Early elections held in border communes in Lai Chau

Voters are casting their ballots at the polling station No 4, Ta Ba Commune in Muong Te District, Lai Chau province. (Source: VNA)

Lai Chau (VNA) – More than 5,800 voters in three border communes in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau casted their ballots on May 15 to elect deputies to the 14th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2016-2021 term, one week ahead of the national election day.

In Ta Ba commune, from dawn, ethnic minority voters donned their traditional costumes and together went to polling stations. The colourful clothes of ethnic minority groups of La Hu and Ha Nhi brightened up the scenery in the border region.

Arriving at the polling station from dawn, Ly Xo Pu, 20, of La Hu ethnic group, happily shared he had butterflies in his stomach as this is the first time he can exercise his citizen right. Pu added that he has carefully studied the information about the candidates and is confident he will make the right choice, selecting capable persons to lead the development of the country and the locality.

At the polling station No 4 in Ta Ba commune, voters lined up for their turn immediately after the flag-saluting ceremony at 7 am.

Leaving the voting room with a happy face, Vang Pe Du, who is over 70 now, is the oldest voter at the polling station. He said whenever the election day comes, he always put aside all work to take part in the big festival with his children and grandchildren.

Du expressed his expectation that elected candidates would be worthy representatives of ethnic minority groups and recommend policies and suitable solutions to help improve the living standards of ethnic minority people.

Ta Ba is a mountainous commune in the border district of Muong Te. In the election of deputies to the National Assembly and the all-level People’s Councils for the 2016-2021 term, the commune has 1,800 voters casting their vote at eight polling stations.

Ly Nhu Chu, Chairman of Ta Ba Commune’s People’s Committee, Ta Ba has a large area sprawling over rough terrains and a scattered population with some hamlets located as far as 60 kilometres away from the centre of the commune.

Therefore, the commune government had to dispatched personnel to serve the election day from May 13.

Voters in the commune will elect 25 delegates out of 40 candidates for the commune’s People’s Council for the 2016-2021 term.

Along with Ta Ba, 4,000 voters in communes of Mu Ca and Ta Tong also went voting early on May 15.

Dao Van Khanh, Chairman of the Muong Te District’s People’s Council and Standing Vice Chairman of the Election Committee, said at 32 early polling stations in the district, most people gathered in the morning to exercise their citizen rights.

Additional voting boxes were also brought to sparsely-populated areas for voters’ convenience.

According to initial statistics from the Muong Te District’s Election Committee, in the morning of May 15, more than 80 percent of voters casted their ballots with order and security at all polling stations ensured.

The polling stations will remain open to 7 pm.-VNA