The nomination of Pham Minh Chinh, a career security official, as Vietnam's next prime minister has been confirmed by the country's National Assembly.

Mr. Chinh will succeed former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who was confirmed as the country's new president earlier on Monday, in a largely ceremonial role.

Mr. Chinh, 62, was the only candidate for the seat put forward by the ruling Communist Party at a congress earlier this year.

On Monday, he received 96.25 percent of the vote in an official National Assembly vote.

He was previously the president of the party's powerful and prominent Central Organization Committee, which has a broad spectrum of authority within the party.

Mr. Chinh was previously the party chief of Quang Ninh province in the north and deputy head of the country's influential internal security agency, the Ministry of Public Security.

After the start of Vietnam's radical "Doi Moi" reforms, he will be the first Vietnamese prime minister who has never served as a deputy prime minister.

Vietnam has no supreme dictator and is ruled by four “pillars”: the Communist Party's dominant General Secretary, a state president, a ruling prime minister, and the chair of the National Assembly, which is effectively a rubber-stamp legislature.

The key candidates for each post were all well-known in Hanoi's political circles, but in December of last year, they were officially declared top secret to avoid potentially damaging debate.

The party maintains close control over the media and does not tolerate any criticism.