Politburo member and National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Phu Tronghas written an article, highlighting the glorious history of the NA asthe country is celebrating the 65 th anniversary of the first GeneralElection.
On January 6, 1946, just five monthsafter gaining independence, while facing a broad range of difficulties,our people, under the sound leadership of the Party and President Ho ChiMinh, successfully organised the General Election, electing the firstNA of a new Vietnam by a democratic, equitable and direct ballot.
This extremely important event went down in our country’s history as avivid milestone, marking a great step-forward in the country’sdemocratic institution and ushering in a new period of development ofthe nation.
Right after its inception, the first NA(1946-1960) made huge contributions to strengthening independence,building the democratic republic state and successfully conducting theresistance war against the French colonialists.
During 14 years of operation, the first NA considered and promulgatedthe 1946 Constitution and the 1959 Constitution, 11 laws and 50resolutions, especially the establishment of a constitutional and legalgovernment headed by President Ho Chi Minh, and ensured the government’sprestige and efficiency to lead the people in the resistance war,national construction and execution of internal and external policies.
Experiencing five terms from 1960-1980 and operatingunder the 1959 Constitution, the NA upheld its important role inmobilising human and material resources to build socialism in the Northand struggle for southern liberation and national reunification.
During the years of 1980-1992, operating in line with the 1980Constitution, the NA’s functions and tasks were prescribed more fullyand specifically. The NA was defined as the people’s highestrepresentative agency, the most powerful body of the Socialist Republicof Vietnam and the only agency to have constitutional and legislativepower.
As the country has embarked on the renewalprocess since 1986, the NA’s position and role have been strengthenedand its prestige has been improved.
The eighth NA(1987-1992) was the NA of the beginning stage of the nation’scomprehensive renewal process. Since 1992 to date, being organised andoperated under the 1992 Constitution and experiencing almost four terms,the NA has seen major and sound reforms. The quality of law making hasbeen improved, ensuring the constitutionality, legality, unity andsynchronism of a legal system with more specific regulations.
The NA made a lot of important decisions, including those on theState’s apparatus and high-ranking personnel; considering and adoptingresolutions on State budget estimates, balances and allocations;resolutions on annual and five-year socio-economic development tasks andplans; 10-year socio-economic development strategies; ratifyinginternational conventions and treaties that Vietnam has signed or joinedin; and deciding investments in key national projects.
At meetings, the NA spent much time on considering and discussing thegovernment’s reports; enhancing its supervision, focusing on urgentmatters and issues of voters’ concern; and improving the efficiency ofhearing sessions.
In foreign affairs, the parliamenthas also promoted and expanded operations both bilaterally andmultilaterally. It is currently a member of international organisationssuch as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Asia-EuropeParliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP), the Asia-Pacific ParliamentaryForum (APPF), the Francophone Parliamentary Alliance (APF) and theInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Not only being adynamic member of these organisations, the Vietnamese NA has activelyput forth many important initiatives to strengthen solidarity,friendship and cooperation among parliaments. In particular, it assumedthe Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) (now theASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly) for the 2001-2002 term and the AIPApresidency for the 2009-2010 term. The NA successfully hosted the 23 rdAIPO General Assembly (AIPO-23) in September 2002 and the 31 st AIPAGeneral Assembly (AIPA-31) in September 2010.
Recently, the Vietnamese NA was elected as Vice Chair of the IPUAssembly for the 2010-2011 term, marking the rapid development of thecountry’s parliamentary diplomacy.
Looking back at the 65-year stage of establishment and development of the Vietnamese NA, we recognise that:
First, the formation of the NA was the result of our people’srevolutionary struggle under the judicious leadership of the CommunistParty of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh.
Second, since its inception, the NA has always been the embodiment ofthe great national unity bloc, representing people from all walks oflife and stratum, and jointly implementing the goal of nationalconstruction and defence.
Third, the idea of theNA’s position and nature has been consistently asserted in the Party’spolitical platform and guidelines, and institutionalised in ourcountry’s Constitutions.
Fourth, the formation anddevelopment of the NA constitute a consecutive inheritance process, withendless reforms in terms of both organisation and operation, timelymeeting the strategic tasks during each revolutionary stage.
Fifth, ensuring and strengthening the Party’s leadership are adecisive factor for the NA to become the people’s highest representativeagency and the country’s most powerful body, and excellently accomplishimportant tasks assigned by the people.
This isnot only the fundamental principle in executing State power as well asin the State apparatus’s organisation and operations, but also theviewpoint in guiding the renewal process, perfecting the State, ensuringthe State operates in line with the Party’s political direction, andestablishing fine relations between the NA and other agencies of theState apparatus.
Enhancing the Party’s leadershipover the State is always combined with renewing and rectifying theParty, including renewing the Party’s leadership content and method overthe State in general and the NA in particular./.
