Phu Tho: Catholics eagerly waiting for General Election Day

Loudspeakers installed across Ha Loc commune, Phu Tho town, in the midland province of Phu Tho are broadcasting the significance of the upcoming elections to the 14^th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels in the 2016-2021 tenure on May 22.

As well, information about candidates running for National Assembly and People’s Council seats is being blared from these public-service communication devices, helping Catholic residents in Ha Loc commune get a general overview of their future representatives at State power agencies.

Photo for illustration: phutho.gov.vn

Dao Van Chuc, a Catholic resident in Ha Loc, where the majority of the population is Catholic, said he and other residents have spent a lot of time carefully studying the candidates as well as election regulations.

Local authorities have, for their part, worked closely with religious clergymen, mostly priests, in communicating the importance of the elections, together with the rights and obligations of citizens, said Tran Ngoc Chi, Secretary of the Ha Loc communal Party Committee.

In another commune – Huong Lung, where 93 percent of the population are Catholic followers, material preparations for the elections have been put in place, with the list of candidates posted in public places and election regulations announced daily, according to Nguyen Dinh Xuyen, President of the communal People’s Committee.

Xuyen noted that Catholic followers have played a significant part in building a modern lifestyle and spurring production in the commune. More and more Catholics have joined the Party and strengthened the local administration.

According to Tran Phu Tieu, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Phu Tho province chapter, Phu Tho is home to the Hung Hoa and Bac Ninh dioceses with 128,000 followers.

Catholic people accounted for over half of the 515 candidates running for the People’s Councils at provincial, district and communal levels. Through consultations and meetings, they have been highly praised by local people for their qualifications.