Pham Van Ca, a resident on Hang Tre street in Ly Thai Tho ward, Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district, got up early on May 23 to prepare for casting ballot. Voting began at 7am across around 80,000 voting units nationwide in the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Council at all levels in the 2021 - 2026 tenure. The election is a great festival of the nation, a chance for voters to exercise the rights and obligations of citizens in selecting capable persons to represent the people’s will, aspiration, and right to mastery in the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Not many people know that the 95-year-old man was one of the first voters to cast ballots to elect deputies to the first-tenure NA and People’s Councils in 1946. In the 2021 elections, more than 69 million voters across the country went to the poll to elect 500 deputies to the 15th NA among 866 candidates. Meanwhile, 3,726 deputies were selected among 6,199 candidates to provincial-level People’s Councils, 22,952 deputies to district-level councils among 37,468 candidates, and 242,312 deputies to communal-level councils among 405,244 candidates. As the elections took place amid the complicated COVID-19 situation, preparations were made thoroughly to ensure health safety for the people. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Ca is the eldest voter and also the first to cast ballot in Ly Thai To ward. In the State apparatus of Vietnam, the NA is the highest representative body of the people and the supreme organ of State power of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It exercises constitutional and legislative rights, decides on key matters of the country, and performs supreme supervision over the State’s activities. The legislature is the highest organ of State power as the Constitution stipulates that all power belongs to the people and the people are the subject of State power. The NA is elected by the people, serving as the highest State agency exercising the people’s power. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
May 23 is a special Sunday when Pham Van Ca and nearly 69 million voters across Vietnam cast ballots to elect deputies to the 15th-tenure NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021 - 2026 tenure. Under the Constitution, the legislature has the right to make and adjust the Constitution and laws. It stipulates the most basic and important matters regarding the format and nature of the State; acknowledges, respects, protects, and ensures the fundamental rights and obligations of citizens; and prescribes the basic contents on economic, social, cultural, educational, scientific, technological, environmental, and national defence mechanisms, and the State apparatus. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
From his home in an old apartment building on Hang Tre street, he has to both walk and rest thrice to reach Polling Station No. 2, based at the Chim Non Kindergarten at No. 42 Hang Tre street. Through law making and revision, the NA adjusts social relations in each sector. It also decides on the country’s important matters, including major policies, national plans and people’s livelihoods, and basic policies on internal and external affairs, along with socio-economic and national defence and security tasks. The parliament exercises the right to supreme supervision over all activities of the State and reviews the implementation of the Constitution and laws. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Ca said he wants to go to the polling station by himself without help from his descendants or organisers since the elections are a great event of the country. The NA is the people’s highest representative body as reflected through its formation. It is elected by voters nationwide in universal, equal, and secret ballots. The legislative body represents the will and aspirations of the people and is empowered by the people to decide on the country’s major matters. It takes responsibility before the people. NA deputies form the most basic and important factor in the legislature. They must be eminent citizens in all State and social activities, representing people from all social strata and ethnic groups nationwide. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Given complex COVID-19 developments, pandemic safety measures issued by the Ministry of Health have been carried out at all polling places to ensure safety for voters. The legislature is the image of the great national unity bloc, and a symbol of the power of brainpower of the whole nation. The functions and tasks of the NA have been reflected in areas such as constitution-making, legislation, supreme supervision, and decision-making on the country’s important matters, in order to serve the shared interests of the people. Over the past 75 years, the NA has been dedicated to working for the national interests, raised the people’s voice, and acted on behalf of the will and aspirations of the people. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The polling station at the Chim Non Kindergarten on Hang Tre street is not too far from Ca’s home. In Vietnam, election is the mode for the people to select their representatives in the people-elected bodies at central and local levels, namely the NA and People’s Councils of different levels. Thereby, the people’s power is converted into the state power and agencies formed by the people via election become the state-power agencies at the central and local levels. According to the Constitution and the Law on the NA Organisation, the legislature performs three main functions: exercising the constitutional and legislative rights, deciding on important issues of the country, and performing supreme supervision over the State’s operations. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
