Tens of millions of Vietnamese were voting on Sunday (15 March) to elect members of parliament from a list of candidates almost exclusively fielded by the Communist Party, ensuring the party's continued overwhelming dominance.

The five-yearly elections will see between 73.5 million and 79 million voters choose 500 members of the National Assembly and representatives for local councils.

Nearly 93% of the 864 parliamentary candidates are Communist Party members, while about 7.5% are independents, according to the National Election Council, down from 8.5% in 2021. 

Vote for new leaders expected in April

Voters interviewed by Reuters at polling stations were largely upbeat, expressing hope that their representatives would continue modernising Vietnam, whose booming economy is undergoing major reforms introduced by top leader To Lam.

"I hope the representatives elected will guide young people in the right direction and introduce policies that better support youth," said 22-year-old Phan Nam Khanh, who cast his vote for the first time.

Election results will be announced on 23 March, parliament chairman Tran Thanh Man said, according to local media. Turnout has exceeded 99% in each of the last seven parliamentary elections, according to the state news agency.    

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The opening plenary session is scheduled for early April, when lawmakers are expected to approve the state's top leaders previously nominated by the party, including the president and prime minister.

Party officials are expected to formally announce their nominees for state leadership before parliament's opening session.

The move would allow the former head of public security to hold both powerful roles for five years, aligning Vietnam's political structure more closely with that of neighbouring China, where Xi Jinping also occupies both positions.  

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vietnam Politics elections National Assembly Southeast Asia Economy political reform