Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has called for National Assembly delegates to take serious responsibility when voting for key leadership positions for the new term of 2016-2021.

Speaking at the first session of the 14^th NA on July 20, Mr. Trong said NA delegates should pay close attention to candidates’ capability, expertise, experience and strengths, as well as other criteria, when voting on leaders of the State, the government and the NA.

The first session opened on July 20 and will last ten days, with voting for a new NA Chairman, State President and Prime Minister being high on the agenda. These elections will take at least six days.

“NA delegates should hold open discussions and be clear-sighted when voting,” he told the NA gathering.

His remarks come as the new NA for 2016-2021 has already dismissed two delegates due to wrongdoings. The total number of NA delegates has been fixed at 494 after the two dismissals.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet Huong, NA delegate for Hanoi and Chairwoman of TNG Holdings, a private concern specializing in developing industrial parks in the north, was dismissed on July 17 due to holding dual citizenship.

Mr. Trinh Xuan Thanh, NA delegate for the Mekong Delta’s Hau Giang province, was forced to “take responsibility” for losses of some VND3.2 trillion ($142 million) during his days at the helm of the PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC). He was dismissed on July 15.

Speaking at the opening session, NA Chairwoman Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan reminded delegates of their role as the people’s representatives in deciding the course Vietnam will take in the future.

“Delegates should train themselves, improve their own capability and expertise and move closer to the people to fulfill their tasks and responsibility,” Ms. Ngan said.

This is the 14^th tenure of the NA following the May elections of 496 delegates. Some 160 were re-elected. The final number now stands at 494 following the two dismissals.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan is the current NA Chairwoman while the State President is Mr. Tran Dai Quang and the Prime Minister Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Ms. Ngan was previously Vice Chairwoman, Mr. Quang was Minister of Public Security, and Mr. Phuc was a Deputy Prime Minister.

Over 60 per cent of elected NA delegates have a Master’s degree or higher and over a third have a university degree, while 1.2 per cent, or six delegates, have no tertiary qualifications.

There are 133 female NA delegates, accounting for 26.8 per cent, while the target was at least 30 per cent.

The number of non-Party NA delegates is 21, or 4.2 per cent and half the number in the 13th term, meaning that 96 per cent of delegates are members of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Eighty-six delegates are ethnic minorities, equal to 17.3 per cent, while 182 were centrally-nominated candidates, or 36.7 per cent and 15 less than planned, according to the National Election Council (NEC).