People vote at a polling station during a parliamentary election, in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 15, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Thinh Nguyen)

Vietnam's Communist Party secures nearly 97% of assembly seats

The unicameral parliament has virtually no power to challenge the party's key decisions, including on personnel, but it has occasionally amended proposed laws.

· CNA · Join

Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST

MANILA: Vietnam's Communist Party won nearly 97 per cent of the 500 seats in the National Assembly, according to results released by the parliament on Mar 22, confirming its overwhelming dominance after a vote in which almost all candidates were fielded by the ruling party.

The party's 482-seat haul was roughly in line with the number it held in the outgoing parliament.

Turnout at the five‑yearly elections for members of the parliament and for local councils exceeded 99 per cent, authorities have said, in line with past elections.

The unicameral parliament has virtually no power to challenge the party's key decisions, including on personnel, but it has occasionally amended proposed laws.

CNA Games

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less

The National Assembly is scheduled to hold its first weeks-long session from April 6. During that plenary, lawmakers are due to confirm new state leaders to be named by the party, including the prime minister and the president.

To Lam, who was confirmed as general secretary at the party’s January congress, is widely expected to be chosen as president as well.

Lam’s expected elevation would further align Vietnam’s political structure with that of neighbouring China, where Xi Jinping also serves as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and president.

Vietnam and China are among a handful of communist-ruled states in the world. Though the two neighbours have a long history of mistrust and territorial disputes, including over islands and waters in the South China Sea, their Communist parties remain officially close.

The conclusion of the election comes as Vietnam, like many countries, grapples with the spillover effects of the deepening Middle East crisis on global trade, energy markets and regional stability.

 

 

Source: Reuters/kl

Newsletter

Morning Brief

Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief

An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.

Sign up for our newsletters

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Subscribe here

Get the CNA app

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Download here

Get WhatsApp alerts

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

Join here