The National Assembly (NA)’s Council for Ethnic Affairs and the Government’s Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs held a meeting in Hanoi on March 5 to discuss communications activities in ethnic minority areas regarding the upcoming general elections.
Vice Chairman of the council Quàng Văn Hương said the elections of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure, slated for May 23, are an important political event for the country, following the success of the 13th National Party Congress in January.
Recognising the possibility that COVID-19 will impact on electoral activities, he said it is necessary to increase communications among people of all social strata, especially ethnic minorities, to enhance their sense of the right to mastery and sense of responsibility towards selecting outstanding and deserving persons to the NA and all-level People’s Councils, thus helping to build a law-governed socialist state and carry out the Party and State’s policies on ethnic minority affairs.
Vice Chairman of the council Nguyễn Lâm Thành stressed that communications will help improve ethnic minority people’s awareness of the importance of the elections as well as electoral regulations, especially new ones on citizens’ rights and obligations regarding election and candidacy, along with the criteria for NA and People’s Council deputies.
Communications must ensure democracy and transparency and comply with the law before, during, and after the elections, he said, adding that they also need to proactively refute distorted and incorrect information and the arguments of reactionary and hostile forces.
Such activities should also be carried out in a manner suitable with the customs, lifestyles, and languages of ethnic minority people, Thành noted./.