(VOVworld) – The 5^th session of the 13^th National Assembly opened in Hanoi on Monday May 20. Attending the event were leaders of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly, and the Vietnam Fatherland’s Front, senior revolutionaries, and representatives of the diplomatic corps and several international organizations. Prior to the meeting, the deputies visited President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung (Photo:VNA)

In his opening speech, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said that during the 1-month session, the National Assembly will consider 10 bills and 1 resolution, and discuss revisions to the 1992 Constitution. Mr. Hung said: “At this session, the National Assembly will consider and decide the following issues. First, we’ll continue to discuss revisions to the 1992 Constitution and poll public opinion. Second, we’ll examine the revised Land Law, which has a direct impact on all socio-economic aspects as well as national stability, sustainable development and people livelihood. Third, we’ll conduct a vote of confidence for people elected or appointed by the National Assembly. This is a new political procedure to implement Party guidelines and regulations and the people’s right to mastery by exercising the National Assembly’s supervision of key Party and State officials.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented the Government’s follow-up report on the implementation of last year’s national socio-economic development plan and State budget, and the socio-economic situation since the beginning of this year.

In the opening session, the deputies listened to a summary of voters concerns and recommendations as well as a report confirming the Government’s follow-up report.

Chairman of the National Assembly’s Law Committee and member of the Committee for Drafting the 1992 Constitution Revisions, Phan Trung Ly, presented a report on gathering public opinions and adjusting the draft Constitutional revisions. This is the first time the draft Constitutional revisions have been made public. The public has made recommendations regarding the Preface, the nation’s name, the essence of the State, Party leadership of the State and society, human rights, civil rights, the nature of the economy, and land ownership.

Regarding the nation’s name, Mr. Ly said that maintaining the name Socialist Republic of Vietnam was a confirmation of the national path of construction and development toward socialism, ensuring stability, and avoiding changing the national emblem, stamp, and national name on documents. Furthermore, this name has been familiar to Vietnamese people and international friends for the past 37 years.

Mr. Ly said the public agreed to confirm in the revised Constitution the Party leadership of the State and society, and added that the Party is closely associated with the people, under the people’s supervision, and be responsible for its decisions to the people. Mr. Ly said: “First, it’s necessary to confirm that maintaining Article 4 on the Party leadership, is essential. It confirms the historic, objective, and indispensable characteristics of the Party leadership in national revolution, construction and defense. The draft Constitution has added a regulation on the Party’s nature under the spirit of the Party’s Platform, which states that the Communist Party of Vietnam is the ruling Party, leading the State and society. The Party exercises its leadership through its Platform, Strategies, orientations, and guidelines. The leadership’s forms and contents must be flexible to match the requirements of each period. The regulation that all Party organizations and members must abide by the Constitution and law is an important guarantee to the people, ensuring the Party remains transparent and strong. The Committee proposes not to issue a Law on the Party.”

Phan Trung Ly said that the Committee for Drafting the 1992 Constitution Revisions proposed to maintain public land ownership and not define multi-ownership of land.

The National Assembly will discuss the draft revisions to the 1992 Constitution on June 3 and 4.