Early election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly, scheduled for March 15, 2026

Chủ tịch Quốc hội Trần Thanh Mẫn trình bày chuyên đề tại hội nghị, sáng 16-4. Ảnh: QUANG PHÚC — National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man presented a topic at the conference on the morning of April 16. Photo: QUANG PHUC

On the morning of April 16, at the National Conference to disseminate and implement the Resolution of the 11th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee, after the presentation of the Prime Minister, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man delivered the second topic on "Amending the Constitution and laws; orientations for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term".

Constitutional amendments take effect from July 1

Regarding the amendment of the Constitution and laws, comrade Tran Thanh Man said that Resolution No. 60-NQ/TW dated April 12, 2025 of the 11th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee clearly stated the merger of provincial-level administrative units, no district-level organization, merger of commune-level and building a 2-level local government organization model; arranging socio -political organizations and mass organizations assigned by the Party and State into the Vietnam Fatherland Front... This opens up a new situation for national development in a new era with a long-term vision.

Tổng Bí thư Tô Lâm, Chủ tịch nước Lương Cường, Thủ tướng Phạm Minh Chính, Chủ tịch Quốc hội Trần Thanh Mẫn và các đại biểu dự Hội nghị toàn quốc quán triệt, triển khai thực hiện Nghị quyết Hội nghị lần thứ 11 Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng khóa XIII, sáng 16-4. Ảnh: QUANG PHÚC — General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man and delegates attending the National Conference to disseminate and implement the Resolution of the 11th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee on the morning of April 16. Photo: QUANG PHUC

To meet the above requirements, the scope of this amendment and supplement to the Constitution focuses on two groups of contents. One is the provisions of the 2013 Constitution related to the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations (concentrated in Articles 9 and 10), to meet the requirements of arranging and streamlining the organizational apparatus, promoting the role, responsibility, and proactiveness of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the role of gathering classes and strata, focusing on residential areas, close to the people, and to each household. The second is the provisions in Chapter 9 of the 2013 Constitution to implement the model of organizing a two-level local government.

Because the scope of this amendment and supplement to the Constitution is limited, expected to only involve 8/120 articles of the 2013 Constitution, the National Assembly Standing Committee will submit to the National Assembly the document in the form of a resolution of the National Assembly (similar to what was done in the amendments and supplements to the Constitution in 1988, 1989 and 2001).

Regarding the collection of public opinions on the amendment of the Constitution (from May 6 to June 5), the National Assembly requested the Government, together with the Vietnam Fatherland Front, to conduct it scientifically, democratically, practically, publicly, and transparently (note the collection of community opinions according to the Law on Democracy at the Grassroots Level).

The National Assembly Chairman said that according to the Government's report, there are about 19,220 documents issued by the central and local levels with content directly affected by the implementation of the policy of continuing to reorganize the apparatus of the political system, including 1,180 documents from the central level and 18,040 from localities.

According to the National Assembly Chairman, we will amend important contents directly related to the organization, basic rights and interests of people, organizations, enterprises, local authorities and directly impacting socio-economic development in the fields of budget, investment and planning.

The amendments and supplements pay special attention to promoting decentralization, delegation of power, clearly defining the authority between the central and local levels, between the provincial and communal levels, clearly defining which tasks of the district-level government need to be transferred to the communal-level government or assigned to the provincial-level government to facilitate the locality in the implementation process.

At the 9th session, the National Assembly will give opinions and pass 31 draft laws and 12 resolutions; give opinions on 10 draft laws (not including resolutions on the arrangement of provincial and communal administrative units that will be considered and decided during the session). This is the largest workload ever in the history of National Assembly sessions.

The Central Committee has agreed to give the highest priority to the solution to handle issues related to the organization of the apparatus and organization of two-level local governments using general principles that are general and widely applicable without the need to immediately amend or supplement laws, resolutions of the National Assembly and other current legal documents.

Comrade Tran Thanh Man said that the amendments to the Constitution and related laws and resolutions must be completed before June 30 and take effect from July 1. In particular, there are transitional provisions to complete the restructuring and organization of the apparatus and commune-level administrative units must officially come into operation no later than August 15; provincial-level administrative units must officially come into operation no later than September 15.

Các đại biểu dự Hội nghị toàn quốc quán triệt, triển khai thực hiện Nghị quyết Hội nghị lần thứ 11 Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng khóa XIII, sáng 16-4. Ảnh: QUANG PHÚC — Delegates attending the National Conference disseminate and implement the Resolution of the 11th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee on the morning of April 16. Photo: QUANG PHUC

The expected number of delegates to the 16th National Assembly is 500 people.

Regarding the direction of the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, the National Assembly Chairman said that this election is expected to be earlier than the previous election to create synchronization with Party committees at all levels, promptly implement the resolution of the 14th Party Congress; establish the National Election Council (expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval at the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly).

The election date for the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term is expected to be Sunday, March 15, 2026, and the first session of the National Assembly will be held on April 6, 2026. Therefore, agencies, units, and localities must proactively prepare early, remotely, right now.

The number of National Assembly deputies is expected to be 500, of which the proportion of full-time National Assembly deputies is at least 40%. General orientation on structure: young deputies (under 40 years old) about 10%; re-elected deputies about 30%; female deputies at least 35%; deputies from ethnic minorities at least 18% of the total number of people on the official list of candidates for National Assembly deputies.

The number of People's Council delegates is based on the population size of each administrative unit; implemented according to the provisions of the Law on Organization of Local Government.

At the commune level (including communes, wards, and special zones): the structure of full-time representatives in the People's Council is expected to be 1 vice chairman and 2 vice heads of committees.

General orientation on the structure of People's Council delegates at all levels: delegates who are non-Party members, strive to achieve a rate of not less than 10% at each level; young delegates (under 35 years old), strive to achieve a rate of not less than 15%; delegates for re-election, strive to achieve a rate of not less than 30%; ensure that at least 35% of the people on the official list of candidates are women; ensure a reasonable rate of ethnic minorities in accordance with the population characteristics of each locality.

The criteria for delegates are basically the same as the previous election, however, there is a new point that priority is given to people with qualifications in science and technology; people with basic training in law; the highest standard must be taken because of job requirements, then other criteria.