The first general election in 1946 took place in Thanh Hoa.

The first general election day of the country on January 6, 1946 in Thanh Hoa took place with joy and excitement, becoming a great festival of the people when everyone felt for the first time the political rights and sacred duties of the people of an independent and free country.

People go to vote for the first National Assembly on January 6, 1946. Photo: Archive

Immediately after the victory of the August Revolution, the Central Party Standing Committee outlined the first directions and measures to build a new regime and deal with the imperialist and reactionary forces entering our country.

On September 3, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh convened the first meeting of the Government Council and outlined six urgent tasks that needed to be done immediately: Organize a general election with universal suffrage, implement the people's democratic freedom; Launch a campaign to increase production to fight hunger, open a fundraiser to help the poor; Anti-illiteracy movement; Conduct education on the awareness of diligence, thrift, integrity and eliminate bad habits left by the old regime; Abolish three types of taxes (head tax, market tax, ferry tax), ban opium smoking; Declare freedom of belief and solidarity between religions.

Then, on September 8, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 14-SL on the General Election to elect National Assembly deputies to establish an official legislative body (National Assembly) of the new Vietnam.

On January 6, 1946, the General Election took place in all provinces and cities across the country. All Vietnamese citizens aged 18 and over enthusiastically participated. In all 71 provinces and cities, 89% of the total number of voters went to the polls (in many places it reached as high as 95%). The whole country elected 333 delegates, of which 57% were workers, farmers, and revolutionary soldiers; 10 delegates were women; 34 delegates were ethnic minorities.

In Thanh Hoa, the election day took place in all regions. It was recorded that in Vinh Loc district, in the early morning of January 6, 1946, for the first time, over 90% of voters in Vinh Loc district participated in the first election of the People's Council and the National Assembly. As a result, voters in the district elected enough delegates according to regulations. Comrade Dang Van Hy and a number of candidates from Thanh Hoa province were elected with a high number of votes. That day, mass organizations were happy and excited to organize rallies, promote and propagate the new policies of the Party and the Government. The victory of the election broke the plot to divide the national solidarity bloc of reactionary forces, affirming the close connection between the working class with high political awareness in the work of building the government and mastering the new regime. After the general election, most of the old administrative units in the district were changed, the canton unit was abolished, and commune administrative units were established with new names.

Along with the people of the whole province and the whole country, on January 6, 1946, voters of Thanh Hoa town (now Thanh Hoa city) participated in the election of the first National Assembly. Comrade Nguyen Dinh Thuc, a revolutionary cadre who had been continuously active for many years, a base that hid revolutionary cadres, living in Lo Chum, was introduced as a candidate for the National Assembly of the town.

In the heat of the general election, the Viet Quoc tried every way to sabotage the election. However, at the locations of ballot boxes in the town, we had strictly guarded and protected them, so they only shouted anti-propaganda outside the polling place. Basically, the first election of National Assembly deputies in Thanh Hoa town took place safely and successfully. 99% of voters participated in the election. Among the elected deputies was comrade Nguyen Dinh Thuc.

The first general election day of the country on January 6, 1946 in Thanh Hoa was filled with joy and excitement, becoming a great festival of the People when everyone felt for the first time the political rights and sacred duties of the people of an independent and free country. 96% of the total number of voters in the whole province went to vote, 14 delegates in Thanh Hoa area were elected to the National Assembly.

Ballot boxes for the first National Assembly election, January 6, 1946, in Wards 6 and 7, in the Big Street area, now Tran Phu Street, Thanh Hoa City. Photo: TTV

On the morning of March 2, 1946, the first session of the first National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam opened. At the session, President Ho Chi Minh proposed to the National Assembly to expand the number of National Assembly deputies by 70 more representatives of the Vietnam Nationalist Party (Viet Quoc) and the Vietnam Revolutionary Comrades Association (Viet Cach). All delegates attending the session agreed. Thus, the total number of deputies to the first National Assembly was 403, including delegates elected by the people and additional delegates not elected.

Along with the election of National Assembly deputies, the people of all ethnic groups in the province elected People's Council deputies at all levels. Provincial, district and commune administrative committees were established to directly care for people's lives and organize new social management.

The successful elections for the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels were a strong blow to the enemy's plot to divide the great unity bloc, in order to overthrow our young revolutionary government. The successful election demonstrated the sense of mastery of citizens in an independent country. The election took place enthusiastically in the province and truly became a large and profound political movement, demonstrating the strength and iron will of the national unity bloc, determined to maintain national independence and sovereignty.

The victory of the first general election created new strength to fight against reactionary forces at home and abroad, protect the achievements of the August Revolution, and prepare basic conditions for our people to wage the resistance war against the invading French colonialists.

The victory of the first general election was a brilliant milestone marking the development of democratic institutions, opening a new period of development for our country: a period with a National Assembly, a Constitution, a unified Government and a system of government from the central to local levels.

The victory of the first general election deepened the lesson about the Party's will and the people's heart, deeply demonstrating President Ho Chi Minh's thought about the State of the People, by the People, for the People.

Over the past 79 years of formation and development, the Vietnamese National Assembly has increasingly promoted its role as the highest authority, representing the will and aspirations of the people, and embodying the great national unity bloc. The Vietnamese National Assembly has made great contributions to the cause of national liberation, construction and defense of the Fatherland in all revolutionary stages.

Faced with new opportunities and new fortunes today, the Vietnamese National Assembly has constantly and vigorously innovated its organization and methods of operation, always upholding its sense of responsibility, worthy of being the highest representative body of the People, making the greatest efforts to excellently fulfill the tasks assigned by the Party and the People, bringing the country into a new era - the era of national growth, bringing Vietnam on par with the world powers.

Viet Linh

(*The article uses materials from: History of Thanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee, volume 1 (1930 - 1954), History of Thanh Hoa City Party Committee (1945 - 2000), History of Vinh Loc District Party Committee (1930 - 2000).

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/cuoc-tong-tuyen-cu-dau-tien-nam-1946-dien-ra-o-thanh-hoa-236059.htm