Consulting voters at their place of residence: An important 'test'

AfterSecond Consultative Conference, the number of people recommending the preliminary list of candidates for the National Assembly in the province is 24/32 received dossiers; the number of people recommending the preliminary list of candidates for the Provincial People's Council is 206/243 dossiers; the preliminary list of candidates for the People's Council at the district level is 1,491/1,923 dossiers; the preliminary list of candidates for the People's Council at the commune level is 21,872/23,473 dossiers. According to regulations, before the third consultation conference to finalize the list of qualified candidates for the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels; the Fatherland Front and authorities at all levels will organize conferences to collect opinions and trust from voters at the place of residence for the candidates. This is an important step and a channel to screen candidates through the results of voters' comments.

The second consultative conference agreed to establish a preliminary list of 24 candidates for the 15th National Assembly and 206 candidates for the 18th Nghe An Provincial People's Council, term 2021 - 2026. Photo: Thanh Quynh

At Block 8, Truong Thi Ward, Vinh City, in the conference program to collect opinions, comments and trust of voters in the residential area for candidates for the Vinh City People's Council and Thanh Luong Commune People's Council (Thanh Chuong District), the number of participants was large and the comments were very constructive for each candidate. According to comrade Ho Van Vinh - Secretary of the Party Cell and Head of the Front Work Committee, in recent days, the block hasfocus on propaganda, clarifying the rights, obligations and responsibilities of voters in this work; at the same time, clearly informing voters about the candidates' biographies.

This year, 80 years old, present at the conference and giving opinions on each candidate, Mr. Tran Anh Tuong said: Voters and the People, everyone always wants elected representatives to fulfill their role, to always represent their will and aspirations. To do so, voters must also be aware of their responsibility in giving opinions and trust in candidates.

Voters of Block 8, Truong Thi Ward (Vinh City) express their opinions on candidates nominated for People's Council deputies at all levels. Photo: Mai Hoa

Vinh City is a locality with a very large number of candidates organized to collect voters' opinions with a total of nearly 1,500 people (including candidates for National Assembly deputies, Nghe An Provincial People's Council deputies, Ha Tinh Provincial People's Council deputies (including candidates for Nghi Xuan District People's Council deputies and some communes of Nghi Xuan District, Ha Tinh Province), district and commune-level People's Council deputies in the province.

According to comrade Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet - Head of the Vinh City Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Commission, Chairwoman of the City Fatherland Front Committee, anticipating difficulties due to the large number of candidates needing to get voters' opinions in the area, on the basis of studying election regulations, the Standing Committee of the City Fatherland Front Committee has proactively connected and discussed with the Fatherland Front system of districts and towns in the province in making a list of candidates needing to get voters' opinions at their place of residence in the city to send back to synthesize and develop a plan, avoiding confusion and passivity, especially avoiding organizing many conferences to get opinions at a block or hamlet (because each locality sends documents to get voters' opinions at different times).

The city's viewpoint is not to rush to organize a conference to collect opinions, but wards and communes must develop a specific and scientific plan to organize the collection of opinions. The conference can be organized later than the starting time, but must focus and be determined to complete the collection of opinions from voters at the place of residence for candidates earlier than the prescribed time.

Voters of block 10, Quang Trung ward (Vinh city) expressed their trust in the candidates nominated for People's Council deputies at all levels through voting. Photo: Quang Trung ward Fatherland Front

The city has also taken measures to ensure that candidates living in some apartment buildings and urban area projects that have not been handed over to the management of the block or hamlet can still collect voters' opinions in accordance with regulations and ensure quality. In addition, the city has anticipated difficulties and proactively guided wards and communes with a large number of people collecting opinions such as Ha Huy Tap ward, Nghi Phu commune, Hung Loc commune with nearly 100 candidates in the area and blocks and hamlets with more than 10 candidates.

On that basis, develop a specific and detailed operating scenario to ensure that conferences are organized with quality in the spirit that all voters who wish to contribute their opinions are given a voice and that the opinions expressed by voters are discussed specifically and thoroughly by candidates and agencies, organizations and units with candidates, avoiding formalities in organizing opinion gathering.

In Do Luong district, after the second consultation conference, the number of people recommending the preliminary list of candidates for the district People's Council was 72 people and the number of candidates for the commune-level People's Council was 1,504 people (not including candidates for the provincial People's Council and candidates for the district and commune-level People's Councils of other localities sent to collect comments from voters residing in the district).

Comrade Vuong Thi Quy - Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Do Luong district affirmed that the conference to collect opinions, comments and trust from voters at the place of residence is an important channel, through which the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee at all levels has a basis for comprehensive and objective assessment of the qualities, ethics, lifestyle, and awareness of law compliance of candidates and their families to negotiate and establish a list of qualified, exemplary people worthy of the trust of voters at the 3rd consultation conference. Therefore, the conference to collect opinions at all locations must take place seriously, democratically, and in accordance with regulations.

Voters in Hamlet 3, Bac Son Commune (Do Luong District) attended a conference to collect opinions and trust from voters in their place of residence for candidates. Photo: Mai Hoa

Comrade Nguyen Duc Thanh - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee affirmed that the conference to collect opinions from voters in the residential area for candidates is considered an important "examination". Because through the conference, voters will conduct transparent evaluations and comments and express their trust or distrust in candidates in terms of: Relationships with relatives in the residential area; compliance with the Party's policies, the State's laws as well as local regulations; leadership and exemplary behavior in residential areas...

The requirements for organizing conferences to collect opinions and trust from voters at the place of residence must be carried out publicly, democratically, transparently, and at the same time avoid taking advantage of democracy to serve personal purposes. The time for organizing conferences to collect opinions and trust from voters at the place of residence according to regulations is from March 21 to April 13, 2021. The Fatherland Front at all levels is closely coordinating with all levels and sectors to strive to complete this work by April 11, 2021, earlier than the set plan./.