To Lam wins second term to rule Vietnam for the next five years

Vietnam's top leader To Lam was re-appointed on Friday as head of the ruling Communist Party for the next five years after a unanimous vote by its central committee, as he pledged to turbocharge growth in the export-reliant nation.



In the one-party state, Lam was re-elected to Vietnam's most powerful job by all 180 party officials from a newly formed committee at the end of a congress held every five years to set key targets and make leadership decisions, the party said.



Viewed as a bold reformist, before the vote Lam promised two-digit growth. Immediately after re-election, he told the congress he wanted a system based on "integrity, talent, courage, and competence," where performance is assessed against tangible results.