Earlier, the NA heard a report by Nguyen Thi Thanh, head of the NA Standing Committee’s Commission for Deputy Affairs, on the dismissal of Long from his post as a deputy of the 15th NA of Vinh Long province’s delegation of deputies; and a report by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the removal of him from the position as the Health Minister in the 2021-2026 term.

Through the voting, 473 deputies, or 94.79 percent, agreed with the dismissal of Long from the post as a 15th NA deputy, and six deputies disagreed.

Meanwhile, 471 deputies, equal to 94.39 percent of the total, were in favour of the removal of Long from the post of the Health Minister, and eight casted “No” vote.

One day earlier, Long was expelled from the Party, together with Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh who is former Minister of Science and Technology.

The two officials were found to violate the Party and the State's regulations, causing very severe consequences and losses to the State budget, undermining the COVID-19 fight, causing social unrest and affecting the reputation of the Party, the health ministry and the science and technology ministry.

Hanoi City chairman unseated

Chu Ngoc Anh has been ousted as chairman of Hanoi City by the municipal People’s Council for his involvement in Viet A Technology Corporation’s price gouging of Covid-19 test kits.

All the deputies of the council present at a meeting this afternoon, June 7, agreed to remove Anh from the post, the local media reported.

In March, the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission concluded that the leader of the Ministry of Science and Technology in the 2016-2021 tenure, Chu Ngoc Anh, showed a lack of responsibility, slack leadership and poor supervision. He also let some senior officials of the ministry and agencies violate Party and State regulations on the approval of agencies to sign contracts and assess, manage, inspect, supervise and pay costs for the research and production of Covid-19 test kits of the Vietnam Military Medical Academy.

At its extraordinary meeting in Hanoi on June 6, the Party Central Committee decided to expel Chu Ngoc Anh from the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Chu Ngoc Anh, aged 57, who lives in Hanoi City, served as Minister of Science and Technology from April 2016 to September 2020. He was elected as chairman of Hanoi City in September 2020.

This is the second time the Hanoi People’s Council has removed the Hanoi leader over the past two years. Chu Ngoc Anh’s predecessor was Nguyen Duc Chung.

Source: VNA