However, a closer examination reveals a structural anomaly. In an unprecedented move, the Congress Resolution included a directive to propose amendments to the Party Charter “immediately after” the five-yearly event.This directly contradicted pre-Congress statements by senior officials who assured the public and Party base that the Charter wouldn’t be changed.
In the opaque world of Vietnamese politics, where procedure is often as important as personnel, this flip-flop is significant. It signals that the existing political framework, the “four pillars” system carefully maintained by the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, is no longer compatible with Lam’s new emerging power structure.
