HÀ NỘI — More than 5 million voters in Hà Nội cast their ballots today to elect deputies to the 14th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 term.

Voters will select 30 deputies out of 50 candidates to the 14th legislature.

At 7 am the general election was opened with flag ceremonies at 4,874 polling stations in 10 constituencies across 30 districts and towns.

As a voter in Giảng Võ ward, Ba Đình District, Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm delightedly expressed his belief that all voters will meet their responsibilities by electing the most outstanding candidates who represent the strong will, aspirations and right to mastery of the people in the NA and the People’s Councils. 

In polling station No 2 in Khương Trung ward, Thanh Xuân District, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, Đinh Thế Huynh, was the first to cast a ballot, followed by ex-revolutionaries, the elderly and others.

Politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Hoàng Trung Hải was one of the first to cast ballots at polling station No 4 of Láng Hạ ward in Đống Đa District. The ward has over 22,000 voters, with the oldest being 100 years old.

The official hoped voters in the capital would spend time going to the polls today to select the most capable and moral candidates, while expressing his beliefs on the success of the general election.

At polling station No 6A in Vĩnh Tuy ward of Hai Bà Trưng District, many young voters joined the election in the early morning.

“I feel very excited and a little bit confused about who to select because all the candidates are very good,” noted Lê Anh Đức, 19, during his first time participating in elections.

He said he placed much of his hopes upon newly-elected deputies regarding policies about employment for university graduates.

Meanwhile, Lê Thị Thùy Linh, 25, said that she paid attention to female candidates and hoped all the elected candidates would make positive changes, in terms of raising intellectual levels and development policies in the regions, as well as nationwide.

At polling station 87 Trần Hưng Đạo Street in Hoàn Kiếm District, as many as 668 Hà Nội public security officers exercised their rights and duties this morning. As of 9.10am, more than 80 per cent of all police had finished voting.

Also, at Tiến Xuân mountainous commune in Thạch Thất District, more than 70 per cent of the voters are ethnic minorities. This election day proved exciting, and included traditional performances from ethic communities.

Hoàng Văn Sáng, 76, a member of the Mường ethic group, who is one of the oldest voters in the commune, hoped the elected candidates would pay due attention to residents of ethnic groups in far-flung areas. — VNS