Residents excitedly cleaned village paths and renovated community houses in preparation for the upcoming 16th National Assembly and People’s Council elections for the 2026-2031 term. To ensure that the election remained democratic, legal, and safe, Điện Biên province implemented a breakthrough solution by seconding 27 civil servants from provincial departments to directly support the communes. These officials, chosen for their expertise in state management and ethnic affairs, were tasked with staying on-site from January 15 to March 31, 2026, to assist with everything from building technical plans to resolving local difficulties.

In Chiềng Sinh, a commune characterized by a large and dispersed population, Đoàn Trần Hiệp, Deputy Head of the Social-Cultural Inspection Department at the Provincial Inspectorate, was assigned to lead the support efforts. From his first days on the job, he worked closely with the commune’s Election Committee to review the progress of every legal step. This included the establishment of the commune Election Committee, four assisting sub-committees, seven election boards, and 24 polling teams across 24 specific voting areas. Every phase was scrutinized to ensure absolute compliance with the law. By the time the report was filed, Chiềng Sinh had successfully completed its consultation meetings and nominated 38 candidates for the 2nd commune People’s Council, ensuring a balanced structure of gender, non-Party members, and ethnic representation.

The commune also conducted public and democratic voter consultation meetings for these 38 candidates and posted the voter lists at the headquarters and polling areas for 10,469 registered voters. To facilitate the voting process, 72 new ballot boxes were completed for the 24 polling stations, with each station receiving two main boxes and one mobile box. Đoàn Trần Hiệp noted that the greatest challenge involved accurately reviewing voter lists due to the large number of migrant workers and the lack of electricity in some remote villages, which hindered propaganda efforts. However, with the decisive involvement of the entire political system, all key stages remained on schedule.

The presence of seconded provincial officials demonstrated a shared responsibility between the province and the grassroots government, especially during the high-pressure period of finalizing the two-level local government restructuring. Without this timely support, the workload could have easily become overwhelming. Lò Văn Pánh, Vice Chairman of the Chiềng Sinh commune People’s Committee, praised the high sense of responsibility shown by the seconded staff, particularly Đoàn Trần Hiệp, who provided timely technical guidance and ensured that arising issues were resolved immediately. Moving forward, the commune continued to focus on mobile propaganda and strict security measures to ensure that the election remained a true festival for the people.