HANOI, March 15 — Tens of millions of Vietnamese were voting today 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, in which 73.5 million to 79 million voters will choose 500 members of the National Assembly and representatives for local councils, are one of the few nods to democratic practice in the tightly controlled one-party state, where the most powerful positions are decided by Communist senior officials ahead of the vote. Nearly 93 per cent of the 864 parliamentary candidates are Communist Party members, while 7.5 per cent are independents, according to the national election council, down from 8.5 per cent in 2021. The party, which has ruled the Southeast Asian nation unopposed for decades, holds 97 per cent of the seats.

Vote for new leaders expected in April

The unicameral parliament has virtually no power to challenge the party’s key decisions, including on personnel, but it has occasionally amended proposed laws. Voters interviewed by Reuters at polling stations were largely upbeat, expressing hope 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. Nguyen Thi Hoa, 67, ⁠noticed fewer election-themed decorations on the streets and less use of loudspeakers compared with past elections. “I still feel eager to cast my vote and hope the new leaders will speak up for our interests and work on cutting bureaucracy,” she said. Election results ⁠would be announced on March 23, parliament Chairman Tran Thanh Man told local media. Turnout has exceeded 99 per cent 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. The party confirmed To Lam as its general secretary, Vietnam’s most powerful position, during its five-yearly congress in January, when it ⁠also selected the 19 members of the Politburo, its top decision-making body.

Party officials are expected to formally announce their nominees for state leadership before parliament’s opening session, with Lam’s elevation to the presidency widely viewed ⁠as a formality.

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.

Among the candidates are several prominent business leaders who are party members, including Nguyen Thanh Tung, the head of Vietcombank, Vietnam’s largest bank by market capitalisation, and Le Hong Minh, the 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 will bring a fresher, more transparent and more tech-savvy approach,” said 50-year-old Nguyen Van Hang. — Reuters