While still at the Ministry of Public Security, Pham Minh Chinh and To Lam were two who were promoted to the same police rank at the same time and were assigned equivalent positions. However, Pham Minh Chinh’s highest rank at the Ministry of Public Security was only deputy minister and lieutenant general, while To Lam reached minister and held the rank of general.
Because since 2011, Mr. Pham Minh Chinh left the Ministry of Public Security to become Secretary of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee. Therefore, it can be said that PM Chinh and Minister Lam are colleagues.
If Mr. Chinh was still at the Ministry of Public Security, perhaps he and To Lam would now be fighting in a different way. Fighting each other for the number one position in this Ministry. However, the separation from the Ministry of Public Security brought Mr. Pham Minh Chinh to a higher position.
In terms of the State, Lam is currently Chinh’s subordinate. In terms of the Party, he is also inferior to Chinh, because Mr. Chinh is the third figure in the Politburo, and To Lam is the 7th person in the agency.
The Prime Minister’s office is considered below the General Secretary’s office. One of the reasons is because the Prime Minister’s office cannot control the Ministry of Public Security, even though the PM used to be deputy minister of this ministry.
Previously, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung was Prime Minister, supported by Mr. Le Hong Anh as Minister of Public Security. Mr. Le Hong Anh and Nguyen Tan Dung both grew up from Kien Giang.
PM Chinh is also very ambitious to control the Ministry of Public Security like Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung did, however, To Lam did not join Mr. Chinh’s fraction but joined General Secretary’s group. And perhaps, there is no way To Lam would join the man whom To Lam previously considered his rival at the Ministry of Public Security.
In terms of order among the Four Pillars, Chinh ranks third, but in terms of real power, he ranks second, only behind Trong. Therefore, except for the party’s chief, no one has the ability to dethrone the PM.
According to an insider’s assessment, even the General Secretary would find it difficult to defeat the PM. However, it is possible to suppress the Prime Minister and limit the ability of the PM’s office to “compete for hegemony” in the upcoming 14th party’s National Congress. One of the characters who can help Trong do that is To Lam.
Chinh is a person who is good at calculating. When he left the Ministry of Public Security, he still placed his juniors at the Department of Economic Intelligence – Science, Technology and Environment – B05, Ministry of Public Security, where Chinh used to be director. According to internal information, B05 is Chinh’s “nest” where he intends to raise troops to gradually push them to the top position of the Ministry of Public Security.
However, this attempt was determined to be blocked by To Lam, by keeping Do Manh Son sitting in the position of Deputy General Director, not allowing any of Pham Minh Chinh’s juniors to “raise their heads.”
Do Manh Son, born on July 18, 1963, technically, Mr. Son will have to retire on July 18, 2023, according to the Labor Law. Once Son retires, Chinh’s officials at the Ministry of Public Security will rise. However, To Lam disregarded the law.
Currently, Lam has officially signed a decision to allow Son to continue to stay and hold the position of head of B05 until the end of June 2024. The Labor Law “created” by the National Assembly is not equal to Mr. To’s signature!
Currently, Lam has 8 months left to find a replacement for the position of “old soldier” Son, and it cannot be ruled out that Lam will once again defy the law and keep Son until the end of the term.
At the Ministry of Public Security, Lam is the king. Having seen international law as useless, and often not using laws in arresting people, Lam did not hesitate to step on the law to restrain Chinh’s juniors at the Ministry of Public Security.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
