Sawt Falasteen - Polls open in Vietnam legislative election: AFP

The National Assembly is the country's top legislative body, but serves mainly to ratify decisions by the ruling Communist Party.

The Southeast Asian nation of 100 million is both an economic success story, boasting eight percent growth last year, and a repressive one-party state that often jails its critics.

Out of 864 candidates for the 500-seat legislature, which serves mainly to ratify decisions by the ruling Communist Party, only 65 are not party members.

In the capital Hanoi, patriotic red-and-yellow banners fluttered from lampposts and traffic lights, extolling the "national festival" where people "eagerly cast ballots".

Elderly voters, well-dressed in suits or traditional costumes, were some of the first to cast their ballots at polling stations.

"I do expect top leaders after this election will make major changes to make our country better," Nguyen Thi Kim, 73, told AFP at a polling station set up in a community room of a high-rise residential block in Hanoi.

Among the new parliament's first tasks when it sits next month will be to confirm top leaders already selected by the party at its twice-a-decade congress in January.

The president, prime minister and head of the national assembly will all be confirmed by lawmakers' votes.

Top leader To Lam was reaffirmed as general secretary at the congress, but he is widely expected to become president as well -- a post that requires approval by lawmakers.

This general election aims "to choose the most prestigious people to continue leading the country to more development", To Lam said on live TV after casting his ballot.

Most polling stations were due to close at 7:00 pm (1200 GMT), with results not expected for at least a week.

B.Khalifa--SF-PST