(VNI Nov. 16, 1996) From sources inside Vietnam, verified by several international news agencies, President Le Duc Anh of the Vietnamese Communist government is in critical condition today, due to possible ruptures in his brain arteries.
This has been the second case of brain hemorrhage among the Politburo, top leadership of the Hanoi regime, this year. Earlier, Dao Duy Tung, a candidate for the highest Party position, Secretary General, suffered the same problem. Both Le Duc Anh and Dao Duy Tung, of the Party-bloc, are bitter enemies of current Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet and his government-bloc. Tung suffered the stroke in June after being outmaneuvered by Kiet and rejected from any significant positions by 90% of the total votes in the Party Central Committee in May.
The general-turned-president Le Duc Anh is reported leading the hardliner faction among Hanoi leadership. Repeatedly in the last six months, Anh posted on the official press warnings of foreign spies and callings for attacks on any "peaceful evolution conspiracies". On the other hands, his opponents in recent months, have circulated serious questions of his involvement in the mysterious deaths of at least three generals, Hoang Van Thai, Le Trong Tan, and Dinh Duc Thien. Questions regarding a significant amount of gold Anh took from Cambodia during his occupation of this country has also been raised.
The Vietnamese Communist leadership has been suffering from many losses through illness and sudden deaths this year. Le Mai, the Deputy Foreign Minister, died suddenly at age 56 without any known illness. A member of the new politburo, Nguyen Dinh Tu, died of heart attack on the first day of the Party's Eighth Congress in June.
Given the current fierce fighting between the Party-and Government-bloc, the departure of Le Duc Anh from power can reduce the power and the will to fight of his camp significantly. There is no sign of who will take his place as the strong man of the armed forces. Behind the stage are general Dao Dinh Luyen, an ally of Vo Van Kiet, and general Le Kha Phieu, a protege of Le Duc Anh.