Viet Nam uses a collective leadership system to manage state power. The country has only one official political party. However, power is not held by a single institution.
The leadership arrangement is called Tứ trụ, or the Four Pillars. The name refers to the four top official posts leading the state administration and the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV).
The four key roles are the General Secretary of the Party, the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the Chairman of the National Assembly.
The Historical Origins of the Four Pillars
In the early days of Viet Nam, the political power was centered on Ho Chi Minh. During his era (1945–1969), he led the Communist Party while also serving as Head of State.
After Ho Chi Minh passed away in 1969, Lê Duẩn took charge of the party as General Secretary (1960–1986). Under his leadership, Viet Nam operated a centralized command economy. Practical power stayed with the General Secretary. Meanwhile, the roles of President and Prime Minister were largely ceremonial.
By the mid-1980s, Viet Nam fell into a deep economic crisis. The economic downturn resulted from collective farming failures, high inflation, and international isolation after military actions in Cambodia.
Lê Duẩn passed away in mid-1986, which left the party at a critical turning point. The 6th CPV National Congress met in December 1986 to fix the economy and end isolation. They launched a reform agenda called Đổi Mới reform. The initiative shifted Viet Nam from a planned economy toward a socialist-oriented market model.
The economic changes under Đổi Mới pushed the party to rethink its political structure. The Vietnamese leaders realized that single-strongman rule was risky for national stability. They needed a collective leadership model to balance political and economic decisions.
The collective approach was officially written into the 1992 Constitution. The document reorganized state authority into four main executive and legislative roles. The framework established the foundation for the Four Pillars system, known as Tứ Trụ.
The Constitutional Basis of the Four Pillars
The 1992 Constitution serves as the core foundation, yet it does not use the term Tứ Trụ explicitly. The Four Pillars concept remains an informal norm within the Communist Party of Viet Nam.
Even so, the 1992 Constitution clearly defines the legal duties of each state office. It lays out specific powers for the President as Head of State, the Prime Minister as Head of Government, and the Chairman of the National Assembly as head of the legislature.
In contrast, the General Secretary of the CPV position is not detailed in government bureaucracy articles. Instead, the General Secretary derives authority from Article 4 of the 1992 Constitution. The article confirms the Communist Party of Viet Nam as the leading force over state and society.
The Selection Mechanism for the Four Pillars
Filling the Four Pillars positions is not a sudden decision. It involves a structured process. The process always starts inside the CPV.
Every five years, the CPV holds its National Congress to outline national goals and select key leaders. Party figures meet behind closed doors to decide who will step into top roles.
Seniority in the Politburo is not the only rule during selection. The party also follows an unwritten rule regarding regional representation.
Candidates from Northern, Central, and Southern Viet Nam share top posts to maintain regional balance. Once the leaders agree, the General Secretary post is approved directly within the party forum.
After party business finishes, the process moves to the National Assembly for official legal steps. The remaining three posts—President, Prime Minister, and Assembly Chairman—are confirmed one after another.
The National Assembly swears in its Chairman first. Next, the Chairman leads the session to confirm the President. Finally, the new President nominates the Prime Minister for assembly approval.
The four leaders serve five-year terms, matching one full party and parliamentary cycle. The National Assembly casts the final votes, but the real choices are set once internal party discussions end.
