VietNamNet Bridge – Millions of voters got up early to cast their votes at voting precincts nationwide. Secretary General and National Assembly Chair, Nguyen Phu Trong said that the election scale was the largest ever in Vietnam.

At 5.30 am, voting precincts in Si Ma Lai, in the northern mountain province of Lao Cai opened. A H’mong girl named Hoang Thi Din, 21, from Pho Cu hamlet, said: “We hope that elected National Assembly deputies will are not only interested in the country’s great issues, but also the young generation in the mountain region”.

Sunday, May 22, is also the Si Ma Cai market day; so after casting their votes, constituents attended the Si Ma Cai market.

In Hanoi, the election began at 6 am. At the voting precinct No. 3 in Nguyen Du Ward, Hai Ba Trung district; many elderly constituents performed their citizen rights very early. At 6.30 am, Party Secretary General, Nguyen Phu Trong appeared in the warmly welcome of constituents. Trong was among the first who cast their vote at this voting precinct, at 7 am.

Wearing an ao dai and walking to the voting precinct from Yet Kieu district, Mrs. Dang Hong Anh, 81, said that before casting her vote, she learned very carefully about candidates. “I watched TV and listened to the radio every day; so I cast my vote very quickly,” she said.

Mrs. Tran Thi Kim, 83, cast her vote at a voting precinct in Le Dai Hanh Ward, Hai Ba Trung District in Hanoi.

In an old uniform, with a dozen of medals, Mr. Nguyen Ba Hung, 89, from Tran Hung Dao ward, Hanoi, said that this was his 12^th election.

18 year olds--Tran Hoai Nam and Nguyen Ngoc Son from Vu Huu Loi street, Hanoi, were very eager in their first election. After taking their votes, Nam carefully read the biographies of candidates before voting. “I highly appreciate young candidates who are well educated,” Nam said.

In the central city of Hue, Mr. Lu Huu Thi, at age 101, from The Lai Thuong village, Huong Vinh commune, Huong Tra district--the last artisan of the Hue royal court troupe of the Nguyen Dynasty, wore new clothes for the election.

“I cast my vote for the first time in 1946. I was very happy that time because it was the first time I held the vote that showed my citizen right,” he said.

Mr. Ha The Trong, age 78, a retired official in Thuan Loc ward, Hue city; said that he reminded his family members to perform their citizen right early.

Hue’s schoolgirls also went to the poll very early.

In HCM City, Nguyen Hong Phuc, 18; from the Marie Curie High School, said that he was glad to be a mature citizen. “I will vote for young candidates who are enthusiastic and dare to fight to perform their promises to the people,” Phuc said.

Nguyen Manh Cuong, from Thu Duc district, and his family went to a local voting precinct very early. “I hope that elected candidates would fulfil their promises in their action programs,” Cuong said.

In Ca Mau, Vietnam’s southernmost province, soldiers cast their votes at 5 am, 2 hours before the official time for voting. Ca Mau province’s Chair, Pham Thanh Tuoi said that over 850,000 people in Ca Mau cast their ballots at 1,292 voting precincts.

Student Vo Ngoc Y, 21, from 3/2 Road, Ca Mau city; said that she was very nervous because this was her first election. She said she voted for male candidates because through meetings with candidates, she saw male candidates’ strong points in fighting for the people’s interests.

In Song Doc town, Tran Van Thoi district in Ca Mau province, nearly 2,000 fishing boats delayed their offshore trips to finish the vote.

The election in photos:

Party Secretary General, Nguyen Phu Trong walked on Nguyen Du road,

Hanoi, after casting his ballot.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kien, 106, (red ao dai) cast her vote at a polling station of

Bui Thi Xuan ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi.

Mrs. Ngo Thi Hue (middle), the wife of late Party Secretary General, Nguyen

Van Linh, a deputy of the first National Assembly of Vietnam, was present at a polling station in

HCM City at 8 am to perform her citizen right.

A ballot-box was brought to the home of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Khuc (first from the left)

in Cua Dong ward, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.

Female constituents of Kho Mu ethnic group in Dien Bien district,

the northern mountain province of Dien Bien.

Mother and child at a voting precinct in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

Hanoi’s old quarter in the election day.

Workers of the Son La Hydro-power Plant project cast their votes.

H'Mong girls at a polling station in Lao Cai province.





Teachers in Lao Cai cast their votes.

H’mong girl named Hoang Thi Din, 21, from Pho Cu hamlet, said: “We hope that elected

National Assembly deputies will are not only interested in the country’s great issues,

but also the young generation in the mountain region”.

A polling station in Hanoi at 6 am.





A polling station in Hanoi.






Two elderly people at a polling station in Hanoi.





Two students from the Hanoi Construction University read biographies of candidates.





Young receptionists at a polling station in Hanoi.





Checking ballot boxes before the election at a polling station in Nguyen Du ward, Hanoi.





A polling station of Tran Hung Dao Ward, Hanoi.





A voter used a magnifier to read the names of candidates.





The eldest man in Hanoi's Nguyen Du ward cast his vote.





Mr. Le Vuong, 95, the eldest constituent at the polling station No. 6 of Tran Hung Dao Ward, Hanoi.





Buddhist monks





A young girl cast her vote.





Students of the Hue Teacher Training University in Hue City went for the vote.





Hue girls at a polling station in the central city of Hue.

Mr. Lu Huu Thi, 101, from The Lai Thuong village, Huong Vinh commune,

Huong Tra district - the last artisan of the Hue royal court troupe of

the Nguyen Dynasty, wore new clothes for the election.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Luu, 80 and his wife, Mrs. Duong Thi Sinh, 69 at

a polling station in Hai Chau district, Da Nang city, 

Workers of the Dung Quat Oil Refinery at a polling station in

the central province of Quang Ngai.

A polling station in HCM City at 7 am.

People queued for the vote.

At a polling station in HCM City.

A ballot box was brought to Hon Chuoi Island in Ca Mau province on May 21

to serve over 140 voters there.

PV