National Assembly delegates yesterday agreed that commune-level police should not be asked to carry out primary criminal investigations.

Discussing the law on the organisation of the criminal investigation agency at the ninth session of the 13th National Assembly, delegates said the law's promulgation would handle shortcomings in the 2004 Investigation Ordinance and improve the operation of criminal investigation groups.

Deputies said that the law should not allow police at grassroots level (ward or communal) to make initial investigations since they had not been trained properly in investigation procedures.

"Searching on the internet, we found dozens of cases with errors caused by commune police reported in the mass media. They included deaths, serious injuries and the making of false documents," said deputy Le Thi Nga from Thai Nguyen.

"I think the reason for such wrongful conviction is that we already give commune police rights that exceed their ability, " said Nga, adding that regulations relating to the competence of commune police in legal proceedings were not rational.

Discussing the law on custody and temporary detention, deputies said that the law would help handling shortcomings, especially the violation

of human rights in temporary detention houses and meet demands for judicial reform.

Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang and NA deputy Luu Thi Huyen from Ninh Binh said that the bill was an important law project that related directly to human rights and citizens' duty as regulated in the 2013 Constitution.

Deputies suggested that to ensure gender equality, the law should have specific regulations on custody and temporary detention for pregnant women and those having children under the age of 36-months.

Deputy Nguyen Minh Phuong from Can Tho said that pregnant woman and women with children under the age of three who were in temporary custody or detention must be provided with medical services or regular checkups.

On the same day, deputies passed a revised law on the Organisation of the Government (83 per cent of votes) and the law on Organisations of Local Governments (89.27 per cent of votes). A law on Military Service also was passed with 87.7 per cent of votes, while a law on veterinary medicine was passed with 85.5 per cent of votes.

Sympathy sent over decease of Chinese former top legislator

Politburo member and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on June 19 conveyed condolences to China over the decease of Qiao Shi, former Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

The message was sent to Zhang Dejiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (CPCCC) and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

Qiao Shi, who passed away on June 14 at the age of 91, was also a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee for the 13 th and 14 th terms and former Secretary of the CPCCC’s Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Also on June 19, Politburo member and Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Inspection Ngo Van Du and Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan extended sympathy to their Chinese counterparts.

Party chief commemorates late Cambodian Senate President

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited the Cambodian Embassy in Vietnam on June 19 to offer his deepest sympathies over the the passing of President of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and President of the Senate Chea Sim.

In his notes in the funeral book, the Vietnamese leader highlighted the important contributions made by Chea Sim as an excellent leader of Cambodia to the country’s peace and national unity cause as well as its national construction and development.

The death of the Cambodian leader is a great loss to Cambodia and Vietnam loses a close friend who made important contributions to the development of the traditional solidarity, friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the CPP as well as the two States and peoples, he said.

On the same day, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment and Vice President of the Vietnam-Cambodia Cooperation Subcommittee Nguyen Chi Dung, and representatives from the Ministries of Defence, and Public Security and a number of other agencies also wrote their condolences in the funeral book.

A delegation from the Party Committee People’s Committee and People’s Council and Vietnamese Fatherland Front led by Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vo Van Thuong also paid tribute to the late Cambodian leader at the Cambodian Consulate General in HCM City.

Chea Sim, who died on June 8 from an illness, served as President of the National Assembly of Cambodia from 1981-1998.

He held various positions in both the executive and legislative branches, ranging from Chairman of the Council of State, Minister of the Interior and Head of both the lower house and upper house.

He was elected as President of the CPP during its establishment in 1991 and President of the Senate in 1999.

Deputy PM pushes for statistics improvement

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Ninh has called upon ministries, agencies and localities to accelerate the progress of achieving national statistical targets at all levels.

This is part of the Statistical Development Strategy for 2011-2020, with a vision up to 2030, which was approved by the Prime Minister in 2011 and aims to improve Vietnam’s statistical capabilities up to the World Bank and United Nations international standards.

The Ministry of Home Affairs will work with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to offer training to statistics officers.

In the meantime, a national statistical archive and a national centre for statistical data are to be built and operated by the General Statistics Office, as part of an action plan to realise the strategy.

 

VNA/VNS