let’s say, it gets dirty.”
A Spanish court had last month announced an investigation into allegations of corruption against Begoña, leading Sánchez to declare suspension of duties for a week.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares summoned the Argentinian ambassador to Spain over Milei’s comments but it is unclear whether the issue was resolved.
The Argentinian president is not new to controversy nor are Spanish-Argentina relations devoid of it. Earlier this month, Spanish transport minister Óscar Puente accused Milei of using drugs during an election campaign last year.
Milei is himself notorious for launching personal attacks on various heads of state, including those of Brazil and Mexico. To Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, he commonly attributed the title of “communist” before reportedly extending an olive branch last month.
At the far-right rally, Milei also presented his book The Way of the Libertarian, which was earlier withdrawn from Spanish markets.
Mexico, Chile & Brazil hike tariffs on Chinese steel
Within a fortnight of the US increasing tariffs on Chinese imports due to “unacceptable risks to US economic security”, Latin American nations too have increased tariffs on Chinese steel to protect domestic firms. Brazil, Chile and Mexico have increased tariffs on Chinese steel products, even doubling them in certain cases, over issues of “steel dumping”.
China is known to sell products cheaper than local competitors, increasing competition in local markets. Anticipating the hike in tariff, EVs are being transported in a rush from China to Brazil and Mexico, Nikkei Asia reported.
“The biggest threat of Chinese overcapacity is to developing countries,” Jorge Guajardo, Mexico’s former ambassador to China, told The Economist. The market share of Chinese-made vehicles in Mexico has risen to one-fifth in less than a decade.
Colombia, another Latin American country, is expected to follow suit. Here, Chinese shipments reportedly come in at about 50 percent discount.
Taiwan MP’s dash to stop bill from being passed
A brawl among lawmakers in Taiwan’s parliament took a dramatic turn when a lawmaker ran away with a bill under discussion, aiming to stop its passage. The video of the MP, identified as Guo Kuo Wen of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), went viral on social media with users equating him with an American football player.
The bill related to addressing reforms in the chambers of Parliament, with the main opposition party Kuomintang or KMT seeking that the president deliver an annual address “and appear separately to answer questions and provide a range of documents when asked”. It also proposes jail time if officials lie to the legislature, Time reported.
The legislation is being seen as an attempt to “weaken” newly elected president Lai Ching Te of the DPP.
The KMT and opposition Taiwan People’s Party are “improperly trying to force through certain proposals without having a customary consultation process”, DPP told The Hill.
Wen’s was not the only drama during legislative proceedings. Amid scuffling, screaming and shoving in and outside the parliament, KMT legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin at one point pulled out a flute and started to play the national anthem, according to Taipei Times.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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