VietNamNet Bridge – Lawmakers yesterday afternoon agreed to pass the Law on the Capital City. The law contains the position and role of the capital city, and the responsibilities of the National Assembly, Government, ministries, branches and people in protecting and developing the city.

It also embraces regulations to protect the capital's culture, education, science and technology, housing development and traffic and land management.

Under the law, planning must be approved by the Prime Minister after the NA gave it the nod.

The law prohibits expanding hospitals within the inner city, and new industrial zones and industrial production enterprises, tertiary education and vocational training institutions are not allowed to be built in the inner districts.

The Prime Minister will decide measures and a road map to relocate some industrial enterprises, tertiary education units and hospitals from the inner city to outlying areas.

The city's architecture, landscape and construction must follow a master plan to ensure preservation and promotion of cultural and historical values and create a green area for the city as well as the two sides of the Hong (Red) River.

Given the city's budget can not cover important environmental, traffic, hydraulic projects, the State budget would compensate for the shortfall under a proposal by the Prime Minister.

Anti-terrorism law

The NA deputies yesterday discussed the draft law on fighting and preventing terrorism. Most of the delegates said a special task force to fight terrorism should be formed.

Deputy Nguyen Van Minh from the northern mountainous province of Bac Kan and Do Ngoc Nien from the southern province of Ninh Thuan suggested training counter-terrorism skills and supplying modern equipment for existing forces.

They argued that a force specialising in counter-terrorism would require large investment in terms of human resources and materials.

According to deputy Huynh The Ky from the southern province of Ninh Thuan, a specialised anti-terrorism unit was needed to prevent attacks, rather than react to them.

He added that this force did not need to be large but must be ready for duty.

Some deputies asked for clarification of what actions constituted terrorism in order to avoid confusion with other crimes.

VietNamNet/VNS