Vietnam’s Communist Party secures nearly 97% of assembly seats

MANILA, March 22 (Reuters) – Vietnam’s Communist Party won nearly 97% of the 500 seats in the National Assembly, according to results released by the parliament on March 22, confirming its overwhelming dominance after a vote in which almost all candidates were fielded by the ruling party.

The party’s 482-seat haul was roughly in line with the number it held in the outgoing parliament.

Turnout at the five‑yearly elections for members of the parliament and for local councils exceeded 99%, authorities have said, in line with past elections.

The unicameral parliament has virtually no power to challenge the party’s key decisions, including on personnel, but it has occasionally amended proposed laws.

The National Assembly is scheduled to hold its first weeks-long session from April 6. During that plenary, lawmakers are due to confirm new state leaders to be named by the party, including the prime minister and the president.

To Lam, who was confirmed as general secretary at the party’s January congress, is widely expected to be chosen as president as well.

Lam’s expected elevation would further align Vietnam’s political structure with that of neighbouring China, where Xi Jinping also serves as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and president.

Vietnam and China are among a handful of communist-ruled states in the world. Though the two neighbours have a long history of mistrust and territorial disputes, including over islands and waters in the South China Sea, their Communist parties remain officially close.

The conclusion of the election comes as Vietnam, like many countries, grapples with the spillover effects of the deepening Middle East crisis on global trade, energy markets and regional stability.

(Reporting by Karen Lema and Franceso Guarascio; Editing by Saad Sayeed)