Nong Duc Manh

Former General Secretary, Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)

Date of Birth: 11\09\1940

Education: Leningrad Forestry Institute, Soviet Union, 1966; Nguyen Ai Quoc Party School.

Career: Joined the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Political Bureau, 1992; elected Chairman of the National Assembly; CPV General Secretary, 2001-11.

Commentary: Vietnam's revolutionary days are long since over and former CPV General Secretary Nong Duc Manh lead an outward-looking country committed to multilateral diplomacy, which took steps to mend relationships (and borders) with China, Laos and Cambodia. Now Vietnam is seeking to develop trade relations with Africa, reaching out to Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco and Central African Republic.

Nong Duc Manh was the most powerful member of the leading troika with President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Said to be more liberal than his predecessor Le Kha Phieu, Manh had overseen a continuation of the doi moi (renovation) reforms that began in 1986 under General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh. The gradual dismantling of the command economy led to impressive long-term growth, but Manh still headed an authoritarian regime, which harshly suppressed dissent. Reporters Without Borders dubbed him a 'predator' for his treatment of critical journalists.