Early preparations for the 16th legislature

At a meeting on December 24, the National Assembly Standing Committee discussed initial preparations for the first session of the new term.

Le Quang Manh, Secretary General of the National Assembly and Head of its Office, said the session will be divided into three major content groups.

The first group includes speeches by Party leaders, a report from the National Election Council, and discussions on organizational and personnel work.

The General Secretary of the Communist Party will deliver an address, while the National Election Council will report on the overall results of the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term, including the verification of deputies’ qualifications.

The Assembly will then review and decide on key personnel matters, marking one of the most important stages of the new term.

Legislative and economic focus

The second content group will focus on legislative work, with lawmakers expected to review and approve 13 draft laws.

However, the Standing Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs suggested postponing the draft amendments to the Law on Environmental Protection Tax to the second session for more thorough preparation, allowing the first session to concentrate on leadership and major economic and fiscal issues for 2026–2030.

The third group of content will address socio-economic and financial issues, including the five-year national development plan (2026–2030), the national financial plan, public debt management, and the medium-term public investment plan.

The Assembly will also review the 2025 socio-economic and budget performance, assess the early 2026 implementation progress, and examine reports on anti-waste and thrift practices, as well as the 2025 national gender equality goals.

In addition, it will approve the 2024 state budget settlement and adopt the 2027 supervisory program.

Proposed timeline and structure

According to Le Quang Manh, the preparatory session will be held on the afternoon of April 5, 2026, after which each delegation will elect its head and deputy head.

The official opening ceremony will take place on the morning of April 6, 2026.

The session is proposed to be conducted in two phases:

April 6–22, 2026: Focused on organizational and personnel decisions (around the first nine days), followed by initial legislative discussions to refine bills during the recess.

May 11–21, 2026: Dedicated to socio-economic, budgetary, and supervisory agendas, with votes to pass laws and resolutions.

In total, the National Assembly is expected to work for 22 days, with a two-week break between phases.

Building a well-prepared new term

Reflecting on the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly, held over 40 days, Le Quang Manh emphasized its success in handling a heavy workload with efficiency and discipline.

During that session, the Assembly reviewed and passed 51 laws, 8 legal resolutions, and 31 additional resolutions, concluding the 2021–2026 term while finalizing multiple key personnel appointments.

Vice Chairman Do Van Chien stressed that preparations for the upcoming 16th term must begin early and thoroughly.

He called for a joint working meeting between the Party Committees of the Government and the National Assembly to ensure tight coordination in organizing future sessions.

This meeting, he added, will likely take place at the beginning of the new term, after the 14th National Party Congress, when the leadership structure of both Party committees is finalized.

Tran Thuong