China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that over 69 millionvoters across Vietnam cast their votes on May 23 to elect 500 NA deputiesfrom 866 candidates, and 3,726 deputies to provincial-level People's Councils, 22,952deputies to district-level People's Councils and 242,312 deputies to commune-levelPeople's Councils.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities have asked votersto strictly follow COVID-19 prevention and control measures, including wearingmasks and maintaining social distancing at polling stations, said the article.
All voters' entry time should be recorded to be used forcontact-tracing if a positive case or a suspected case of COVID-19 is detected,it quoted the Vietnamese Ministry of Health. Special ballot boxes were broughtto hospitals, quarantine facilities and lockdown areas for COVID-19 to ensurepeople's voting rights.
The UK’s Reuters quoted Vietnamese NA ChairmanVuong Dinh Hue as saying that organisers have taken measures aimed at ensuringthe elections take place in a safe environment.
“I hope all voters, knowing their role as the owners of thecountry, will join the vote to select the most trusted and worthy candidates torepresent their voices,” Hue said ahead of the elections.
Meanwhile, Australia’s website canberratimes.com.auhighlighted voters’ awareness of pandemic prevention and control when all woreface masks while going to polling stations.
“In Hanoi's Long Bien district, about 30 voters were seenqueuing by a voting booth waiting for their turn, all wearing masks. Beforequeuing, the voters had their temperature taken at a nearby table where freemasks and hand sanitiser were offered, with a loudspeaker broadcasting adviceto keep a safe distance,” the article wrote.
In its article on the elections, halonoviny.cz newspaperof the Czech Republic said that the new parliament is expected to work with theParty and Government to outline and implement domestic and foreign policies torealise the targets set out by the 13th National Party Congress,especially turning Vietnam into a developed country by the mid-21st century.
Meanwhile Dr. Gerhard Will, a German expert on the East Seaat the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik; SWP), stated that the Vietnamese NationalAssembly has made great contributions to the country’s achievements,particularly in the fight against the pandemic.
Sharing the same view, veteran journalist Detlef-DiethardPries of Neues Deutschland newspaper stated that the legislative body’s effortsin improving the lives of the people, including ethnic minorities, are alsocommendable.
They expressed their hopes that the parliaments of Vietnamand Germany will strengthen cooperation in the time to come to facilitate thetwo countries’ relations./.