Following the 1946 general election, the people elected 333 National Assembly representatives from among thousands of candidates and nominees.

Election Day

In his memoir "Homeland and Revolution," Mr. Hoang Anh, a native of Phong An (now Phong Thai ward), former Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and Deputy Prime Minister , recalled: From 6 a.m. on January 6, 1946, people in the villages were calling out to each other; on the village roads and streets, many people dressed neatly began to go to vote. Children also refused to stay home, flocking to watch the voting process as if it were a festival. By 5 p.m., even the slowest places had finished voting.

Right here in my hometown, Thuy Phuong, now part of Thanh Thuy ward, the atmosphere on election day was vividly recalled and described by the elderly who had the opportunity to participate, with flags and banners fluttering in the breeze throughout the villages and hamlets. Many new archways were erected to welcome citizens exercising their right to self-governance. Except for those who were too old or too frail to vote, the Election Committee brought ballot boxes to their homes; all citizens aged 18 and above enthusiastically went to the polls.

According to the "Determined to Fight" newspaper, the propaganda organ of the Thua Thien Viet Minh and also of the Central Viet Minh, under the direct guidance of the Provincial and Regional Party Committees, the Thua Thien province unit had 45 candidates, with 5 elected representatives, and the Thuan Hoa town unit ( Hue ) had 13 candidates, with 2 elected representatives; the Viet Minh Front nominated 7 representatives. From very early on, propaganda and mobilization work was meticulously focused on every detail.

From the beginning of December 1945, under the leadership of the Party, cadres of the Viet Minh Front, national salvation organizations, and government officials at all levels in Thua Thien began to spread information to villages and towns to help people understand the great significance of the upcoming general election throughout the country, the rights and obligations of citizens to cast their votes to elect worthy representatives to serve the nation; the election procedures and the responsibilities of those elected by the people...

It was not surprising that the entire Thua Thien province had a voter turnout rate of over 90%, with some communes reaching 100%. In the former Quang Dien district, the voter turnout rate was over 95%. All candidates nominated by the Viet Minh Front were elected with high vote counts. According to the Quyet Chien newspaper, in Thuan Hoa town, two people were elected: Mr. Tran Huu Duc and Mr. Ton Quang Phiệt. In Thua Thien province, the elected candidates included Mr. Hoang Anh, Venerable Thich Mat The, engineer Nguyen Dang Khoa, doctor Nguyen Kinh Chi, and teacher Doan Trong Truyen.

People in Hanoi cast their votes in the first National Assembly election. Photo: Archival material.

People's Councils at two levels and Administrative Committees at four levels

Along with the National Assembly elections, on November 22, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 63/SL, laying the foundation for a seamless local government system from the central to the grassroots level. The entire country had only two levels of People's Councils: at the provincial and commune levels. Hue, due to its previous status as the capital, had its own district-level People's Council (Thuan Hoa town). Meanwhile, the Administrative Committee had four levels: region (region), province, district, and commune (many places were initially villages).

On February 24, 1946, elections for People's Councils at two levels (provincial and commune) were held simultaneously nationwide. In keeping with the spirit of the National Assembly elections held nearly two months earlier, this was truly a grand celebration for all segments of the population in Thua Thien province. According to regulations, the people of Thua Thien elected a Provincial People's Council consisting of 30 members. On May 10, 1946, the Provincial People's Council held its first session and elected the Thua Thien Provincial Administrative Committee, with Mr. Hoang Anh as Chairman, Mr. Hoang Duc Trach as Vice Chairman, and Mr. Lam Mong Quang as Secretary.

The People's Council of Thuan Hoa town held its first session on June 9, 1946, electing Mr. Hoang Phuong Thao as Chairman of the Town's Administrative Committee. On July 14, 1946, elections for the administrative committees of the districts were held. As a result, Mr. Hoang Thai was elected Chairman of the Administrative Committee of Phong Dien district, Mr. Tran Ba ​​Song of Quang Dien, Mr. Tran Thanh Chu of Huong Tra, Mr. Le Trong Dai of Huong Thuy, Mr. Nguyen Cuu Thanh of Phu Vang, and Mr. Le Ba Di of Phu Loc. Meanwhile, overcoming many initial difficulties and uncertainties, the communes in the province also successfully organized elections for the People's Councils and administrative committees at the grassroots level.

From September 23, 1945, resistance erupted in Southern Vietnam when the French colonialists seized Saigon, clearly demonstrating their ambition to invade our country once again. The situation became even more tense in 1946 as the French continuously engaged in acts of aggression and sabotage. Despite numerous difficulties and sabotage attempts, the general election was successfully held, affirming the nation's will for independence.

In response to the aggression and escalation of the war by the French colonialists, on December 19, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh issued the "Call for National Resistance." Following the directives of the Central Party Committee, the Standing Committee of the Thua Thien Provincial Party Committee decided to establish the Thua Thien Resistance Committee, chaired by Mr. Ha Van Lau and with Mr. Hoang Anh (Chairman of the Provincial Administrative Committee) as Vice Chairman. On October 1, 1947, in accordance with President Ho Chi Minh's Decree No. 91/SL, the Resistance Committee and the Administrative Committee were merged into the Resistance and Administrative Committee, chaired by Mr. Hoang Anh.

Existing for only a short time, the Thua Thien Administrative Committee and the district and commune levels within the province lacked extensive organizational experience and modern administrative skills. However, in practice, it proved to be the most effective model of government under conditions of encirclement, division, and war, helping Thua Thien (Hue) overcome difficulties and challenges, and later becoming one of the strong resistance bases of Zone IV during the resistance against French colonialism.

DINH NAM

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/lan-dau-di-bo-phieu-161204.html