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Feature: Vietnamese voters have high expectations for new parliament, People's Council members

Xinhua, May 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Vietnamese voters have high expectations for the new members of the country's parliament as the election to select deputies of the 14th National Assembly (NA) and all-level People's Councils began nationwide on Sunday.

"The election is to choose 'spokespeople' for the people. They are the voice of the people and will speak for the right of the people. As such, this election is very important," Nguyen Thi Chong, a retired resident, told Xinhua in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Sunday.

Over 69.265 million Vietnamese voters nationwide are casting their votes for the election of deputies to the country's parliament.

The election, which elects deputies to the 14th National Assembly and all-level People's Councils for the 2016 to 2021 tenure, started at 7 a.m. local time (00:00 GMT) at 91,476 polling stations across the country.

"I have read carefully the introduction of each candidate in my constituency. There are more female candidates this year. I expect that we will have more female representatives who will stay closer to us and better understand us," Chong said.

As many as 500 deputies will be elected to the 14th NA out of 870 candidates. 339 candidates are female among them, accounting for 38.97 percent while 204 candidates are from ethnic minorities, making up 23.45 percent, according to the list of candidates released by the National Election Council (NEC) in late April.

A total of 97 candidates are not members of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), accounting for 11.15 percent while 168 candidates are deputies to the 13th NA.

Meanwhile, provincial People's Councils across Vietnam will have 3,918 seats to be vied for by 6,528 candidates. At the district level, as many as 24,993 out of 41,777 candidates will be elected as council members.

Tran Thi Thu, a 24-year-old student in Hanoi, said NA deputies and People's Council members need to be capable people who have good morals.

"I expect that deputies to be elected will do exactly what they have promised in their campaigns so as not to let voters down," Thu said.

Many other Vietnamese voters also shared the view, hoping that "solidarity and democracy will be well implemented among parliamentary deputies for the stability of the political system and development of the country."

"I hope that parliament and People's Councils will better perform their supervisory roles," Ngo Huyen Trang, 28, told Xinhua.

The result of the election will be announced within 20 days, the NEC said in a press release on Friday.

"Voters always look for better changes. I find that there are more younger candidates at the election of parliament and People's Council deputies this time. I put high expectation on young people who dare to say and dare to do what is good for the people," Hoang Dinh Lan, a 64-year-old doctor, said.

"I also hope that the state leadership will bring the development of Vietnam to a new height, not only in terms of the economy, but also in social areas, including increasing living standards, and reducing corruption," Lan said in Hanoi on Sunday. Endit