National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man has announced that the election for the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term is expected to be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026. A total of 500 deputies will be elected to the National Assembly.

This morning, the Politburo and the Party Secretariat organized a national conference to disseminate and implement the Resolution of the 11th Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The hybrid event, combining in-person and online formats, was connected to provincial and municipal party committees, central party-affiliated organizations, ministries, agencies, public institutions, and district- and commune-level authorities nationwide.

At the conference, Chairman Tran Thanh Man delivered a presentation on the direction and planning for the upcoming National Assembly and People’s Council elections.

He noted that the election is scheduled earlier than the previous term to align with local party committees and ensure timely implementation of the 14th Party Congress’s resolutions.

The establishment of the National Election Council is expected to be submitted for approval at the 9th session of the National Assembly.

The tentative schedule includes the election on March 15, 2026, and the first session of the new National Assembly on April 6, 2026. Chairman Tran Thanh Man urged relevant agencies and localities to begin preparations early and proactively.

At least 40% of deputies will be full-time

Regarding planning and tasks, Chairman Tran Thanh Man emphasized maintaining the same general approach as the previous election term. However, a new requirement is the application of information technology in election management, including voter lists, candidate listings, and result announcements.

The number of National Assembly deputies remains at 500, with at least 40% being full-time legislators.

Guidelines for candidate composition include about 10% being under 40 years old, around 30% being re-elected deputies, at least 35% being women, and at least 18% representing ethnic minority groups.

The number of People’s Council deputies will be based on the population size of each administrative unit, in accordance with the Law on Local Government Organization.

If the Chairperson of a provincial-level People’s Council is a full-time deputy, there will be one full-time Vice Chairperson. If the Chairperson is part-time, there will be two full-time Vice Chairpersons.

Similarly, if a Standing Committee Chair is full-time, the committee will have one full-time Vice Chair; if part-time, the committee will have two full-time Vice Chairs.

At the commune level (including communes, wards, and special zones), the proposed structure for full-time People’s Council deputies includes one Vice Chairperson and two Vice Committee Chairs.

For the composition of People’s Councils at all levels, non-Party members should make up no less than 10% at each level. Young deputies (under 35) are expected to account for no less than 15%.

The target for re-elected deputies is at least 30%, and women should make up at least 35% of the official candidate list.

Chairman Tran Thanh Man also emphasized the need for reasonable representation of ethnic minorities, tailored to the demographics of each locality.

High standards for candidates, emphasis on tech and law backgrounds

Regarding eligibility criteria, Chairman Tran Thanh Man said that standards remain largely the same as in previous elections. However, a notable change is the priority given to candidates with expertise in science and technology or formal legal training.

Candidates must be of an age that allows them to complete a full term by March 2026. For first-time male candidates, birth must be from March 1969 onward; for females, from September 1972 onward.

Re-election candidates must be able to serve at least 36 more months, meaning males born from March 1967 onward and females from May 1971 onward.

“Particularly important is the instruction from General Secretary To Lam during the closing session of the 11th Central Committee meeting: the highest standards must focus on job competency, followed by other criteria,” Chairman Tran Thanh Man stressed.

Tran Thuong