Vietnam appoints female deputy prime minister for first time

Vietnam’s National Assembly has approved the appointments of Phạm Thị Thanh Trà, former Minister of Home Affairs, and Ho Quoc Dung, former Party Secretary of Gia Lai Province, as Deputy Prime Ministers. 

The vote took place during the ongoing 10th and final session of the 15th National Assembly in Hanoi, Caliber.Az reports per the Vietnamese government website.

The motion, proposed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, was supported by 429 of the 430 deputies present.

Pham Thi Thanh Cha, 61, a native of the central province of Nghe An, becomes the first woman in Vietnam’s history to serve as Deputy Prime Minister. With the latest appointments, the current cabinet leadership now includes ten members: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and nine deputies — including First (Permanent) Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh, Tran Hong Ha, Le Thanh Long, Ho Duc Phoc, Bui Thanh Son, Nguyen Chi Dung, Mai Van Chinh, Pham Thi Thanh Cha, and Ho Quoc Zung.

During the session, the National Assembly also approved three ministerial appointments proposed by the Prime Minister. Le Quoc Chung, who had served as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs since August, was officially confirmed in the role. Do Thanh Binh replaced Pham Thi Thanh Cha as Minister of Home Affairs, and Tran Duc Thang was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Protection.