VietNamNet Bridge – Lawmakers yesterday (April 24) stressed the need for further elaboration of principles related to managing information relating to the new citizens' identity card so as to ensure privacy and protection of the holders' rights and benefits.

“The card should fulfill well its function of simplifying personal documentation needs”. -- Photo: VNN

Discussing issues related to the issuance of a new citizen identification card, they agreed that it has to be produced with advanced technology to ensure that it is durable, impossible to fake and able to carry essential information, National Assembly (NA) deputies said yesterday.

At a working session of the NA Standing Committee, the deputies said the card should fulfill well its function of simplifying personal documentation needs.

The committee also discussed the use of the new citizen card as a unique identification document that can be used for transactions and travel within Viet Nam.

Commenting on the draft Citizen Identity Law, they noted that under the new legislation, unlike the existing identity card, the new one will be issued at the same time as the birth certificate to ensure the rights of citizens under the 2013 Constitution.

They also said that the new law should make clear the connection between the national demographic database, household database and residency database.

Some deputies said that the demographic database should be the basic one used to collect information on a citizen's identity to ensure accuracy and consistency.

Meanwhile, the NA's Council of National Defense and Security called for further discussion and clarifications on how issuance of the new identity card can help ease citizen documentation procedures. It said there should be greater clarity on exactly what papers it can replace in what set of circumstances.

The NA deputies also felt the need for further elaboration of the principles for managing information relating to citizen's identity so as to ensure privacy and protection of their rights and benefits.

Earlier the same day, the NA's Standing Committee also discussed the draft Household Law, which deals with authorisation and registration procedures for household documentation.

The deputies agreed that the Government needs to focus more effort and resources on development of the national demographic database, given its central importance to the new identity card.

Sharing international experience in NA activities

On April 24, Ho Chi Minh City hosted an international seminar, sharing Vietnam’s experience in the organization and operation of the National Assembly (NA) with international guests.

The two-day event was attended by experts and parliamentary representatives from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Canada, France and Germany.

This is a forum for NA deputies, policy makers, Vietnamese and international experts to discuss how to organize and operate international parliamentary models under which Vietnamese delegates put forward proposals and suggestions aiming to fine-tune regulations in the Draft Law on Organization of the NA (revised).

NA deputies will opine the draft law at the upcoming seventh session of the 13th NA legislature.

Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao, Head of the NA’s Legislative Research Institute said in 2013, Vietnam had amended the Constitution with new content, therefore, it is imperative to revise some legal provisions in line with this revised Constitution.

“The sharing of international experiences with other countries in organization and activities of the NA will help experts in the law-making process”, Thao noted.

At the seminar, delegates also focused discussion on three main issues—NA organizational and operational models, NA legislative function and NA supervisory function.

Dang Dinh Luyen, Deputy Chairman of the NA Committee for Legal Affairs said after 12 years of enforcement of the Law on Organization of the NA, the NA Standing Committee directed the drafting committee to make reports and prepare the draft law on the organization of the NA (revised) which will be submitted to the NA for its opinions at the forthcoming seventh session.

In the framework of the seminar, participants will visit and work with NA delegation office and the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council to learn about organizational structure and activities of the Office as well as support mechanisms for local representatives.

VNN/VNS/VOV