Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)

Truong Thi Mai, the permanent member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat, is the third top leader to step down in the past two months.

After years of focusing narrowly on economic growth, the Communist Party is seeking a different – and sharper-edged – form of legitimacy.

Recent resignations have left two of Vietnam's top leadership positions, and five of the 18 seats on the Communist Party's Politburo, vacant.

The country's corruption crackdown, which has led to the exit of two senior leaders in recent weeks, reflects an alarming escalation of cronyism and party infighting.

The highly-publicized nature of the Van Thinh Phat trial is a possible sign of further political turbulence at the upper echelons of Vietnamese politics.

Coming amid rumors of further political shake-ups, the arrest casts a shadow over the political future of Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

Vo Van Thuong resignation comes barely a year after his appointment to the largely ceremonial post.

The news has added fuel to rumors about the resignation of President Vo Van Thuong, following the cancellation of a visit by the Dutch royal family.

Truong My Lan, the head of a Ho Chi Minh City-based real estate firm, faces charges, along with 84 associates and alleged accomplices.

Directive 24 calls on the Party to counter the influence of "hostile and reactionary forces" taking advantage of the country's increased openness to the outside world.

By drawing public attention to high-level graft, the "blazing furnace" campaign could inadvertently prompt more searching questions about the nature of communist rule.

The clash is a milestone for Hanoi’s South China Sea claims – but marking its 50th anniversary requires discussing the government of South Vietnam.