Vietnam Holds Parliamentary Election Dominated by Communist Party

HANOI, March 15, 2026 – Tens of millions of Vietnamese citizens are casting their ballots on Sunday to elect 500 members of the National Assembly, in a process largely controlled by the ruling Communist Party. The elections, held every five years, similarly include the selection of representatives for local councils.

While presented as a democratic exercise, the elections seize place within a tightly controlled one-party state where key decisions are made by Communist officials prior to the vote. Nearly 93% of the 864 candidates running for the national parliament are members of the Communist Party, a slight decrease from 97% in the current legislature, according to the national election council Strait Times.

Limited Opposition and Parliamentary Role

Only 7.5% of the candidates are independent, down from 8.5% in 2021 Strait Times. The National Assembly has limited power to challenge the Communist Party’s decisions, although it has occasionally amended proposed laws Strait Times.

Leadership Transition Expected

The opening plenary session of the new parliament is scheduled for early April, where lawmakers are expected to approve the state’s top leaders nominated by the party, including the president and the prime minister Strait Times. To Lam was confirmed as the party’s general secretary in January, the country’s most powerful position Strait Times.

Lam’s elevation to the presidency is widely anticipated, which would align Vietnam’s political structure more closely with China, where Xi Jinping also holds both positions Strait Times.

Business Leaders Among Candidates

Among the candidates are prominent business leaders who are also party members, including Nguyen Thanh Tung, head of Vietcombank, Vietnam’s largest bank, and Le Hong Minh, chairman of technology firm VNG, owner of the popular messaging app Zalo Strait Times.

Voter Turnout and Apathy

Approximately 55% of the candidates are men, similar to the proportion in the last election Strait Times. Women won around 30% of the seats in the 2021 vote.

Turnout has exceeded 99% in each of the last seven parliamentary elections, according to state news agency reports Strait Times. However, some citizens express apathy towards the elections, feeling their vote has little impact Bangkok Post.

Parliament chairman Tran Thanh Man stated that the election results will be announced on March 23 Strait Times.