Vietnam votes as Communist Party fields 93% of candidates, grip on power unshaken
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The five-yearly elections, in which 73.5 million to 79 million voters will elect 500 National Assembly members and local council representatives, are one of the few signs of democratic practice in the tightly controlled one-party state, where the most powerful positions are determined by senior Communist officials before the vote.
According to the national electoral council, approximately 93% of the 864 parliamentary candidates are members of the Communist Party, while 7.5% are independents; This rate is lower than 8.5% in 2021. The party, which has ruled the Southeast Asian country unopposed for decades, holds 97% of the seats.
VOTE FOR NEW LEADERS IS EXPECTED IN APRIL
The unicameral parliament has virtually no power to object to major decisions of the party, including on personnel, but has occasionally amended proposed laws. Voters interviewed by Reuters at polling stations were largely optimistic and expressed hope that their representatives would continue to modernize Vietnam, whose booming economy is undergoing major reforms introduced by top leader To Lam.
“I hope that the elected representatives will guide young people in the right direction and introduce policies that better support young people,” said Phan Nam Khanh, a 22-year-old first-time voter. Nguyen Thi Hoa, 67, noticed that there were fewer election-themed decorations on the streets and fewer loudspeakers compared to past elections.
“I am still eager to cast my vote and hope that new leaders will speak up for our interests and work to reduce red tape,” he said. Parliament Speaker Tran Thanh Man told local media that the election results will be announced on March 23. Turnout has exceeded 99% in each of the last seven parliamentary elections, according to the state news agency. The inaugural plenary session is scheduled for early April, when MPs are expected to approve the state’s top leaders previously nominated by the party, including the president and prime minister. The party confirmed To Lam as general secretary, Vietnam’s most powerful position, at its five-year congress in January and also elected 19 members of the Politburo, its top decision-making body.
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Party officials are expected to officially announce their state leadership candidates before the opening session of parliament; Lam’s elevation to the presidency is widely seen as a formality.
The move would allow the former head of public security to hold both powerful posts for five years, bringing Vietnam’s political structure closer to that of neighboring China, where Xi Jinping also holds both positions.
The candidates include several prominent business leaders who are party members, including Nguyen Thanh Tung, chairman of Vietcombank, Vietnam’s largest bank by market value, and Le Hong Minh, chairman of technology firm VNG, which owns the country’s most popular messaging app Zalo. “I voted for some Gen Z candidates. I hope they bring a fresher, more transparent and more tech-savvy approach,” said Nguyen Van Hang, 50.
