Early elections took place in a number of provinces across the country on May 21, a day ahead of the official polling day for the 13th National Assembly and local People’s Councils for the 2011-2016 term.

The early elections were mostly organised in mountainous, border, remote, isolated and island localities where transport is difficult.

In the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum , over 17,400 voters from 12 communes, 10 border guard stations and three economic establishments in the districts of Kon Plong, Sa Thay, Tu Mo Rong and Dak Glei cast their ballots on the day.

According to the provincial Election Committee, by late afternoon, the rate of voters going to the polls reached 100 percent.

In the other Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, all of the voters from border guard units stationed in Ea Sup and Buon Don districts had accomplished balloting by 10 am.

By 10:30 am on the day, all of 1,108 voters in the island district of Bach Long Vy of the northern port city of Hai Phong fulfilled their rights and duties by casting ballots to elect deputies to the parliament and People’s Councils at all levels.

The Vietnam – Russia oil and gas joint venture Vietsovpetro organised early elections for 93 voters who are officials, engineers and workers working on the central technology platform and nearby drilling rigs at the Bach Ho (White Tiger) oilfield offshore the central province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau.

Early elections were also held in the mountainous districts of An Lao, Vinh Thanh and Van Cang of the central province of Binh Dinh . All of the local voters, almost 2,200 people, had completed their voting by 12:45 pm on the day.

Meanwhile, military officers, soldiers and policemen in several localities in Can Tho city and Soc Trang province in the Mekong Delta also cast their ballots on the day. They were permitted to take part in early elections so that they can focus on serving and protecting the official elections on May 22./.