Hanoi (VNA) - The National Assembly(NA)’s Council for Ethnic Affairs and the Government’s Committee for EthnicMinority Affairs held a meeting in Hanoi on March 5 to discuss communications activitiesin ethnic minority areas regarding the upcoming general elections.

Vice Chairman of the councilQuang Van Huong said the elections of deputies to the 15th NA andall-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure, slated for May 23, are animportant political event for the country, following the success of the13th National Party Congress in January.

Recognising the possibility that COVID-19 will impacton electoral activities, he said it is necessary to increase communications among people of all social strata, especially ethnic minorities, to enhancetheir sense of the right to mastery and sense of responsibility towardsselecting outstanding and deserving persons to the NA and all-level People’sCouncils, thus helping to build a law-governed socialist state and carry outthe Party and State’s policies on ethnic minority affairs.

Vice Chairman of the council Nguyen Lam Thanhstressed that communications will help improve ethnic minority people’sawareness of the importance of the elections as well as electoral regulations,especially new ones on citizens’ rights and obligations regarding election and candidacy, along with the criteria for NA and People’s Councildeputies.

Communications must ensure democracy andtransparency and comply with the law before, during, and after the elections,he said, adding that they also need to proactively refute distorted and incorrectinformation and the arguments of reactionary and hostile forces.

Such activities should also be carried out in a mannersuitable with the customs, lifestyles, and languages of ethnic minority people,Thanh noted./.