HÀ NỘI — Nearly 70 million Vietnamese cast ballots yesterday to elect deputies to the 14th National Assembly and Peoples Councils.

The election is the largest ever in scale with over 69 million voters across the country casting their votes to pick up the most competent candidates, who will represent them at the National Assembly, as well as Peoples Councils at all levels nationwide.
The elections began throughout the country at 7am yesterday.

Citizens voted to choose 500 NA deputies and 322,966 Peoples Council deputies for the 2016-21 term during the election, which is considered a “national festival”.

Citizens received their voter cards proving their eligibility to vote at nearly 91,500 election sites across the country, according to the National Election Council (NEC).

Up to 65.5 million voters, or 98.77 percent, went to the polls by 10 pm, as updated by the National Election Councils Office.

Statistics from the office showed that most of the localities nationwide saw the voting rate of over 90 percent.

The central province of Thừa Thiên - Huế and Yên Bái Province topped the list with 99.99 percent, followed by Hòa Bình with 99.98 percent, Quảng Nam and Bến Tre provinces with 99.97 per cent.

Party and State leaders joined voters nationwide in exercising a citizens right and duty to elect deputies to the National Assembly and Peoples Councils at all levels for the 2016-21 tenure.

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng was the first to cast a ballot at polling station No 3 in Nguyễn Du Ward, Hai Bà Trưng District, Hà Nội at 7am.

Trọng said he expected that all deputies wining an elected position would try to best serve the nation and the people, and to fulfil their responsibilities and obligations on behalf of the people, in taking part in the management of the country and society.

In the northern port city of Hải Phòng, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and his wife cast the first ballots at polling station No 8 in Vĩnh Bảo Town, Vĩnh Bảo District.

Phúc said the May 22 Election Day was an important political event for the country, which provides an opportunity for citizens to exercise their rights and obligations.

He also said he believed voters would select worthy, virtuous and talented representatives who would represent their aspirations, contributing to building a State of the people, by the people and for the people.

On the same day, President Trần Đại Quang joined voters in Nhân Chính Ward, Thanh Xuân District of Hà Nội.

He said the election had an important meaning in building, strengthening and perfecting the law-governed State, and meeting the demands to speed the industrialisation, modernisation and global integration of the country.

Additionally, NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân cast the first ballot at polling station No 4 in Vĩnh Phúc Ward, Ba Đình District, Hà Nội.

Although the official election day was set for May 22, some areas in 10 provinces of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Lai Châu, Khánh Hòa, Kiên Giang, Quảng Nam, Quảng Bình, Quảng Ngãi, Nghệ An, Khánh Hòa and Đắk Lắk held early voting due to transportation problems for voter. Those areas included communities along the coastline, offshore islands and places where voters would be working at sea on election day.

The election ended at 7pm yesterday and election results will be announced within 20 days after election day, according to the NEC.  — VNS