Former President Le Duc Anh. (Photo: VNA)

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 in revolutionary activities in 1937 and joined the Communist Party of Vietnam in May 1938.

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

He was 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.

He was elected to the National Assembly in the 6^th, 8^th and 9^th 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, of serious 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 made great 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-class Feat of Arms Order, an insignia of 80-year Party membership, and many other noble Vietnamese and international orders and medals.

In memory of comrade General Le Duc Anh, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front decided to hold the funeral of comrade General Le Duc Anh with the national mourning etiquette.

Following is the biography of comrade General Le Duc Anh, former Politburo member, former President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, former Party Central Committee adviser:

Comrade Le Duc Anh (alias Nguyen Phu Hoa; Sau Nam), was born on December 1, 1920 in Loc An commune, Phu Loc district, the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, and resided 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 of Thu 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, Military Zone 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 under the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), then deputy chief and chief of the Department of Personnel.

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

In August 1965, he became chief of the staff of the Southern Command.

In 1968, he served deputy commander of the Southern Command.

In April 1974, he was promoted from Colonel to Lieutenant General of the VPA.

In 1975, he was deputy commander of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

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

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

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

In December 1984, he was promoted to General of the VPA.

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

In February 1987, he became defence minister and vice secretary of the Party’s Central Military Commission.

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

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

He was member of the Party Central Committee of the 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th tenures; secretary of Party Central Committee of the 7^th tenure; and Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th and 8^th 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 6^th, 8^th and 9^th tenures.

In recognition of his significant 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; 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-member funeral board for comrade General Le Duc Anh has been set up, including Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, head of the board; Politburo member and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; and Politburo member and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; and other Politburo members and Party Central Committee members.

The funeral of comrade General Le Duc Anh will be organised with the national mourning etiquette.

He will be laid in state at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi.

The respect-paying ceremony will be held from 7am-11am on May 3 at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong street, Hanoi.

The memorial 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 5pm on the same day at the Ho Chi Minh City Cemetery.

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

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

During the two-day national mourning on May 3-4, national flags will be flown at half-mast at offices and public places, and recreational and entertainment activities will be stopped./.

VNF/VNA