National Election Council reviews general election

Hanoi (VNA) – The National Election Council (NEC) held a conference in Hanoi on July 18 to summarise the results of the election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and the People’s Councils at all levels for 2016-2021.

Addressing the event, head of the council, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, said that success of the general election in May this year is a foundation for the building, reinforcement and completion the law-governed socialist State of the people, by the people and for the people in Vietnam .

It is also significant to the implementation of the 12th National Party Congress resolution as well as the socio-economic development plan for the whole tenure and in 2016, she said.

Meanwhile, NEC Standing Vice Chairwoman, NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong affirmed that the election was organised soundly, ensuring democracy, equality, lawfulness and safety. It was a true festival of the whole community, she said.

According to the council, 67,049,091 out of 67,485,428 eligible voters nationwide, or 99.35 percent, went to the polls.

A total of 496 deputies were elected on May 22 -- the election day -- and an additional vote in Mekong Can Tho city on May 29.

Eighty-six deputies are ethnic minorities, 133 are women, 21 are non-Party members, and 71 are below 40. Meanwhile, 160 NA deputies were re-elected, accounting for 32.3 percent, 317 joined the NA for the first time, 310 are post-graduates, and 180 are university graduates. There are two self-nominated.

Up to 3,098 were elected to the provincial People’s Councils in the 2016-2021 tenure. The respective figures for the district and communal level People’s Councils were 25,181 and 292,306.

After the voting results announced, the NEC and the election committees at all levels verified the eligibility of the elected deputies.

Accordingly, 494 elected NA deputies have their eligibility recognised, two fewer than the election results. The verified deputies for the People’s Council at provincial, district and communal levels are 3,907, 25,180, and 292,305, respectively.

Speaking at the event, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said the success of the election reflects political awareness, responsibility and patriotism of voters. It showed that people put trust in the Party’s leadership and Government’s management, exercised their rights to mastery, and displayed the national solidarity.

He urged the NA and the People’s Council at all levels to renovate their operation towards higher quality and efficiency, while asking deputies to uphold their role and responsibility to well perform their assigned tasks.-VNA