On January 6, 1946, just five monthsafter gaining independence, while facing a broad range of difficulties,our people, under the sound leadership of the Party and President Ho ChiMinh, successfully organised the General Election, electing the firstNA of a new Vietnam by a democratic, equitable and direct ballot.
This extremely important event went down in our country’s history as avivid milestone, marking a great step-forward in the country’sdemocratic institution and ushering in a new period of development ofthe nation.
Right after its inception, the first NA(1946-1960) made huge contributions to strengthening independence,building the democratic republic state and successfully conducting theresistance war against the French colonialists.
During 14 years of operation, the first NA considered and promulgatedthe 1946 Constitution and the 1959 Constitution, 11 laws and 50resolutions, especially the establishment of a constitutional and legalgovernment headed by President Ho Chi Minh, and ensured the government’sprestige and efficiency to lead the people in the resistance war,national construction and execution of internal and external policies.
Experiencing five terms from 1960-1980 and operatingunder the 1959 Constitution, the NA upheld its important role inmobilising human and material resources to build socialism in the Northand struggle for southern liberation and national reunification.
During the years of 1980-1992, operating in line with the 1980Constitution, the NA’s functions and tasks were prescribed more fullyand specifically. The NA was defined as the people’s highestrepresentative agency, the most powerful body of the Socialist Republicof Vietnam and the only agency to have constitutional and legislativepower.
As the country has embarked on the renewalprocess since 1986, the NA’s position and role have been strengthenedand its prestige has been improved.
The eighth NA(1987-1992) was the NA of the beginning stage of the nation’scomprehensive renewal process. Since 1992 to date, being organised andoperated under the 1992 Constitution and experiencing almost four terms,the NA has seen major and sound reforms. The quality of law making hasbeen improved, ensuring the constitutionality, legality, unity andsynchronism of a legal system with more specific regulations.
The NA made a lot of important decisions, including those on theState’s apparatus and high-ranking personnel; considering and adoptingresolutions on State budget estimates, balances and allocations;resolutions on annual and five-year socio-economic development tasks andplans; 10-year socio-economic development strategies; ratifyinginternational conventions and treaties that Vietnam has signed or joinedin; and deciding investments in key national projects.
At meetings, the NA spent much time on considering and discussing thegovernment’s reports; enhancing its supervision, focusing on urgentmatters and issues of voters’ concern; and improving the efficiency ofhearing sessions.
In foreign affairs, the parliamenthas also promoted and expanded operations both bilaterally andmultilaterally. It is currently a member of international organisationssuch as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Asia-EuropeParliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP), the Asia-Pacific ParliamentaryForum (APPF), the Francophone Parliamentary Alliance (APF) and theInter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Not only being adynamic member of these organisations, the Vietnamese NA has activelyput forth many important initiatives to strengthen solidarity,friendship and cooperation among parliaments. In particular, it assumedthe Chair of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) (now theASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly) for the 2001-2002 term and the AIPApresidency for the 2009-2010 term. The NA successfully hosted the 23 rdAIPO General Assembly (AIPO-23) in September 2002 and the 31 st AIPAGeneral Assembly (AIPA-31) in September 2010.
Recently, the Vietnamese NA was elected as Vice Chair of the IPUAssembly for the 2010-2011 term, marking the rapid development of thecountry’s parliamentary diplomacy.
Looking back at the 65-year stage of establishment and development of the Vietnamese NA, we recognise that:
First, the formation of the NA was the result of our people’srevolutionary struggle under the judicious leadership of the CommunistParty of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh.
Second, since its inception, the NA has always been the embodiment ofthe great national unity bloc, representing people from all walks oflife and stratum, and jointly implementing the goal of nationalconstruction and defence.
Third, the idea of theNA’s position and nature has been consistently asserted in the Party’spolitical platform and guidelines, and institutionalised in ourcountry’s Constitutions.
Fourth, the formation anddevelopment of the NA constitute a consecutive inheritance process, withendless reforms in terms of both organisation and operation, timelymeeting the strategic tasks during each revolutionary stage.
Fifth, ensuring and strengthening the Party’s leadership are adecisive factor for the NA to become the people’s highest representativeagency and the country’s most powerful body, and excellently accomplishimportant tasks assigned by the people.
This isnot only the fundamental principle in executing State power as well asin the State apparatus’s organisation and operations, but also theviewpoint in guiding the renewal process, perfecting the State, ensuringthe State operates in line with the Party’s political direction, andestablishing fine relations between the NA and other agencies of theState apparatus.
Enhancing the Party’s leadershipover the State is always combined with renewing and rectifying theParty, including renewing the Party’s leadership content and method overthe State in general and the NA in particular./.
