Dien Bien (VNA) – Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vu Hong Thanh on January 14 held a working session with the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on preparations for the elections of deputies to the 16th NA and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term.
According to reports at the meeting, election steering committees have been established in all 45 communes and wards. A 30-member provincial election committee, along with supporting subcommittees, has been formed in accordance with regulations.
With regard to constituencies, the National Election Council (NEC) has designated three constituencies in Dien Bien for the election of deputies to the 16th NA, with a total of seven deputies to be elected. For the provincial People’s Council election, the province has been divided into 11 constituencies, electing 50 representatives for the 2026–2031 term. At the grassroots level, localities have issued resolutions establishing 263 constituencies to elect 926 deputies to commune-level People’s Councils.
The first round of consultations has been conducted on schedule. For the NA election, Dien Bien plans to nominate 12 candidates to elect seven deputies. For the provincial People’s Council, 96 candidates are expected to be nominated to elect 50 deputies, ensuring the required structure and representation. To date, one self-nomination dossier has been received for the provincial People’s Council, and five for commune-level People’s Councils. In parallel, the province has seconded 27 provincial-level civil servants to assist communes and wards with election-related tasks.
Local media outlets have published more than 1,500 news items, articles and photos on election-related activities across print, online, radio, television and digital platforms. Public information materials have also been edited and translated into Thai, Hmong and English to suit local conditions.
Concluding the working session, the NA Vice Chairman requested that the province organise the second and third rounds of consultations in a rigorous manner, ensuring compliance with procedures and timelines while maintaining the required representation structure – particularly female deputies, ethnic minorities, non-Party members, young deputies and re-elected deputies. He also stressed the importance of ensuring the quality and capacity of candidates, given the province’s large geographical area and growing workload.
Thanh further urged Dien Bien to continue reviewing and updating voter lists in a timely manner to safeguard citizens’ voting rights, especially those working or studying away from their localities. While encouraging greater use of information technology, he stressed that this must be accompanied by thorough verification and cross-checking to ensure the election is conducted lawfully, safely and democratically.
Earlier, on the afternoon of January 13, the NA delegation conducted an on-site review in Bung Lao commune, assessing grassroots-level election preparations./.
VNA
