Hanoi was in a festive mood as preparations were being made for the first general elections in the nation’s history.
Political organizations started animated campaigns for their candidates. Slogans appeared everywhere, on the walls and on banners. Decorated floats toured the city, on which boys and girls in fancy dress beat drums, played music and spoke through megaphones in support of their candidates. Newspapers issued special editions for the election campaign.
From various places, the people sent in letters asking Uncle Ho not to stand for election in any specific province, but to let the whole country elect him to the National Assembly. Everyone wanted to write Uncle Ho’s name on top of his ballot-paper. Uncle wrote a short letter in reply to these proposals.
“I am a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam. So I can’t be exempted from the rules set for the general elections. I am a candidate for Hanoi, so I can’t stand for election in any other constituency.
“I wish to thank you all for your love for me and hope that you will fulfil your duties as citizens in the coming general elections.”
On the morning of January 6, 1946, flags, lanterns and flowers were seen everywhere in cities and villages.
The population, rich and poor, old and young, men and women, all cheerfully went to the polls.
Their right to vote had not been won overnight. This freedom had been won through long struggles, at the cost of so much blood and tears. Right up to election day blood was being shed for it. Forty-two of our cadres had been killed in the South while campaigning for the elections.
It was the day when the new masters of the country exercised their sovereign rights. In Phuc Yen town, an old man of nearly one hundred years of age asked his grandson to take him to the polling-booth. He asked the officials to tell him the background and achievements of each candidate. He held the ballot-paper tenderly in his hands and reflected for a long while before deciding on his choice. Young people found in those ballot-papers the expression of their hopes and dreams, of what they would bring them in the future. Older people knew the deeper meaning of those papers of freedom after the humiliations suffered during long years of slavery.
Even blind people asked to be taken to the polling stations so that they could enjoy the full happiness of personally casting their voting-papers into the ballot-box.
The general elections were a festive day for everyone. In many places, people organized processions with lanterns, torches and Uncle Ho’s portraits or theatrical performances and other activities.
Yet, the self-defence forces were kept on the alert against acts of sabotage.
In Hanoi itself, in spite of previous agreements, the Nationalist Party men armed with submachine-guns prevented the setting up of a polling station in Ngu Xa. They even forbade people there to fly the national flag. The Ngu Xa people reacted by going to the polling-station in neighbouring Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.
In the southern part of our country, the elections took place in spite of the enemy’s bombs, napalm and machine-guns. Even in areas under temporary enemy occupation like Sai Gon, Cho Lon, My Tho, candidates stood for election. In Tan An and Khanh Hoa, a number of people were killed or wounded when the polling stations were bombed by enemy planes. Around ninety per cent of the electorate courageously exercised their citizen’s right and duty in face of the enemy’s terrorism in many areas.
Uncle Ho went to the polling-booth in a house facing the Hang Voi school, Bac Ninh Street(1), in Ha Noi.
It was a cold dry morning.
He appeared in a simple khaki suit among electors clad in their warm Sunday best. He stepped into the polling-station with a radiant face. After thirty-five years of fierce struggle waged along with the whole nation against the enemy, he was now receiving, like all his people, the first ballot-paper of a free citizen in an independent country.
Hearing of President Ho’s arrival, the people soon formed a large crowd in front of the polling-station. As he stepped out, thunderous applause broke out. He waved to the crowd then went visiting various polling-stations in Hang Bac, Hang Gai, Hang Trong Streets and in Ho Khau village on the outskirts. He wanted to mingle with the people on this great festive day of the nation.
Uncle Ho greatly valued this citizen’s right and duty. In March last year (1969) there were elections for the Ha Noi People’s Council. Although he was in poor health at the time, he went to the polling-station in Ba Dinh district. People gathered round him. Before marking the name on the ballot-paper, he smilingly asked people to keep away so as to ensure the principle of secret ballot. That was the way he cast his vote to select members of the people’s council in the 79th spring of his life.
In the first general elections in the country, President Ho was a candidate for Hanoi and polled 98.4 per cent of the votes.
The people throughout the country, from North to South, elected 333 deputies to the first National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam.
(1) Now Nguyen Huu Huan Street.