Vietnam National Assembly head resigns amid graft purge
Vietnam's National Assembly has resigned, the ruling Communist Party said Friday, one of the most senior leaders to fall in a sweeping anti-corruption purge.
Vuong Dinh Hue asked to step down because of «violations and shortcomings», the party said in a statement on its website.
Thousands of people, including top officials and senior business leaders, have been caught up in the Southeast Asian country's «blazing furnace» crackdown on graft.
«He violated regulations on what party members cannot do and regulations on the responsibility for setting an example for officials and party members,» the party statement said.
«Comrade Vuong Dinh Hue's violations and shortcomings have caused bad public opinion, affecting the reputation of the Party, State and himself.»
Hue was one of Vietnam's four most powerful leaders as head of the one-party state's rubber-stamp national assembly.
Another, president Vo Van Thuong, was forced out last month after just a year in the job — also for unspecified «violations and shortcomings».
Hue's resignation has been accepted by the party's central committee but the National Assembly will have to hold a session to confirm the move.
According to an earlier announcement, the assembly will convene its regular summer sitting on May 20.
While the party statement gave no details of Hue's transgressions, police on Monday made public the arrest of his assistant Pham Thai Ha for alleged «power abuse».
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