Can the elderly be village chief?

Lao Dong Newspaper Legal Consulting Office replied:

Article 2 of the 2009 Law on the Elderly stipulates: The elderly defined in this Law are Vietnamese citizens aged 60 years or older.

Article 11 of the consolidated document Circular 08/VBHN-BNV dated October 27, 2022 of the Ministry of Home Affairs guiding the organization and operation of villages and residential groups, stipulating the standards for Village Head, Residential Group Head and Deputy Village Head, Deputy Residential Group Head as follows:

The village chief, head of the residential group and deputy head of the village and deputy head of the residential group must be a person with a permanent household registration and reside regularly in the village or residential group; be 21 years of age or older, be healthy, enthusiastic and have a sense of responsibility in their work; have good political qualities and moral qualities, and be trusted by the people; themselves and their families are exemplary in implementing the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws and local regulations; have cultural knowledge, capacity, experience and methods of mobilizing and organizing people to effectively carry out the self-management work of the residential community and the work assigned by superiors.

Thus, the current law only limits the minimum age, not the maximum age, to become a village chief, and the elderly can be elected as village chief if they meet the above regulations.