Asia-Pacific

Vietnam holds National Assembly election

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-23 11:00

HANOI - Around 62 million voters across Vietnam cast their ballots on Sunday for 500 members of Vietnam's 13th National Assembly (NA) and 301,954 members of the People's Councils at all levels for the 2011-2016 tenure.

This is the first time in Vietnam the elections of the NA and the People's Councils held on the same day. Around 91,438 polling stations across the country are open from 7 am to 7 pm local time.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), among 827 candidates to the NA membership, women account for 31.44 percent, non-Party members 14.27 percent, ethnic people 16.08 percent, re-candidates 22.13 percent, candidates under 40 years old 22.13 percent, and self-nominated candidates 1.81 percent.

Of the candidates, post-graduate candidates make up 36.76 percent, university graduate candidates 59.49 percent, and under-college candidates 3.74 percent.

MHA said the first session of the 13th NA will be held in July, 2011. NA deputies will spend 14 days on electing top leaders such as the NA Chairman, the NA Deputy Chairpersons, members of the NA Ethnicity Council, and NA Committees, as well as the State President, State Vice Presidents, Prime Minister, Chief Judge of the People's Supreme Court, and the Head of the People's Supreme Procuracy.