Vietnamese president resigns amid major graft purge

Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong has resigned after just one year in the job, state media announced Wednesday, as the communist country mounts a sweeping anti-graft purge.

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said Thuong was guilty of "violations and shortcomings" and his resignation was accepted by the party's central committee.

The 53-year-old's dramatic fall comes as Vietnam undergoes major political upheaval, with his predecessor also forced out in an anti-corruption drive that has seen several ministers fired and top business leaders tried for fraud.

VNA said Thuong had violated unspecified "regulations" and failed to set a proper example as head of state.

"Comrade Vo Van Thuong's violations and shortcomings have caused bad public opinion, affecting the reputation of the Party, State and himself personally," VNA said.

"Fully aware of his responsibility to the Party, State and People, he submitted his resignation from his assigned positions."

Thuong became president on March 2 last year after president Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned in a sudden move unusual for Vietnam, where political changes have long been carefully orchestrated, with an emphasis on stability.

Before Phuc, only one other Communist Party president had ever stepped down, and that was for health reasons.

While the president is head of state, real power is seen to lie with party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is regarded as the architect behind the anti-corruption drive, which has proved popular among the Vietnamese public.