154 independent National Assembly candidates preliminarily approved

By Toan Dao   April 13, 2016 | 11:24 pm PT
154 independent National Assembly candidates preliminarily approved
Lam Thieu Quan, an independent candidate in Ho Chi Minh City who got 100 percent confidence in his residential community. Photo by A.Q
Self-nominees account for 154 of the 1,146 candidates seeking election to Vietnam’s upcoming 14th National Assembly after the second consultation round in March.

There are 154 self-nominees, or 13.4 percent, out of all 1,146 candidates seeking election to Vietnam’s upcoming 14th National Assembly (NA) after the second consultation round in March, Nguyen Hanh Phuc, Chief of Office of the National Election Council (NEC) said Wednesday.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and Fatherland Front committees in provinces and cities nationwide put all the candidates on a preliminary list after the round, Nguyen Hanh Phuc, chief of office of the National Election Council, said in a meeting on Wednesday. Phuc is also secretary general of the current NA.

NEC held the fourth meeting on April 13 in Hanoi, which was chaired by its Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Ngan is also chairwoman of the 13th NA.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC) and the Fatherland Front Committees in the provinces and cities nationwide have put all the candidates on a preliminary list after the round. 197 candidates out of the total 1,146 candidates come from centrally-run agencies and organizations with the remaining 949 from provinces and cities, according to Phuc, who is also secretary general of the current NA.

In Hanoi, self-nominated candidates include persons known for their contributions to the country like journalist Tran Dang Tuan and Vietnam Intellectual Cooperation Center Director Nguyen Canh Binh but there are also seven nominees with no specific occupation, Dao Van Binh, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Fatherland Front Committee said on March 17. 

Settlement of Denunciations and Complaints

NEC’s Sub-Committee for Personnel and Settlement of Denunciations and Complaints received 149 denunciations and complaints as of April 10. After initial check, the sub-committee said 142 out of 149 denunciations and complaints were about candidates and election management. In particular, 17 denunciations and complaints were targeted at candidates who are under the management of the Politburo and Secretariat.

Tran Thanh Man, Vice Chairman of the VFFCC, asked NEC to respond to the denunciations and complaints against candidates so that VFFCC could report it to the third consultation round.

NEC was also urged to send representatives to attend the third round to explain relevant regulations and clarify matters involving candidates, especially denunciations and complaints.

Chairwoman Ngan agreed with VFFCC’s requests, saying some NEC members should take part in the third consultation conference on Thursday to answer questions on laws, denunciations and complaints. If denunciations and complaints are not addressed well, people would keep sending them. “Government Inspectorate, Central Inspection Commission and Ministry of Public Security are responsible for clarifying all received denunciations and complaints,” Ngan said.

Tong Thi Phong, Vice Chairwoman of NEC added that NEC’s Sub-Committee for Personnel and Settlement of Denunciations and Complaints should process denunciations and complaints against candidates based on their files. Reviewing candidate qualification should be done carefully and in accordance with laws.

Vietnam is in the process of selecting 500 members for its NA for the 2016 – 2021 term. The final list of official candidates is expected to be announced later this month and general election is scheduled to be held on May 22. Results of the election are expected to be released on June 11.

In addition, after the second round, VFFCC has sent biographies of 197 candidates nominated by government agencies and organizations to provinces and cities for comments. “As of April 12, VFFCC has received all 197 conference minutes regarding voters’ opinion about candidates and meeting time requirements set by laws,” Vice Chairman Man said.

 
 
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