National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn speaks at the working session. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

ĐỒNG NAI — Trần Thanh Mẫn, chairman of the National Assembly (NA) and chairman of the National Election Council, on Thursday praised preparations for the upcoming election in Đồng Nai Province, highlighting the readiness of facilities and infrastructure while urging candidates to engage voters seriously.

Inspecting preparations for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and people’s councils at all levels for the 2026–31 term in the province, he said candidates must engage voters in a serious manner.

Chairman Mẫn noted that Đồng Nai has many religious followers and workers in industrial zones. Therefore it is necessary to call on trusted persons to educate and campaign for votes while arranging suitable times so Catholic compatriots can vote in large numbers on March 15.

The NA Chairman also expressed particular concern about ethnic minority areas where voter education must rely on multiple methods and tailored approaches. He stressed the need to draw on the prestige of village elders and village chiefs and to use native languages in communication so ethnic communities understand that the day is a national festival and can vote fully while grasping the requirements, structure and guidance of the National Election Council.

“I urge the province to coordinate with the management board of industrial zones, enterprises and lodging houses to accurately know the number of workers, especially in Đồng Nai where about 600,000 migrant workers reside; create favourable conditions so workers can vote in large numbers,” he said.

Meeting with the Đồng Nai Province Election Committee after hearing the provincial report and the committee members’ comments, Chairman Mẫn concluded that the Đồng Nai Election Committee had proactively, seriously and promptly implemented preparations in compliance with the law and with central directives and guidance.

The initial results show a high sense of responsibility, consensus and smooth coordination among the Party Committee, authorities, the Fatherland Front and other forces participating in the election.

Emphasising that this month is a peak period for preparing for the election, a major national political event, and with little time left before voting, the NA Chairman asked the Đồng Nai Province Election Committee to continue implementing fully the National Election Council’s guiding documents.

In particular, they should follow the instructions in a spirit of unity and transparency to ensure voters are elected correctly and in full while meeting the required structure.

“I request that candidates engage with voters in a serious manner, through direct or online contact. These engagements should be close to and in touch with the people, to grasp their thoughts and aspirations, and cannot be done casually,” he said.

Chairman Mẫn also suggested proactively studying and applying information technology and digital transformation accurately to maintain a complete voter list without omissions.

With a new administrative apparatus and new personnel, he called on the province not to be complacent and to assign locally based officials to stay close to the grassroots level, to election teams and to polling stations.

All forces must work from the grassroots level to ensure all election arrangements are in place from security and order to healthcare for the people while preparing contingency plans to address any arising situations.

According to Chairman Mẫn, the National Election Council is directing agencies to complete the voter number reporting system for Election Day so that localities can receive guidance in advance before March 15.

It is anticipated that on March 22 the National Election Council will announce the election results and the list of elected deputies to the National Assembly. Once again, the chairman of the National Election Council emphasised that no mistakes are allowed in the election process. — VNS