The 14th National Assembly (NA)’s fifth session showed a strong shift from presentation to debate, winning applaud from the public, NA officials said at a press conference following the session’s closing in Hanoi on June 15.

Scene at the closing ceremony of the NA's fifth session

NA Deputy General Secretary and Vice Chairman of the NA Office Le Bo Linh gave a review of the session, which ran from May 21 to June 15, noting that the NA had completed its working agenda set for the 21-day session, which covered numerous contents on law-making, decisions related to key issues of the nation, and supreme inspection.

He said the NA passed seven draft laws during the session, consisting of the Law on Measurement and Maps, Law on Cyber Security, Law on Denunciation (revised), Law on Competition (revised), Law on National Defence (revised), Law on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Law on Physical Activity and Sports, and Law on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of 11 laws related to planning.

The NA also approved eight resolutions on the programme of building laws and ordinances in 2019 and amendment to the 2018 programme; the ratification of 2016 State budget balance; the NA’s supervision programme for 2019; the outcomes of the NA’s supervision of the implementation of policies and laws on management and use of State capital and assets at enterprises and equitisation of State-owned enterprises during 2011-2016; NA’s question-and-answer session; the establishment of the NA’s supreme inspection delegations for 2019; and the resolution of the NA’s fifth session.

During the session, NA deputies also examined and debated nine other bills.

Meanwhile, question-and-answer (Q&A) sessions were conducted for Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and the ministers of Transport, Natural Resources and Environment, Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and Education and Training. 

The Q&A sessions adopted a new method of shortening time of both questioners and answerers, which allowed for more deputies to present their concerns and improve the quality of given questions and answers.

The fifth session took place in a straightforward and democratic manner, and the deputies’ discussion of bills was carried out based on careful document research and collecting public feedback.

During the course of the session, the NA also conducted a number of external activities and marked the 10th founding anniversary of the group of NA female deputies.

A high-ranking delegation of the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia led by Speaker Wesley W. Simina came for an official visit and attended a question-and-answer session on June 6.

Legislators praise improved organization of NA’s fifth session

Lawmakers have evaluated that the 14th National Assembly (NA)’s fifth session, which concluded in Hanoi on June 15, was organised scientifically and efficiently.

Talking with reporters on the sidelines of the session, Deputy Luu Binh Nhuong of Ben Tre province said the NA’s discussion and approval of important laws aims to create breakthrough and sustainable development for the country from now to 2020. 

Nhuong, however, said that there are contents and tasks that need to be strictly assessed in order to prepare more carefully, avoiding the postponed approval such as the draft law on special administrative-economic units.

The organisation of the session and the questioning form were changed, requiring NA deputies to carefully prepare questions, so that the questioned issues must be practical and constructive, not only showing personal problems.

He affirmed that the Q&A activity have shown democracy, creating basic conditions for voters to directly supervise the operation of both the NA and NA deputies. 

Sharing the same opinion, deputy Phung Van Hung of Cao Bang province highlighted improvements during the Q&A session, saying that it brought high efficiency for the session. 

Through the session, voters could monitor activities of lawmakers right at the legislature, as well as the implementation of responsibilities of ministers and the Government’s leaders, he said. 

Delegates asked short and concise questions, which went straight to the issues, while ministers answered openly without beating about the bush, Hung said, adding that the improvement needs to be maintained.

Deputy Thai Truong Giang from Ca Mau province said the session was a success as it adopted laws that are very appropriate and close to the reality. However, it is necessary to make more improvements in the coming time, he said. 

While analyzing the approval of draft laws, deputy Phung Van Hung from Cao Bang province affirmed that decisions made by the NA during the session were very important and suitable to the country’s conditions and also met the aspirations of voters nationwide.

Sharing Hung’s opinion, deputy Thai Truong Giang from Ca Mau province appreciated the responsibility of NA deputies, who are representatives of voters to debate and contribute comments at the session. 

Regarding the Q&A session, Giang suggested that ministers should answer more shortly and focus on the points in the coming time, adding that some laws need more time for legislators to give opinions such as the Law on Higher Education. 

Deputy Vu Tien Loc from Thai Binh province said that NA’s decisions on socio-economic development, especially measures to accelerate the restructuring of State-owned enterprises have brought about positive results.

The session was organised democratically, he noted, adding that the NA’s operations have recently paid attention to the development of small and medium enterprises, through its discussion on solutions to economic development and economic laws.

VNA