Hanoi (VNA) – The success of the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all level for the 2026-2031 tenure reaffirms national unity and public confidence, providing an important political and legal foundation for the operation of the legislature and People’s Councils in the new term, stated Vice Chairwoman of the 15th NA Nguyen Thi Thanh, a member of the National Election Council (NEC) at the first session of the 16th NA.
Delivering a NEC election review report, Thanh said the election was the largest ever organised, with more than 76 million voters participating at 72,000 polling stations nationwide.
With a voter turnout of 99.7% - the highest across tenures - the election became a broad political event reflecting strong political awareness, civic responsibility, public trust and high social consensus, Thanh underlined.
Many localities recorded exceptionally high voter turnout and completed voting early, including Vinh Long (99.999%), Lao Cai (99.998%), Hue (99.996%), Tuyen Quang (99.99%) and Ha Tinh (99.99%). Major urban centres such as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi also achieved turnout rates exceeding 99% despite large and mobile populations.
Voters nationwide elected all 500 deputies to the 16th NA from 863 candidates, of them 214 are centrally nominated and 286 locally nominated, while no self-nominated candidates won seats. A total of 145 centrally assigned full-time deputies were elected.
Regarding structure, female deputies account for 150 seats (30%), ethnic minority representatives 76 (15.2%), non-Party members 18 (3.6%), and deputies under 40 years old 33 (6.6%). Returning or former deputies number 247 (49.4%), including 230 re-elected from the 15th tenure, while 253 deputies are first-time members. Most deputies hold postgraduate qualifications (83.6%).
The proportion of full-time deputies reached 40% - the highest level ever - reflecting continued efforts to improve professionalism and reduce concurrent positions. Notably, the new legislature includes, for the first time, a representative of the O Du ethnic group, while the stable 30% female representation demonstrates progress in gender equality and inclusiveness.
Thanh emphasised that under the close leadership of the Party leadership and coordinated efforts of the entire political system, the elections achieved comprehensive success. Nationwide, voters elected 2,552 provincial-level People’s Council members and 72,440 commune-level representatives.
Democratic, transparent and lawful principles were ensured throughout the process, from candidate nomination and consultation to voting and vote counting. Security and social order were maintained, while complaints and petitions declined compared with the previous tenure.
Highlighting lessons drawn from the election, the NEC recommended further amendments to the Law on Election of Deputies to the NA and People’s and adjustments to the Law on Organisation of Local Government, including reviewing the number of People’s Council deputies based on population and local conditions.
According to the report on verification of deputies’ eligibility, the election was conducted in line with principles of universal, equal and direct suffrage through secret ballot, ensuring legality and democracy throughout the process.
All 500 deputies were elected across 182 constituencies in accordance with legal provisions. As of March 25, 2026, 498 elected deputies faced no complaints or denunciations, while two deputies were subject to reflections that were later reviewed and deemed unfounded by competent authorities.
Following careful verification, relevant subcommittees confirmed that both individuals fully met eligibility requirements. After written consultation and voting, all members of the NEC unanimously adopted a resolution certifying the eligibility of all 500 elected deputies.
On March 27, the NEC officially issued Resolution No. 238/NQ-HDBCQG confirming the qualifications of deputies to the 16th NA./.
