Chairman Man, who is also President of the National Election Council (NEC), made the statement in his opening remarks at a nationwide conference to disseminate the Politburo’s directive on election preparations. The hybrid event linked with provincial-and commune-level venues in 34 cities and provinces nationwide, with Party General Secretary To Lam in attendance to deliver guidance.
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Party and State leaders, along with officials, at the event |
The top legislator described the elections, now just four months away, as a landmark political event that coincides with a nationwide drive to mark the upcoming 14th National Party Congress with economic and administrative achievements. He highlighted the political system streamlining, the rollout of a two-tier local administration model and redrawn administrative boundaries as measures that are opening new development spaces and creating new momentum for stability, modern national governance, rapid and sustainable growth, while raising living standards. The N.A. is also preparing to mark the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s first general election next year.
The Party Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat, N.A., Government, and Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, as well as Party committees, authorities, the VFF’s all-level chapters, and mass organizations have identified the elections as one of the key tasks for 2026, he said.
Compared with previous terms, the upcoming elections feature several major new changes. The current 15th N.A. and all-level People’s Councils will see their 2021-2026 term shortened, with voting now scheduled for March 15, 2026, two months earlier than past elections.
Key timelines have been compressed: the interval between the close of candidate nominations and election day has been cut from 70 days to 42 days, with deadlines for voter consultations, candidate list publication and handling of complaints and denunciations adjusted accordingly to maintain coherence and practicality.
Responsibility for designating polling stations and organizing bodies has been adjusted under the new two-tier local administration model. Campaigning rules have been modernized to allow online and hybrid voter meetings alongside traditional formats, subject to strict information security and cybersecurity requirements. A new mechanism also empowers the NEC to pro-actively adjust schedules and issue guidance in unforeseen circumstances to keep the process on track.
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N.A. Chairman and President of the National Election Council Tran Thanh Man speaks at the event |
The conference is set to hear presentations from the Government, the N.A. Standing Committee, the VFF Central Committee, the Party Central Committee’s Organization Commission, and, in particular, a keynote speech by General Secretary Lam.
Chairman Man urged participants to study the documents thoroughly, seek clarification where needed and flag practical challenges from the grassroots, while instructing relevant agencies to listen carefully and provide clear responses.
The session later heard Hoang Dang Quang, standing deputy head of the Organization Commission, present the Politburo’s directive on election leadership and detailed personnel guidelines.
Source: VNA