A preliminary list of candidates standing for the upcoming National Assembly election was drawn up during the second consultation conference held by the Standing Board of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC) in Hanoi on March 17.

Second consultation conference.

In his opening remarks, VFFCC President Nguyen Thien Nhan, who is also Vice Chairman of the National Election Council (NEC), said the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee has agreed with proposals made by the VFFCC’s Presidium in the first consultation round on February 16, to increase the number of ethnic minority groups.

Accordingly, Brau and Chut groups, which have no NA deputies in recent tenures, are expected to introduce their candidates for the 14th legislature.

There will be about 35 candidates who are non-Party members in localities, he said, adding that self-nominated and non-party members will be added to the list in the next consultation round if they are eligible.

The committee will instruct relevant agencies and localities involved in election work, to raise the number of female deputies to 30 percent or above, and suitably adjust the structure of religious representatives, he noted.

From February 24-March 10, agencies, organisations and units across the country selected their own candidates in line with regulations.

At the second consultation round, the Presidium approved the preliminary list of 197 candidates recommended by centrally-run agencies and organisations.

The Standing Board is scheduled to send the conference’s minutes to the NA Standing Committee and the NEC on March 18.

The preliminary list will be sent to the standing boards of provincial fatherland front committees, in service of the collection of feedback from voters in the candidates’ residential areas, which is due to take place from March 20-April 12.

The third consultation round is set to be organised on April 14 in order to decide on the official list of candidates for the legislative election.

VNA