National Assembly and People’s Councils elections: A national festival of sovereignty

Hanoi is vibrant with flags and flowers ahead of the election of the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels. (Photo: VGP)

This is not just a significant political event but also a festival for the entire nation. It is an occasion for voters and citizens across the country to exercise their sovereignty, electing representatives who embody their will and aspirations to participate in the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels – the highest state power bodies at both central and local levels. This contributes to building and perfecting a socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people, and for the people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

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1. Citizens' rights to participate in political life have been increasingly recognized and guaranteed through continuous legal system improvements, ensuring civil and political rights. From constitutional documents – Article 28 of the 2013 Constitution: “Citizens have the right to participate in state and social management, discuss and make recommendations to state agencies on local and national issues.” Citizens directly participate in state and social management through forms such as building government (exercising the right to vote and stand for election), discussing national and local issues, contributing opinions on draft legal documents, voting in referendums; or indirectly through representative bodies (National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels), the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and political-social organizations of which they are members. The Constitution and laws of Vietnam also have provisions allowing citizens to participate in state and social management through monitoring the activities of state agencies, officials, and elected representatives.

The 2011 Law on Complaints, the 2015 Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and People's Councils, the 2015 Law on Referendum; the 2018 Law on Denunciations, the 2022 Law on Grassroots Democracy... are important legal bases for people to exercise their rights to participate in the country's political life. The Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and People's Councils has also expanded the electorate to include those temporarily detained, those undergoing compulsory education or rehabilitation, allowing their names to be included in the voter list to elect deputies to the National Assembly and provincial People's Councils where they are detained or undergoing compulsory measures, affirming the principle of “leaving no one behind” in the country's political life.

Nearly 79 million voters nationwide participated in the election on March 15. (Photo: VGP)

2. Each ballot not only represents the sovereignty of the people but also entrusts faith in truly deserving representatives who will join the people in building a progressively developing, strong, and prosperous Vietnam. Over 76 million voters nationwide (accounting for 99.38%) exercised their voting rights, choosing worthy representatives for over 100 million citizens to decide strategic issues in the upcoming term.

For Hanoi, the nation's capital, representing a key urban area in culture, politics, and science and technology, digital transformation and urban restructuring towards modernity and sustainability are aimed at creating a civilized and modern capital. For Ho Chi Minh City, this is also a significant event, marking the first election under its status as a "mega-city" – Vietnam's economic and financial hub, aiming for the Top 100 global cities.

Voters in the country's two largest cities look forward to the National Festival with much faith and expectation to "choose the right person," hoping their ballots will elect dedicated representatives with sufficient capability, virtue, and talent to shoulder the responsibility of representing the people's will, aspirations, and legitimate rights. They will participate in developing economic-social development programs and policies, deciding major issues for the locality and the nation.

Long-standing "bottlenecks" in urban areas such as traffic congestion, flooding, environmental pollution, food safety, urban order, traffic jams, waterlogging, public asset management and use, prolonged projects, and overloaded primary healthcare aim to unlock resources for urban development.

For localities, facing the challenge of maximizing growth poles with comprehensive strategies and proposals for breakthroughs, the trust placed in elected representatives becomes even stronger. Candidates also emphasize promoting knowledge-based economic development; growth based on productivity, science-technology, and innovation, digital transformation; attracting talent in key fields; training and developing human resources, especially high-quality human resources to meet the development requirements of each locality and international integration and competition.

Politburo Member, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung exercises his citizen rights and duties, casting his vote for the deputies of the National Assembly of Vietnam and People's Councils at all levels. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

3. With their ballots, what trust and expectations do voters place in the representatives they elect?

First and foremost, they must be individuals with strong political courage and a clear sense of their representative mission. National Assembly deputies are entrusted by the people to exercise the highest state power, so they must prioritize national interests above all, not swayed by local or group interests.

Secondly, representatives must have the capacity for high-level policy planning and critique. Issues such as digital transformation, green transition, artificial intelligence, climate change, and population aging require legislative foresight, based on empirical data, with forecasting abilities and adherence to international practices. Laws must be transparent, stable, feasible, and truly become a driving force, removing "bottlenecks" for the economy.

Third is professionalism and ultimate responsibility. The National Assembly is increasingly raising the proportion of full-time deputies, requiring each representative to seriously invest in parliamentary work; thoroughly prepare; engage in frank yet constructive debates; and supervise not just to raise issues but to create substantial changes. Representatives must pursue post-supervision recommendations to ensure laws and resolutions are implemented in life.

Finally, integrity and political courage are essential. The National Assembly is the highest democratic forum. Representatives must dare to speak, raise difficult issues, and take responsibility. The integrity of each representative will strengthen the people's trust in the highest state power body.

For voters, each ballot not only selects worthy representatives of the people's will and aspirations but also reflects the desire for an increasingly efficient, people-oriented, and people-serving state apparatus.

According to experts, with the action spirit and high goals set at the 14th National Party Congress, such as double-digit growth, making our country a high-middle-income country by 2035 and a high-income country by 2045, while institutions are identified as the "bottleneck of bottlenecks," the responsibility placed on the 16th National Assembly is immense, especially in rapidly perfecting institutions, removing "bottlenecks" to pave the way. Additionally, the quality of the selected deputies must meet the requirements to build a truly professional 16th National Assembly and a new term People's Council system that acts decisively to propel the country forward in the nation's era of resurgence.

Choosing the right individuals with sufficient courage, intelligence, and development aspirations to build a truly innovative, professional, decisive, and people-serving National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels is essential to meet the development requirements in the country's new era. We have faith when every action and deed is measured by results, creating an investment-business environment, building the trust of the people and businesses in the effectiveness and efficiency of the apparatus and the nation's position on the international stage.

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