Tens of millions of Vietnamese voters went to the polls on Sunday to elect members of the National Assembly, with nearly 93% of candidates fielded by the ruling Communist Party, underscoring its continued control over the one-party state.
The election, held every five years, involved between 73.5 million and 79 million eligible voters choosing 500 deputies for the National Assembly as well as representatives for local People’s Councils.
According to the national election council, 93% of the 864 parliamentary candidates are Communist Party members, while 7.5% are independents, down slightly from 8.5% in the 2021 election. The party currently holds 97% of seats in the assembly.
Vietnam’s National Assembly, a unicameral legislature, has limited authority to challenge core party decisions on personnel or policy, though it has occasionally revised draft legislation.
Voters at polling stations said they hoped newly elected deputies would focus on modernisation, youth engagement, and reducing bureaucracy.
Twenty-two-year-old Phan Nam Khanh, voting for the first time, said: “I hope the representatives elected will guide young people in the right direction and introduce policies that better support youth.”
Sixty-seven-year-old Nguyen Thi Hoa noted changes in the election atmosphere. “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, adding that she had noticed fewer election decorations and loudspeakers than in previous years.
Fifty-year-old Nguyen Van Hang said he supported younger candidates. “I voted for some Gen Z candidates. I hope they will bring a fresher, more transparent and more tech-savvy approach.”
Turnout figures showed strong participation. By 4 pm on election day, more than 93% of voters had cast ballots, with some provinces approaching full participation.
Historical data from the state news agency indicates turnout has exceeded 99% in each of the last seven parliamentary elections.
Parliament Chairman Tran Thanh Man said official results would be announced on 23rd March. The inaugural session of the new assembly is scheduled for early April, when deputies are expected to formally approve party-nominated state leaders, including the president and prime minister.
To Lam, who was confirmed as Communist Party general secretary at the party’s five-yearly congress in January, is widely expected to also assume the presidency. If confirmed, the former public security chief would hold both positions for the next five years, similar to the leadership structure in neighbouring China under Xi Jinping.
The election follows the party’s January congress, where the 19-member Politburo was also selected.
Among the candidates were prominent business figures aligned with the party, including Nguyen Thanh Tung, head of Vietcombank, Vietnam’s largest bank by market capitalisation, and Le Hong Minh, chairman of technology firm VNG, which owns the messaging app Zalo.
Vietnam’s political system emphasises centralised leadership to support economic growth, development, and stability, while the National Assembly primarily serves to ratify party decisions and review legislation.
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