At that time, in 1997, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, Professor, Doctor of Science, Director of the Institute of Geophysics, and I were introduced by the Central Election Council to run for the 10th National Assembly in Binh Duong province (formerly). Ms. Thoa and I were arranged to meet with key leaders of the province with a dense work program on all election-related issues. Mr. Nam Duc, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Mr. Ut Phuong, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Tu Duong, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and key leaders of the Election Council were very interested in helping us, giving us very sincere feelings.
From the first day we arrived in Binh Duong until now, we have always received the attention and enthusiastic help of the Office of the National Assembly Delegation, the People's Council and the Provincial People's Committee. The election on July 20, 1997 was held in conjunction with the election of the Provincial People's Council, so before that, the entire delegation of candidates for the 10th National Assembly and the People's Council met in full according to the common program. The leaders of Binh Duong created conditions for us to immediately access the entire process of meeting voters with the Provincial Candidate Delegation. Ms. Thoa was assigned to constituency number one. I was assigned to constituency number two with Mr. Phan Van Duong, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Ms. Tran Thi Kim Van, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with two other candidates from the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the business sector.
We were fully informed about the situation of Binh Duong with a comprehensive set of documents accompanied by a detailed administrative map to easily visualize the overall election area before going to the field. It was also by chance that in early 1996, I had the opportunity to accompany the Thai National Assembly Delegation to visit Song Be (before it was split into two provinces, Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc ) and met with key leaders of the province. At that time, the Provincial Party Secretary was Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet, whom everyone often called Mr. Sau Phong, very close and simple (he was later elected President). Mr. Sau Phong and I had a time working together and he was my superior leader, he was the Secretary of the Youth Regiment and I was the Head of the International Committee. After being elected as a National Assembly Delegate of the province, on the occasions when we met again in Hanoi, when he was a member of the Politburo and Head of the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization, he always showed me the care of a former boss for his subordinates with warm and friendly feelings.
Binh Duong province was previously established in November 1996, after the 9th National Assembly passed a resolution to separate Song Be province into two provinces, Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc. After being separated from Song Be, Binh Duong has become one of the provinces with strong breakthroughs in socio-economic development, building many industrial parks, then the logistics system, promoting the strengths of industrial crops combined with agriculture such as rubber, cashew nuts, pepper... Right from the beginning of the province's separation, Binh Duong strongly supported Binh Phuoc. Some leaders of Binh Duong were assigned to take up tasks in Binh Phuoc and Binh Duong still ensured to support Binh Phuoc in many aspects, sharing logistics and material conditions with Binh Phuoc.
The process of conducting the National Assembly and People's Council elections in Binh Duong was carried out according to the schedule and plan from the Central Government. Information about the candidates was provided to each household, people were fully informed about the requirements and election procedures in a very public and transparent manner. We were given maximum conditions to directly contact representatives of various classes of people and voters were satisfied when meeting with the candidates to have a basis for evaluation and selection before voting.
Once, during a meeting, people jokingly said: "According to the way we called you in the South in the past, you are "Representatives", so you have to pay attention to what the "Representatives" (meaning "people say") say so you can bring our wishes to the National Assembly!"
Many times, after the meeting ended, people stayed behind to share their concerns and wishes related to their daily lives that they wanted their delegates to pay attention to, such as the issue of prices of cashew nuts, pepper, rubber, and agricultural materials, how to ensure that they are suitable and stable for people to feel secure in production; wishing that competent authorities would open more high schools so that children would not have to go to school far away... The principal of a kindergarten in Ben Cat district (now Ben Cat city) warmly invited me and took me to the school (this kindergarten is located not far from the meeting place with voters) to show me the cramped premises and requested attention to investing in the school... We divided the tasks among the delegation, which content I would discuss with the people, which issues were within the province's scope of resolution, we would invite representatives of the province or district leaders to come along to answer immediately, meeting the voters' expectations. Perhaps this close, direct and practical approach helps our voter meetings to always be lively, without any restrictions on voters, and the attendees are very enthusiastic.
Our delegation of the National Assembly of Binh Duong, Term X, was a small delegation, with only 5 delegates and we were quite close-knit and friendly. Every time we met with voters, if we could arrange time, we often visited the homes of the provincial National Assembly delegates. Time passed so quickly, and the term of Term X had ended. In May 2002, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee and the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee coordinated with the National Assembly delegation to organize a conference to summarize the work at the end of the term. Key leaders from all communes, wards, districts and towns of Binh Duong were invited to attend. At the end of the conference, the delegates unanimously voted to propose that the National Assembly delegates of Term X be re-elected to continue implementing their action programs, contributing to the development of the province.
Binh Duong Province (formerly), where I had the honor to run for and be elected as a National Assembly Representative for the first term, left me with many precious memories. This is where I learned a lot from the leaders of the province, from the people I had the opportunity to meet during the process of performing my duties as a People's Representative. 27 years have passed since the first day I arrived in Binh Duong, I feel like I am a citizen of that extremely hospitable and beloved land.
Ambassador NGO ANH DUNG
National Assembly Delegate, 10th, 11th, 12th Term
Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nhiem-ky-dau-tien-lam-dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-post807447.html
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