NA leader reflects on progress

HANOI, Jan 16 (VNA) - National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has stressed the need to promote solidarity and renovation to successfully fulfill plans for the 2011-2015 period. In his interview given to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, the NA leader spoke about the work the legislative body has done over the past three years as well as its renovation efforts to enhance the quality and effectiveness of operation, with a view to helping the country overcome difficulties and challenges and continue to develop in a sustainable manner in 2014 and following years. Chairman Hung said that over the past three years, the world and regional economies have seen complicated developments with numerous hidden risks. The domestic situation has also faced a lot of difficulties such as unstable macro economy, high inventories and bad debts, increasing number of businesses dissolved and stopping operations, slower growth and difficult budget collection, he stated. “However, with concerted efforts by the entire Party, people and businesses, we have gradually removed difficulties to continue developing,” he said. The socio-economic situation has seen positive changes in various aspects, with a stabilised macro economy, controlled inflation, falling bad debts and interest rates, and increasing foreign currency reserves while the economic restructuring in combination with the renovation of economic growth model have reaped initial results. The socio-culture sector has received due attention, social security has been ensured and the people’s living standards have been improved. Meanwhile, defence strength has been enhanced, and independence and sovereignty have been maintained while foreign relations have been expanded. These outcomes have contributed to consolidating trust and determination of the entire Party and people in the cause of national renewal, construction and defence, Chairman Hung said. “Looking back on the first half of the tenure, we see that the 13 th legislature and its deputies have raised high their sense of responsibility, inherited and upheld the achievements of the NA of the previous tenures, tirelessly renovated and improved the quality and efficiency of activities, and accomplished tasks assigned by voters,” he noted. The body has completed a heavy workload with many bills being adopted and discussed to meet the requirements of the situation and perfect the legal environment for national development, he added. Especially, last year, the NA approved the revised Constitution, which represents the will and aspiration of the people, laying an important political and legal foundation for the national construction and development in the period of comprehensive and synchronous political and economic renovation and international integration. The quality and efficiency of supervision work have been improved. The legislature conducted the first ever vote of confidence for people holding positions elected or approved by the NA. Hearing sessions have focused on issues of public concern, and the NA has continued to oversee the handling of issues raised during Q&A sessions in order to put them into life. “These changes are very important, winning the approval of deputies, voters and people nationwide,” the NA leader stressed. Parliamentary diplomacy, both bilaterally and multilaterally, has been stepped up. The NA has actively participated in and made important contributions to regional and international inter-parliamentary forums such as the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP), contributing to the country’s common foreign relations achievements. Notably, in March 2013, the IPU Governing Council agreed to let Vietnam host the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU-132) in early 2015. The NA Chairman particularly highlighted the adoption of the revised Constitution on November 28, 2013 , describing it as a historic political and legal event that ushered in a new chapter of the national construction and defence. The newly-adopted Constitution is a result of the brainpower, will and aspiration of a vast majority of the people, thus representing both the Party’s will and the people’s feelings as well as the high consensus of the whole political system, he affirmed. The top legislator stressed that with up-to-date and important changes in both content and presentation, the constitution institutionalises more fully and deeply the people’s ownership, upholding democracy and ensuring that all State powers belong to the people. He noted that the Constitution continues to affirm the Communist Party of Vietnam’s leadership over the State and society, while adding a very important requirement that is “the Communist Party of Vietnam is closely associated with the people, shall serve the people, shall submit to the supervision of the people and is accountable to the people for its decisions.” At the same time, human rights and citizens’ fundamental rights and duties are highlighted and placed in an important position of the document, the NA Chairman said, adding that this reflects the new awareness in a more adequate and deeper manner on the institutionalisation of the Party and State’s viewpoint on giving prominence to the human factor, considering the human the subject, the major resource and the objective of development. Another new feature is that the National Election Council and State Audit are for the first time stipulated in the Constitution as constitutional institutions. The establishment of the two institutions aims to promote democracy, implement the principle of all the State powers belonging to the people, and create conditions for the people to fully exercise their right of mastery in election. Discussing the NA’s operation reforms to better meet voters’ needs and aspirations, the chairman said while the new working style adopted in the NA’s recent sessions have been acknowledged and approved by voters, a lot of things remain to be done, particularly each deputy should stay in touch with the people and fulfill their responsibility as the representative of the people. He added that besides the NA’s efforts to renovate itself, it is important to mobilise the brainpower and devotion of all strata of people in the country’s affairs. For the remaining two years of the five-year socio-economic development plan set by the 11 th National Party Congress, Chairman Hung stressed that the NA’s workload during the period is very heavy and requires concerted efforts by NA bodies, each deputy and relevant agencies and organisations in the political system. “I believe that with the spirit of continuing renovation, the NA and its bodies and deputies will uphold the sense of responsibility, democracy and brainpower to better perform their role as the representative of the people, the highest organ of State power, joining the entire Party and people’s efforts to overcome every difficulty and challenge to successfully fulfill all tasks and plans for the 2014-2015 period,” he stressed.-VNA