Vietnam names new president, PM

HANOI, Vietnam, June 27 (UPI) -- Vietnam has picked two economic reformers from the south as president and prime minister as part of its effort to play a bigger role in world economy.

The Communist-led national assembly elected Nguyen Minh Triet, 63, who had headed the party in the country's business capital of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) as president. He replaces Tran Duc Luong, 69, who is retiring, the Financial Times reported.

Triet nominated Nguyen Tan Dung, a 55-year-old deputy prime minister, to be the new prime minister in place of outgoing Phan Van Khai. Dung had been the head the country's central bank and as deputy premier he had been overseeing economic reforms.

The two will join Nong Duc Manh, general secretary of the Communist Party, as the ruling triumvirate, the report said.

Analysts told the newspaper they do not expect any fundamental change in Vietnam's overall direction of economic liberalization under tight political control, but that their appointments come at a time of growing challenges for the Communist leadership. They said despite the country's strong economic growth, many citizens remain unhappy with pervasive corruption even at the highest level, the report said.