(VOVworld) – The draft revision to the 1992 Constitution has been made public on Wednesday for feedback. Vietnamese people of all social strata living inside or outside the country as well as domestic organizations are eligible to put forward ideas to amend 8 articles of the 1992 Constitution including the political regime, human rights, citizens’ basic rights and duties, national defense, and the state apparatus.

A directive of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee signed by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and a resolution signed by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung on December 28 affirm that collecting opinions from people of all strata on the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution is important to the Party, the people, and the political system. It aims to promote the people’s right to mastery and improve the awareness and responsibility of every individual and organization in amending the Constitution and abiding by the law, contributing to strengthening the law-governed socialist state of Vietnam.

Phan Trung Ly, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Legal Committee and Head of the Constitutional Drafting Board, said the draft revision consists of opinions from experts, scientists, and NA deputies through various meetings on Constitutional enforcement at the central and local levels. Ly said the people play an important role in constitutional revision. A constitutional referendum was conducted in 1959, 1980, 1992 and 2001. This time, people’s opinions will be collected, summarized, and processed to finalize the draft revision of the 1992 Constitution. Associate Professor Nguyen Viet Thong, a member of the Constitution Drafting Board said the referendum proves the actual power of the people as defined in the Constitution.

"The 1946 Constitution which was compiled under the direction of President Ho Chi Minh stipulated that the people have the right to ask for constitutional revision. The 2nd article of the current Constitution says all state power belongs to the people. The people exercise their power through the National Assembly, People’s Councils, and other agencies," Thong said.

The Constitutional Drafting Board said people can send their recommendations to their offices and organizations, at conferences and forums on constitutional revision, or through the NA web portal http://duthaoonline.quochoi.vn and mass media agencies. Referendums will be held by institutions, universities, Vietnam Fatherland Front branches, and social-political organizations.

According to Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee Vu Trong Kim, the Front will organize various events to collect public opinions such as conferences, forums, and movements to mobilize the involvement of people of various social strata, business sectors, the intelligentsia, religious dignitaries, and overseas Vietnamese.

The referendum, which will continue for 3 months (from January 2 to March 3, 2013), is a special political and judicial movement to involve the public in building a law-governed socialist state of the people, by the people, and for the people.