Chương 1 Luật bầu cử đại biểu hội đồng nhân dân 2003: Những quy định chung

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.- The election of deputies to the People's Councils shall be organized on the principles of universal suffrage, equality, directness and secret ballot.

Article 2.- All citizens of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, regardless of their ethnicity, sex, social class, belief, religion, educational levels, profession, or duration of residence, who are full 18 years old or older, shall have the right to vote, or who are full 21 years old or older, shall have the right to stand for election to the People's Councils according to law provisions.

Article 3.- The People's Council deputies must satisfy the following criteria:

1. To be loyal to the socialist Vietnamese fatherland, to strive for the cause of national renewal as well as local construction and development;

2. To possess good moral qualities, be exemplary in the observance of law, actively struggle against all manifestations of red-tape, authoritarianism, bumbledom, corruption and wastefulness as well as other acts of law violation, protect the State's interests as well as citizens' legitimate rights and interests;

3. To be qualified for and capable of performing the tasks of People's Council deputies, be capable of propagating and mobilizing their families and people to observe policies and law; and be proficient in socio-economic situation in order to participate in deciding on important issues in their respective localities;

4. To keep close contact with people, listen to people's opinions, and be trusted by the people;

5. To have conditions to participate in the People's Councils' activities.

Article 4.- Citizens who fully meet the conditions and criteria prescribed in Articles 2 and 3 of this Law shall be elected deputies to the People's Councils of no more than 2 levels at the same time; if they are deputies to the National Assembly, they shall be elected deputies to the People's Council of only one level.

Article 5.- The National Assembly Standing Committee shall supervise the election of deputies to the People's Councils, ensuring that the election shall be conducted in a democratic manner and in accordance with law.

The Government shall direct the People's Committees of all levels to perform the election work according to law provisions.

Article 6.- The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee shall guide the local Vietnam Fatherland Front committees in organizing consultations to select and nominate People's Council candidates, and participate in supervising the election of deputies to the People's Councils.

Article 7.- The National Assembly Standing Committee shall determine and publicize the date for election of deputies to the People's Councils of all levels.

The election day must be a Sunday and publicized at least one hundred and five days before the election day.

In special cases where the election cannot be organized strictly according to the term of the People's Councils, the National Assembly Standing Committee shall consider and make decision thereon.

Article 8.- Funding for organization of the election of deputies to the People's Councils of all levels shall be covered by the State budget.