Vietnam Holds Parliamentary Elections as Communist Party Fields Majority of Candidates

Vietnam conducted parliamentary elections on Sunday with over 73 million voters participating.

“Voters in Vietnam are casting their ballots for members of the National Assembly, the country’s top legislative body, which serves mainly to ratify decisions by the governing Communist Party”

Al Jazeera

The elections featured 864 candidates competing for 500 seats in the National Assembly.

Al Jazeera

The Communist Party dominated the candidate landscape, fielding nearly 93% of all candidates.

Independent candidates comprised just 7.5% of the field, down from 8.5% in 2021.

These elections represent one of the limited democratic exercises in Vietnam's single-party system.

Voters also selected representatives for local councils during the process.

The Communist Party maintains overwhelming legislative control, holding 97% of parliamentary seats.

The party has governed Vietnam unopposed for decades in this political system.

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The National Assembly primarily functions to ratify Communist Party decisions rather than exercise independent authority.

Communist Party members comprised 864 of the 864 candidates seeking national parliament seats.

Independent candidates made up just 7.5% of the electoral field.

This composition ensures the party will continue its dominance with virtually no opposition.

The election process reflects Vietnam's unique political structure with Communist Party authority.

“Polls opened in Vietnam on Sunday as millions of voters queued up to cast ballots to elect 500 members of the National Assembly from a list of candidates who mostly belong to the ruling Communist Party”

dw

The National Assembly serves mainly to ratify Communist Party decisions.

The assembly lacks authority to overturn major party decisions on personnel appointments.

Legislators have occasionally modified proposed legislation.

This creates a system with limited electoral processes within single-party rule.

The structure ensures the Communist Party's continued dominance.

The new parliament's inaugural session is scheduled for early April.

Members will formally approve state leadership positions selected by the Communist Party.

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During January's party congress, To Lam was confirmed as general secretary.

Nineteen politburo members were chosen to form the primary decision-making council.

Party leadership will announce state position nominees before parliament convenes.

Lam's expected presidential appointment is considered routine.

This would allow Lam to hold dual influential roles for five years.

This structure mirrors China's model where Xi Jinping maintains dual positions.

The candidate field included notable business executives among Communist Party members.

“Kyiv•UNN March 15 2026, 08:05 AM•1088views Over 90% of parliamentary candidates are members of the Communist Party”

Українські Національні Новини (УНН)

This reflects the intersection of political and economic power in Vietnam.

Українські Національні Новини (УНН)

Prominent business figures included Nguyen Thanh Tung of Vietcombank, Vietnam's largest bank.

Le Hong Minh, chairman of VNG technology company, was also a candidate.

VNG operates Zalo, Vietnam's leading messaging platform.

Male candidates represent approximately 55% of those running.

This matches proportions from the last election cycle.

The composition shows integration of economic leaders into governance while maintaining party control.