Residents and soldiers of the Truong Sa (Spratlys) Archipelago in the central province of Khanh Hoa were early voters in the national parliamentary elections as they cast their ballots Sunday.

  

Voting in the elections, being held simultaneously for both central and local legislative bodies, are set to begin in the rest of the country this Sunday (May 22).

 

The first votes in the elections were cast by employees of the Rong (dragon) oil field in the southern province Ba Ria-Vung Tau on Monday (May 2).

 

Vietnamese citizens will elect 500 representatives to the National Assembly, 3,200 members of People’s Council in cities and provinces, and over 300,000 members of People’s Council in districts and communes.

 

Elections to the National Assembly and the People’s Council take place once every five years, but they are usually scheduled two years apart. But this year they are being held at the same time.