SriLanka, Jan. 25 -- Vietnam's leader To Lam was re-elected on Friday as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, cementing his authority at the conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Party, the country's most important political gathering.

The decision, taken unanimously by the newly elected Central Committee, positions Lam as the most powerful political figure in Vietnam.

No announcement was made on whether he will also assume the Presidency. If he were to hold both posts, Lam would wield authority comparable to that exercised by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking the strongest consolidation of power in Vietnam in decades.

The five-day Congress, which ended one day ahead of schedule, brought together nearly 1,600...