HCM CITY – At 6:30am at 39 Trần Quốc Thảo Street in HCM City’s District 3,  election station No. 41 welcomed former Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng, who attended the opening ceremony and voted for the deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Council members at all levels.

Hồ Thị Hồng Phượng, head of the election unit No. 41, read the decision to establish the election unit and rules and guidelines for voters. Some 899 voters in District 3’s Ward 6 were expected to cast their ballots at the election unit.

Before declaring the voting to start, a representative for voters checked four ballot boxes, which were then locked and sealed to ensure transparency.

Among the more than 50 million voters nationwide, former Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng and his wife cast the first ballots, followed by other voters.

Being one of the earliest voters, Đặng Quang Minh, 46, said: "I came early to fulfill my citizen rights. I hope that my votes and other voters’ votes in the country will help choose the most qualified candidates to serve the people.”

At 7:30 am, Archbishop Paul Bùi Văn Đọc came to election unit No. 41 to exercise his citizen rights.

The Archbishop said: "I and other parishioners are also citizens of the country, so we must exercise this obligation. I want the country to choose talented and virtuous deputies to promote peace and development ".

Bình Tân District

More than 93,000 workers Bình Tân District took part in the elections in the district.

Of the workers, 16,000 at Pouchen Company were eager to visit polling stations to exercise their citizen rights and obligations.

Trình Thị Thanh Tuyền, 39, a worker at Pouchen Company, said: “I and other workers at Pouchen Company have high trust in this election. We feel excited and eager to cast our ballots to fulfil our citizen rights. Candidates are very enthusiastic and listen to workers’ opinions. We pin high hopes on them and hope they can work for the public interest, listen to ideas and expectations from the public, including workers.”

Tiêu Thị Thanh Thảo, 40, a worker at Lê Minh Xuân Industrial Park in Bình Chánh Distrit, said:  “I studied candidates’ biographies and I am pleased with these candidates. I chose talented and virtuous candidates to serve the people better.”

She said she hoped that elected deputies would voice to upgrade city streets, especially in Tân Tạo Ward’s quarter 10, deal with delayed zoning areas, solve housing problems for residents, and ensure security and safety in the district.

At 9am, more than 20 per cent of total voters at quarter 10 of Bình Tân District’s Tân Tạo Ward cast their ballots. In addition to young voters, many older voters, including Võ Ngọc Minh (65), Lê Lệ Hoàng (83) and Trương Thị Quận (82) fulfilled their citizen rights.

Bình Tân is home to about 230,000 workers, with more than 97,000 working at Pouyuen Company.

There are 192 election units in the district, with over 367,000 voters taking part in the elections.

Many voters queued to vote in an orderly and excited way during the opening hour.

Tân Định Ward

Trương Tấn Sang, former President, was the first voter to cast his ballot at 7am at the election group No.1, polling station No.7 in District 1’s Tân Định Ward.

At the polling station No.7, at 6:30 am many voters were present to wait for the opening of voting.

Nguyễn Văn Hòe, an older voter, said he was pleased with the list of candidates this time, because the majority have high education and work experience, and many of them are young.

Việt Nam National University HCM City

At 6:30am,  students visited all polling stations at Việt Nam National University HCM City. They were very eager as they were casting their votes for the first time.

Lê Thị Yến, a second-year student at the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said: “This was the first time I cast my votes for deputies of People’s Committee at all levels. I was nervous about my first vote, since I don’t know whether I could rightly follow the voting process. I felt more mature when casting my ballots to select people that I trust the most. I hope that selected people fulfill their tasks and shoulder the responsibility of the country to enable the country to develop more strongly.” 

Similarly, Hồng Giao, a second-year student at the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said she had studied candidates’ biographies carefully to choose the most qualified people.

“I hope that selected deputies will perform their responsibility well and not betray people’s trust.”

Trần Thanh An, Director of Việt Nam National University HCM City’s dormitory, said the dormitory area had more than 15,000 voters, with nine polling stations.

“We asked students to arrange suitable time to cast their votes,” he said, adding that most polling stations were crowded with many voters.

Cần Giờ

At 7am, citizens of Thạnh An islet commune in Cần Giờ District, the only offshore commune in HCM City, began voting.

According to the Election Committee of Cần Giờ District, the commune has 3,250 voters and five election units in the commune.

More than 1,000 voters came to election units to vote in the first hour after the opening ceremony.

Hóc Môn

At Xuân Thới Thượng Commune in Hóc Môn District, where there are more than eligible 30,000 voters, the polling was done in a serious manner.

Huỳnh Thị Sè, 92, a Vietnamese Heroic Mother, said: “I am very happy holding ballots in my hand to vote for deputies for the National Assembly and all levels of the People’s Council.

“My health is not in good condition, but local election office members brought a ballot box to my house to enable me to exercise my voter’s obligation. I hope my voted deputies will strive their best to serve the people and the country.”

At the polling area No.7 at quarter 5 in Hóc Môn town, Hóc Môn District, many voters gathered from early morning to prepare for voting.

Kha Lương, 72, said: “Although I took part in many general elections, each time gives me a special feeling. I am happy when holding ballots to vote for representatives of the people. I hope that deputies that I voted today will help people have a better life.”

According to reporters, public order at polling areas on the morning of May 22 were ensured, and no negative incidents of any kind occurred.VNS