Hanoi (VNA) – The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)Central Committee, the National Assembly, the President, the Government and theVietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee have issued a special communiqué,announcing that former President General Le Duc Anh passed away at 20:10 onApril 22, and his funeral will be held as a national mourning.

Comrade Le Duc Anh was born on December 1, 1920 in Loc An commune, Phu Loc district,the central province of Thua Thien – Hue. He started participating inrevolutionary activities in 1937 and joined the Communist Party of Vietnam in May1938.

He was member of the Party Central Committee of the 4th, 5th,6th, 7th and 8th tenures; secretary of Party Central Committee of the 7thtenure; and Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 5th, 6th,and 7th and 8th tenures.

He was President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from September 1992 toDecember 1997, and adviser of the Party Central Committee from 1997 to April2001.

Hewas elected to the National Assembly in the 6th, 8th and 9th tenures.

After a period of illness, despite the wholehearted care by the Party, State,medical group and his family, he passed away at 20:10 on April 22, 2018, ofserious illness and old age at his home on Hoang Dieu street in Hanoi.

Over more than 80 years of his revolutionary activities, comrade Le Duc Anh madegreat contributions to the glorious revolution cause of the Party and the nation.He was awarded with the Golden Star, the first-class Military Exploit Order, the first-classFeat of Arms Order, an insignia of 80-year Party membership, and manyother noble Vietnamese and international orders and medals.

In memory of comrade General Le Duc Anh, the Central Committee of the CommunistParty of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of theSocialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the VietnamFatherland Front decided to hold the funeral of comrade General Le Duc Anh withthe national mourning etiquette.

Followingis the biography of comrade General Le Duc Anh, former Politburomember, former President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, former PartyCentral Committee adviser:

ComradeLe Duc Anh (alias Nguyen Phu Hoa; Sau Nam), was born on December 1, 1920 in LocAn commune, Phu Loc district, the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, andresided at No.5 Hoang Dieu street, Quan Thanh ward, Ba Dinh district of Hanoi.He joined the revolution in 1937 and became a Party member in May, 1938.

In August 1945, the time of the August Revolution, he was military commander ofThu Dau Mot province and a member of the provincial Party committee.

From 1948 to 1954, he served as chief of staff of the Military Zone 7, MilitaryZone 8, Sai Gon-Cho Lon Military Zone, and deputy chief of staff of the Nam Bo(south) Command.

From 1955 to 1962, he was deputy chief of the Department of Operations underthe General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), then deputy chief andchief of the Department of Personnel.

In August 1963, he became deputy chief of the VPA’s General Staff.

In August1965, he became chief of the staff of the Southern Command.

In1968, he served deputy commander of the Southern Command.

In April1974, he was promoted from Colonel to Lieutenant General of the VPA.

In1975, he was deputy commander of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

In May 1976, he was appointed as commander and of Military Zone 9. At thefourth Party National Congress in December 1976, he was elected to the PartyCentral Committee

In June 1978, he was appointed as commander and political commissar of MilitaryZone 7, and member of the Central Military Commission.

In 1981, he was promoted to Senior Lieutenant General, and then appointed asdeputy minister of National Defence and commander of the Vietnamese voluntarysoldier force in Cambodia. At the fifth Party National Congress in March 1982, hewas elected to the Party Central Committee and member of the Politburo.

InDecember 1984, he was promoted to General of the VPA.

At the sixth Party National Congress in December 1986, he was elected to theParty Central Committee, and elected as Politburo member, and served as deputydefence minister and chief of the General Staff of the VPA.

InFebruary 1987, he became defence minister and vice secretary of the Party’sCentral Military Commission.

On September 23, 1992, he was elected as president of the Socialist Republic ofVietnam by the 9th National Assembly.

FromDecember 1997 to April 2001, he was an adviser to the Party Central Committee.

He was member of the Party Central Committee of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th tenures; secretary of Party Central Committee of the 7th tenure; and Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 5th, 6th, and 7th and 8th tenures; President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from September 1992 to December 1997, and adviser of the Party Central Committee from 1997 to April 2001, and Deputy to the National Assembly of the 6th, 8th and 9th tenures. 

In recognition of his significant contributions to the glorious revolution cause of the Partyand the nation, he was awarded with the Golden Star; the first-class Military Exploit Order;first-class Feat of Arms Order; an insignia of 80-year Party membership;and many other noble Vietnamese and international orders and medals.

A 39-memberfuneral board for comrade General Le Duc Anh has been set up, including Party General Secretary andPresident Nguyen Phu Trong, head of the board; Politburo member and PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; and Politburo member and Chairwoman of the NationalAssembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; and other Politburo members and Party CentralCommittee members.

Thefuneral of comrade General Le Duc Anh will be organised with the nationalmourning etiquette.

Hewill be laid in state at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh TongStreet, Hanoi.
 
Therespect-paying ceremony will be held from 7am-11am on May 3 at the NationalFuneral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong street, Hanoi.

Thememorial service will be held at 11am on May 3 at the National Funeral Hall,No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi. The burial ceremony will take place at 5pmon the same day at the Ho Chi Minh City Cemetery.

Atthe same time, the respect-paying and memorial ceremonies for comrade GeneralLe Duc Anh will also be held at the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and thehall of the People’s Committee of Thua Thien-Hue.

TheVietnam Television (VTV) and Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) will broadcastlive the ceremonies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Duringthe two-day national mourning on May 3-4, national flags will be flown athalf-mast at offices and public places, and recreational and entertainmentactivities will be stopped.-VNA