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.
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.
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.
An unknown projectile struck a tanker 68 nautical miles northeast of Saudi Arabia on Friday according to a report released by the United Kingdom Ma...
Nationwide protests are set to begin in France on Saturday with students, trade unionists and remna...
Uzbekistan welcomed 10.3 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2026, up 20.4 per cent year-on-year, as the Central Asian nation push...
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called it “a disgrace” that Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries. Attacks are continuing from Russia and Ukraine as media reports say Ukraine has almost run out of Patriot interceptor missiles.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
France is preparing for a fresh wave of nationwide demonstrations this weekend as rising living costs, education concerns and growing political tensions converge into one of the most significant protest movements seen in the country in recent years.
Nationwide protests are set to begin in France on Saturday with students, trade unionists and remnants of the Yellow Vest movement expected to demonstrate against rising living costs amongst others.
European Union leaders wrapped up a summit in Brussels with agreement emerging on several key issues, including support for the automotive industry, trade tensions with China and financing for Ukraine.
What would you miss most after six months orbiting Earth, 400 kilometres above the ground? For astronauts, a familiar meal can offer a welcome taste of home. China is making that possible, bringing everything from dumplings to Kung Pao chicken to its space station.
A group of U.S. lawmakers is seeking to halt the Trump administration's agreement to purchase and import Russian diesel fuel, arguing that the arrangement would benefit Moscow financially while offering little relief to American consumers.
The Trump administration is once again searching for a new chief spokesperson after Katie Zacharia was removed as White House press secretary less than a week after taking the position, in what appears to be one of the shortest tenures in the history of the role.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment