Ho Chi Minh City gets new chairman

Detailed summary

Le Quoc Phong, 48, standing deputy secretary of the municipal Party Committee, has been elected chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, replacing Nguyen Van Duoc.

At a special session on Thursday morning, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council elected Phong, a member of the Party Central Committee and standing deputy secretary of the municipal Party Committee, as chairman of the municipal People's Committee for the 2026-2031 term, with all 112 votes in favor.

Phong, born in Hanoi, holds a doctorate in biotechnology. He began his political career in the Communist Youth Union and student organizations, previously serving as deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, president of the Vietnam National Union of Students and first secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union's Central Committee.

Le Quoc Phong attends a meeting with farmers, cooperatives and businesses operating in the agricultural sector on the morning of Nov. 11, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Le Tuyet

In October 2020, at the age of 42, he was transferred and nominated by the Politburo for election as secretary of Dong Thap Province's Party Committee for the 2020-2025 term, replacing Le Minh Hoan. At the time, he was the youngest provincial Party secretary in the country. After Dong Thap merged with Tien Giang on July 1, 2025, he continued serving as provincial Party secretary before being transferred to HCMC.

Duoc, 58, Phong's predecessor, is from the former Long An Province, now part of Tay Ninh Province, and holds a master's degree in geology. He spent much of his career working in Long An, where he served as provincial Party Committee secretary before being transferred to HCMC.

Duoc was elected chairman of the HCMC People's Committee by the municipal People's Council on Feb. 20, 2025. After the city merged with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces, he continued in the position and was re-elected for the 2026-2031 term on March 30.

Following Phong's election, the standing leadership of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee comprises the chairman and seven vice chairmen: Nguyen Loc Ha, Nguyen Manh Cuong, Bui Minh Thanh, Nguyen Cong Vinh, Hoang Nguyen…

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