Early start to Vietnam vote

Candidates are reportedly trying to engage with voters

By Clare Arthurs BBC Hanoi correspondent

Voting has begun in Vietnam's elections for the National Assembly, with the first voters casting their ballots early in the disputed territory of the Spratly Islands.

Voting in the archipelago is being held early, as election day in the rest of Vietnam is not until 19 May - the birth date of modern Vietnam's founder, Ho Chi Minh.

Voting on the Spratly islands started on Sunday, with officials using boats to reach voters spread across small islands which Vietnam calls the Truong Sa island district.

It is a different sort of claim to sovereignty to those traditionally used over the islands, which are also claimed in whole or in part by China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

The islands are in a strategic shipping route. They are believed to contain rich oil and gas reserves as well as fish stocks.

But fishing vessels are often followed by warships and military spats. Claimants also use exploration activities to substantiate their territorial ambitions.

Many of the voters in Truong Sa are members of the military, stationed in the disputed territory.

Campaigning

The National Assembly elections are seen as significant because, for the first time, at least a quarter of the deputies will be full time, and they are increasingly younger and better educated.

Also for the first time, they will be required to disclose their assets and potentially face no-confidence votes.

In part, the changes reflect efforts to address corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency, two of the main concerns voters have been raising. They also signal efforts by Vietnam to improve the quality of lawmaking, essential as Vietnam reforms its legal and financial systems to better engage with the outside world.

Voting in the Spratlys could reinforce Vietnam's claim to the territory, but it also reflects efforts to engage the public in these elections.

Road workers on the old Ho Chi Minh trail in central Vietnam have also been encouraged to vote early. Diplomats say they have noted that candidates are making more effort to communicate with voters.

National Assembly officials have been more open with foreign observers in what they describe as a response to increasing interest in Vietnam. There has been some speculation among diplomats about whether the ageing Prime Minister, Phan Van Khai, will seek to hold his post, and there could be some reshuffling of government ministries.

But observers are mainly interested in Vietnam's version of democratic elections, where all candidates are still vetted by the Communist Party.