Tan Phu District: Ethnic Minority People Eager to Go to Polls

Voters at the polling location 4 (Ethnic Culture House in Ta Lai commune)

Ta Lai is the province’s most distant mountainous district.

It has unfavorable geographical features and is tens of kilometers through forests from the communal center.

However, thanks to good propaganda programs a large number of voters were present at polling locations at the moment the election started and the election atmosphere in Tan Phu was quite exciting.

In Ta Lai commune, where most ethnic people are settling, many of its voters went through forests of tens of kilometers to reach polling locations to fulfil their citizenship rights and responsibilities.

ChaLan, a Stieng Ethnic citizen in Hamlet 4, Ta Lai commune, said: “I am so excited because this is the first time I have voted. I have got pretty much of information concerning candidates, so I believe in them.”

He added: “Through candidates, my desire is that the government will focus on investing in building schools, and clinics, on bringing electricity and water to our villages, and on bringing many other things to people in Ta Lai”.

Voter KDang said: “For us, rice is the major crop. So, to help us get rich we hope that the government will build road and irrigation systems to better serve our production”.

Head of Hamlet 4 in Ta Lai commune Kbach said that Hamlet 4 has 912 voters going to polls for the National Assembly and levels of People’s Council in 2011-2016 period, and two thirds of them are ethnic people.

Head of Communal Election Committee Dang Vu Hiep said: "Ta Lai commune has 5,531 voters, and ethnic voters account for approximately 30 percent”.

There are 13 ethnic minority groups living in the commune.

They are mainly Stieng, Chau Ma, Tay, and Hoa ethnic groups.

The commune has seven polling locations in seven different hamlets, which helps facilitate ethnic people’s going to polls”.

In Phu Loc commune, at 4:00 am, loudspeakers were turned on to call for people to go to polls.

Secretary of Communal Party Committee and Head of Communal Election Committee Nguyen Van Tuong said: “Phu Loc has 6,000 voters and 8 polling locations.

Most voters promoted national spirit by taking careful consideration into selecting moral and talented enough candidates for the National Assembly and levels of People's Council”.

Despite the launching of extensive propaganda programs concerning the election, many people were still confused to vote for four levels of authorities at one time.

These voters were given instructions on how to vote and on election law by election staff and then casted their good votes to choose appropriate, moral, and talented enough candidates as their representatives.

Tan Phu Election Committee’s report says that 17 out of 18 communes held the opening ceremony for election before 7 o’clock this morning and that Tra Co commune alone started its opening ceremony at 7 o’clock sharp.

 At 9:00 AM: 78,740 voters (accounting for 64.9 percent) went to polls.

At 11:00 AM: 110,722 voters (accounting for 91.23 percent) went to polls.

Some photos taken in Election Day in Tan Phu:

After 6:00 am, the Culture House is full of voters

A large number of Ta Lai communal people are eager to go to polls

Polling locations are crowded with voters

Election staff instruct voters how to vote

Voters in polling location 2 in Ta Lai commune go to polls

A polling location in Phu Loc communal in Tan Phu district

Voters in polling location 10 in Tan Phu town are in a queue to wait for their voting turns

Reported by Thanh Canh, Translated by Duy Minh