There are five polling stations in Ly Thai To ward of Hoan Kiem district. Both the 1992 Constitution (revised in 2001) and the 2013 Constitution set the orientation of building the Vietnamese State into a law-ruled socialist state of the people, by the people and for the people. Hence, the law-ruled Vietnamese State must be set up by the Vietnamese people. Through the elections of NA and People’s Council deputies, the people’s mastery is demonstrated in accordance with the nature of the socialist state ruled by law. The current’s election regime in Vietnam is provided in the 2013 Constitution and further detailed in the 2015 Law on Election of NA Deputies and People’s Council Deputies. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Pham Van Ca is also one of the first voters to cast ballots in Hanoi. Prior to the election day, election campaigns by 866 candidates for the election of deputies to the 15th NA and nearly 449,000 others for the election of People’s Councils at all levels in 2021-2026 tenure were completed in accordance with law and in a safe manner despite the complicated COVID-19 situation. By law, election campaigns must complete 24 hours before the voting starts. Under Article 65 of the Law on Election of NA and People’s Council Deputies, candidates can campaign through direct meetings with voters in their electorates or via mass media to report their own action plans and discuss issues of concern. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Pham Van Ca has never missed any general elections since the first was held in 1946. This year, as Vietnam is coping with COVID-19 outbreaks, under the directions of the National Election Council and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, meetings with voters were held in a flexible and creative manner to both meet anti-COVID-19 requirements and comply with law. In localities in the normal status or applying social distancing measures, meetings with voters were held both online and offline. Meanwhile, in areas under restrictions or lockdown, election campaigns via mass media were encouraged. For the first time in the history of elections in Vietnam, meetings with voters were held in the form of videoconference. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Before voters cast ballots, the election organising group examines ballot boxes in front of voters to guarantee transparency and objectivity. This is also a measure for voters to directly monitor the elections. Talking to reporters on May 23, NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh said the elections went as planned in all cities and provinces thanks to well-organised and convenient setup. Voting completed in several electoral units with the voter turnout rate reaching 100 percent. An electoral unit of the public security force in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh was the first to complete the voting in the country, at 6:50am, with a 100 percent turn-out rate. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Pham Van Ca has always been the first and exemplary voter in Ly Thai To ward in the general elections of recent tenures. Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh noted the election process in quarantined and lockdown areas also went on smoothly. He explained that the National Election Council has issued ten documents providing detailed guidelines for the organisation of elections inside quarantined sites and locked down areas. Voting began at 7am on May 23 across around 80,000 voting units nationwide in the elections of deputies to the 15th parliament and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021 - 2026 tenure. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Although Ca has cast his ballot for many times, every time of voting is very sacred for him. On May 23, more than 69 million voters across the country turned out to elect 500 deputies to the 15th NA among 866 candidates, 3,726 deputies to provincial-level People’s Councils among 6,199 candidates, 22,952 deputies to district-level councils among 37,468 candidates, and 242,312 deputies to communal-level councils among 405,244 candidates. Talking the press after voting in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said he rejoiced to see voters eagerly taking part in the election to exercise the rights and obligations of citizens, and that the elections were really a festival of the people. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Despite his old age, Ca still carefully reads lists of candidates so as to select the most deserving representatives to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021 - 2026 tenure. According to NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, the elections created a vivid illustration of the Vietnamese people’s strength. He told the press after casting his ballot in Hai Phong city on May 23 that over the past 75 years, the Vietnamese parliament has completed its missions as entrusted by the people and the State. Under the resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, the NA will strongly reform its activities across law making, supreme supervision, and making decision on important issues. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Three generations of Ca’s family went to the polls this year, which he said was a pride for him. Ca said he always reminds his offsprings of their responsibility towards the Fatherland, and that they must thoroughly consider candidates’ action plans and think carefully to choose talented and moral persons, which is the responsibility and also the right of each citizen. Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra told the Vietnam News Agency on late May 23 that the general elections were a comprehensive success as it took place democratically and in line with legal regulations. said this political event really became a festival of the entire people. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Pham Van Ca expresses his trust in younger generations since they are the future masters of the nation and also the ones who elect talented and moral persons to help the country move forward. Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra, who is also a member of the National Election Council, emphasised that security, order and safety were guaranteed for the elections. The high turnout rate of voters nationwide, even in COVID-19 pandemic-hit areas, showed the people's faith in the regime, the Party and the State in building a socialist rule-of-law state. Local election organising agencies created the most favourable conditions for people to exercise their citizenship rights and obligations, thus promoting democracy. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Pham Van Ca calls on young people, with their great love for the country, to join hands in building the Fatherland and developing Vietnam into a strong and rich nation as in line with the resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. Preliminary reports show that 95.65 percent of voters nationwide went to the polls by 17:30 on May 23 to elect deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 term. NA General Secretary and Chairman of the NA Office Bui Van Cuong also described the elections as a success as seen in the high voter turnout, smooth election activities, strict implementation of pandemic prevention and control measures, guaranteed security, and effective communications. (Photo: VietnamPlus) VNA
