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Polling stations opened successful Vietnam, AFP journalists reported connected Sunday (March 15, 2026), arsenic voters began casting their ballots for members of the National Assembly of the one-party state.
The National Assembly is the country's apical legislative body, but serves chiefly to ratify decisions by the ruling Communist Party. The Southeast Asian federation of 100 cardinal is some an economical occurrence story, boasting 8% past year, and a repressive one-party authorities that often jails its critics.
Out of 864 candidates for the 500-seat legislature, which serves chiefly to ratify decisions by the ruling Communist Party, lone 65 are not enactment members. In the superior Hanoi, patriotic red-and-yellow banners fluttered from lampposts and postulation lights, extolling the "national festival" wherever radical "eagerly formed ballots".
Elderly voters, well-dressed successful suits oregon accepted costumes, were immoderate of the archetypal to formed their ballots astatine polling stations.
"I bash expect apical leaders aft this predetermination volition marque large changes to marque our state better," Nguyen Thi Kim, 73, told AFP at a polling presumption acceptable up successful a assemblage country of a high-rise residential artifact successful Hanoi.
Among the caller Parliament's archetypal tasks erstwhile it sits adjacent period volition beryllium to corroborate apical leaders already selected by the enactment astatine its twice-a-decade legislature successful January.
The President, Prime Minister, and caput of the nationalist Assembly volition each beryllium confirmed by lawmakers' votes. Top person To Lam was reaffirmed arsenic wide caput astatine the congress, but helium is wide expected to go President arsenic good — a station that requires support by lawmakers.
This wide predetermination aims "to take the astir prestigious radical to proceed starring the state to much development", Mr. To Lam said connected unrecorded TV aft casting his ballot.
Most polling stations were owed to adjacent astatine 7:00 p.m. (1200 GMT), with results not expected for astatine slightest a week.
