Vietnam parliament swears in top policeman as president

Tran Dai Quang (L) shakes hands with former Communist Party's Chief Inspector Nguyen Van Chi (R) next to National's Assembly delegate Duong Trung Quoc (C) before the opening ceremony of the Spring Session of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Vietnam in Hanoi, Vietnam March 21, 2016. REUTERS/Kham

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's parliament swore in Tran Dai Quang as president on Saturday, elevating the head of a controversial internal security agency to one of the communist nation's most powerful political posts.

Quang's approval was a formality since he was the only candidate put forward by the party's five-yearly congress in January. The outgoing National Assembly is overseeing the transition to a new government three months earlier than scheduled.