Việt Nam’s incoming 16th National Assembly has drawn scrutiny for restricting public access to its election process and scheduling oath-taking ceremonies for top leaders before formal votes have even occurred.
According to Luật Khoa Magazine, the agenda for the assembly’s first session includes detailed timelines for officials to take their oaths of office—even though the elections themselves have yet to occur. This sequencing has raised questions about how leadership outcomes are determined and the role of formal voting procedures.
The session, set to begin in early April, will focus on consolidating key state positions, including the president, prime minister, and National Assembly chair. However, the public cannot directly observe how lawmakers cast their votes. Only select segments—such as opening remarks and oath-taking ceremonies—will be broadcast live, limiting transparency into one of the most critical functions of the legislature.
Under Việt Nam’s political system, the Communist Party typically preselects candidates for top state positions. Consequently, the Assembly’s voting procedures are often viewed as largely procedural.
The pre-arranged oath schedule heavily reinforces this perception, suggesting that outcomes are effectively decided ahead of time and fueling ongoing debates about the true nature of the country’s legislative elections.
This combination of pre-planned ceremonies and restricted access underscores the tightly controlled nature of political transitions in Việt Nam. While legislative sessions are partially open, shielding key decision-making moments from real-time public scrutiny limits public oversight.
As the 16th National Assembly begins its term, this lack of visibility may shape public perceptions of governance and institutional legitimacy in the years ahead.
Lê Sáng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on April 6, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights for the English translation.
