Trần Thanh Mẫn, President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee, speaks at the second consultative conference on Thursday to draw up a list of candidates nominated by central agencies for the upcoming election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — Localities across the country have held the second consultative conference to draw up a list of candidates for the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-levels People’s Councils for the 2021-2025 tenure.

According to election regulations, consultative conferences will be held three times to select worthy candidates for the election in a democratic manner.

The first consultative conference was held on February 4 and the second one was held on March 16, 17 and 18. After the second consultative conference, the list of candidates will be publicised to collect voters’ opinions on their nominees.

The third conference will be held on April 18 to select the official list of candidates for NA deputies. The list will be announced ten days after that (April 28).

Trần Thanh Mẫn, President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Election Council, said by Wednesday the Việt Nam Fatherland Front had received dossiers of 205 nominated candidates, and preparations for the election are going according to schedule and in compliance with regulations.

At the second consultative conference held on Thursday by the Presidium of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee,100 per cent of delegates approved the preliminary list of 205 candidates nominated by central agencies, organisations and units.

As of Wednesday, the number of nominated candidates nationwide stood at 1,161, which is 2.3 times the number of deputies to be elected to the NA.

It is noteworthy that 24 provinces and cities reported 77 self-nominated candidates, including 30 in Hà Nội, and 16 in HCM City.

The elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure are scheduled to take place on May 23. 

There will be a total of 500 seats in the 15th National Assembly at both central and local levels, according to a resolution adopted by the NA Standing Committee.

The number of NA deputies at central level will be 207, accounting for 41.4 per cent and 293 come from local level or 58.6 per cent.

Of the total figure, about 95 lawmakers or 14 per cent will be members of the Party Central Committee, including Politburo members.

The number of ethnic minority deputies is expected to account for 18 per cent of the number of official nominees to the NA and female deputies should reach at least 35 per cent, the resolution said. — VNS