General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam

The general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, less formally the party general secretary or simply the general secretary, is the holder of the highest office within the Communist Party of Vietnam and practically being the foremost political figure in Vietnam. The general secretaryship used to be the second-highest office within the party when Hồ Chí Minh was the chairman, a post which existed from 1951 to 1969, and since 1969, the general secretary has generally been regarded as the de facto leader of Vietnam. The general secretary also holds the title of the secretary of the Central Military Commission, the leading party organ on military affairs. The current general secretary is Nguyễn Phú Trọng, ranking first in the Politburo. The position was once designated the first secretary from 1951 to 1976.