Residents of Hamlet 1, Quang Ninh Commune, are learning about the biographies of candidates running for the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels at polling station number 3.
Mr. Dau Khac Tram, 85 years old, a veteran in Tien Trang commune, shared: “The two-tiered local government model places the commune level closest to the people and also where state power directly impacts people's lives. This means that commune-level People's Council representatives will have to shoulder heavier responsibilities.”
According to Pham Van Thinh, Party Secretary and Head of the Fatherland Front Committee of Hamlet 19, Tan Tien Commune, the two-tiered local government system is a groundbreaking reform, realizing "the will of the Party and the aspirations of the people" through a streamlined, proactive, and service-oriented apparatus. As a retired military officer participating in local work, Mr. Thinh feels that people always want their legitimate aspirations to be addressed promptly and efficiently by the local government, without going through multiple intermediate levels. Having participated in many elections, Mr. Thinh says this time the feeling is very different, because the ballot is not only to choose people with "heart" and "vision" to "realize" policies, but also to choose people with courage, attentiveness, and empathy to thoroughly and promptly address the aspirations of the people.
Voters' expectations extend beyond simply streamlining the administrative apparatus; they also focus on the quality of public services. Streamlining the system and strongly decentralizing power to local governments at two levels, especially at the commune level, requires highly capable and professionally qualified officials and People's Council representatives to handle the large workload and improve the quality of administrative procedures. Voters hope that in the next term, the commune-level People's Councils will include young, dynamic individuals who are tech-savvy and possess modern management thinking, with clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability.
Village 1 in Quang Ninh commune has 1,093 voters. In this election, the people of Village 1 will elect 3 National Assembly deputies and 6 People's Council representatives at all levels. Mr. Le Cong Kien, Party branch secretary, head of the Fatherland Front working committee, and head of the Village 1 polling station, shared: "The transformation of the government model is an opportunity for efforts from the grassroots to be recognized and supported more promptly. Currently, the locality is striving to invest in transportation infrastructure, irrigation, and public service applications for every household. What the people need from the People's Council representatives for the 2026-2031 term is an understanding of technology, a willingness to think outside the box and take action, close attention to the grassroots; innovative thinking, the ability to transform the will of the people into policy, and the courage to implement in the context of digital transformation and sustainable development."
The intensity of this election is also clearly evident in urban areas, such as wards 7 and 8 of Hac Thanh commune. With 17 candidates for the National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels, voters here are faced with a wide range of choices, but also a great responsibility to select the "right and effective" representatives who "walk the talk" in the new administrative model. According to Nguyen Thi Kieu Oanh, head of residential group 8 and head of polling station number 48, the elimination of intermediate levels allows the pressing requests of more than 1,200 residents of wards 7 and 8 to be sent to the provincial level more quickly, and the People's Council of the commune is also given more real power to resolve infrastructure and social welfare issues on the spot.
The experience in 2025 shows that the two-tiered model of the commune-level People's Councils has affirmed its position as "closest to the people" through relevant decisions on budget, public investment, and social welfare. Supervision activities have been emphasized, focusing on land and administrative procedures, helping to increase trust and gain high levels of consensus from the people. The commune-level People's Councils have effectively played their role of being close to the people by holding 4-6 sessions, issuing over 10 resolutions per year, and focusing on resolving issues affecting people's lives.
Nguyen Thi Son, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairwoman of the People's Council of Quang Ninh commune, affirmed: "To ensure truly effective operation, the People's Council at the commune level needs to assert its decisive role, proactively issuing resolutions that are relevant to reality instead of passively waiting for guidance, helping to overcome work bottlenecks. Timely decisions, especially in the context of a two-tiered local government, are the pillar that establishes the position of elected bodies. Therefore, People's Councils at all levels need to promptly 'finalize' issues within their jurisdiction according to the law to ensure smooth operation of the apparatus, remove bottlenecks at the grassroots level, and quickly resolve administrative problems affecting the people. This requires representatives to have the capacity, responsibility, and proactiveness in supervision and resolution."
The two-tiered local government model, particularly the enhancement of the authority of the commune-level People's Councils, has brought the government apparatus closer to the people, strengthened accountability, and reformed the administrative system. To improve efficiency, it is necessary to focus on improving the quality of representatives, innovating supervisory methods, applying digital transformation, and fostering the spirit of "daring to think, daring to act, and daring to take responsibility." To realize the power of the people at the grassroots level, commune-level People's Councils need to "dare to decide, dare to supervise, and dare to pursue accountability to the end." The expectation for the new election is to select representatives with integrity, vision, courage, and practical understanding to improve the quality of the commune-level People's Councils' activities.
Text and photos: Phan Nga
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/vai-tro-moi-trach-nhiem-moi-281230.htm
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