The election in 1946 marked the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, while the vote in 1976 signified the reunification of the country.
One day before the country’s first General Election on January 6, 1946, in the voters and candidates meeting in Hanoi, as a candidate, President Ho Chi Minh said that people need to sacrifice their own interests to work for the common interests. At that time, the country was in a difficult situation, President Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh national independence coalition decided to invite all forces to stand as candidates. This showed that the Viet Minh respected wanted the most talented people to work for the country interests.
Lieutenant-General Hong Cu turns 90 years old this year. After 13 tenures of elections, the first election on 1946 left him with the most unforgettable memories.
"That was the first time me and friends in the Hoang Dieu Citadel National Salvation Youths cast our votes. We call them the votes of freedom and independence. In that context, the right to vote makes us feel so happy because our country wasn’t independent event just a few months previously. President Ho Chi Minh was one of the candidates in Hanoi and all Hanoi people felt honoured that they could vote for him. Everyone wanted to see his name on their ballots. In that election, President Ho Chi Minh got the most votes among 333 National Assembly candidates", Lieutenant-General Pham Hong Cu - Former Deputy Head of Vietnam People's Army's General Department of Politics - said.
"The Viet Minh had a slogan: 'The country, independence and solidarity are above all'. That was the slogan and strategic line of the Viet Minh at that time, even for people who used to work for the old government. And everyone believed in them and what they did. I think that’s very important to the ruling party", Assoc Prof. Tran Ngoc Long - Former Deputy Director of Military History Institute of Vietnam - said.
30 years later, the second memorable election took place in 1976, a year after the complete liberation of South Vietnam. In the south, many candidates used to work for the old government such as lawyer Trinh Dinh Thao, Ngo Ba Thanh, professor Ly Chanh Trung and the nun Huynh Lien. The list of candidates reflected a wide cross-section of Vietnam.
"In the 1976 national election, we knew that there are many people who weren’t communists but they had good morality, strategic vision and leadership capacity. We expanded opportunities for everyone to contribute to the country. After that, thanks to the solidarity of all forces, they became the main forces who made a significant contribution to country after the complete liberation of South Vietnam", Assoc Prof. Tran Ngoc Long added.
These elections took place in different periods but they had a similar spirit. The candidates can come from different backgrounds but they all had a love for the country.
