Vietnam - Rise to power

Nong Duc Manh became a full member of the Central Committee of the CPV in 1989, and was in that year elected to the National Assembly as well, where he assumed the post of deputy chairman of the Assembly's Council of Nationalities. In 1992, Manh was elevated to the post of speaker of the National Assembly, which he held until being elevated to General Secretary of CPV in 2001. As speaker of Assembly, Manh had a reputation as a reliable, moderating voice. He has long advocated greater political power for the Assembly, though as a long-time party functionary he is seen as unlikely to dismantle its monopoly on power. In contrast to his reputation as a moderate, while speaker of the Assembly Manh passed a law granting the Ministry of Culture and Information wide-ranging authority to monitor and control the media.