National Assembly deputies voted on the Resolution on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution, as well as a Resolution on the establishment of a Drafting Committee for this purpose. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — During the 9th session of the 15th-tenure National Assembly, lawmakers on Monday voted to adopt a Resolution on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution, as well as a Resolution on the establishment of a Drafting Committee for this purpose.

According to the Resolution, the NA has decided to review and amend certain articles of the 2013 Constitution to implement the policy of streamlining and restructuring the political system’s organisational apparatus. The revisions will focus on provisions relating to the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations and the delineation of administrative units and organisation of local government.

The Drafting Committee for the amendment and supplementation of a number of the articles of the Constitution comprises 15 members and is chaired by NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn.

The three Vice-Chairs of the Committee are: Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Trần Cẩm Tú, Vice Chairman of the NA Nguyễn Khắc Định and Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long.

The Drafting Committee is tasked with researching and compiling the documentation for the draft Resolution on amending and supplementing several articles of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam (2013), to be submitted to the NA for discussion and feedback. It is also responsible for identifying key content and issuing a plan to gather public feedback at all levels and across sectors on the draft Resolution, organising research and incorporating public, institutional and parliamentary contributions and finalising the draft Resolution to be submitted for approval at this 9th session of the NA (lasting 37 days).

Chairman Mẫn stated that the NA will work to adopt a resolution on the amendments before June 30 this year, so that the resolution can enter effect starting July. This means that the government structure will be streamlined into two levels: provincial and communal. District-level administrations will be abolished across the country, and their functions and duties will be transferred to the commune-level in part and to the provincial-level in part.

The Committee is authorised to use the NA’s official seal. Its standing body will be the Standing Committee of the NA’s Committee on Legal and Judicial Affairs, and it will be provided with the necessary resources and conditions to fulfil its assigned functions and responsibilities.

Previously, presenting a report to the NA, Vice Chairman of the NA Nguyễn Khắc Định underscored that amending and supplementing the Constitution at the present time is extremely necessary, creating a constitutional basis for implementing the revolution of streamlining the organisational apparatus, building, perfecting, and improving the operational efficiency of the political system, meeting the requirements and tasks of rapid and sustainable national development in the new era - the era of striving for strong and prosperous development of the nation.

Earlier, during group discussions on this matter, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm affirmed that the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly is of great importance. It was therefore convened two weeks earlier than usual to allow sufficient time for deliberation, including the amendment and supplementation of several articles of the 2013 Constitution. He stressed that the process must strictly follow established procedures and legal requirements, and must involve public consultation.

“If possible, we may fundamentally revise the Constitution, with a view to the next Party Congress, potentially updating the national development platform to ensure a longer-term vision and direction for the country’s development. Only then would we consider more comprehensive constitutional amendments,” Party leader Lâm stated.

NA Chairman Mẫn, during a group discussion, stated that the proposed constitutional amendments had been carefully deliberated by the Politburo and the Party Central Committee on multiple occasions. He underscored that this was a matter of great importance and must be approached with caution, objectivity, democratic spirit, scientific reasoning and effectiveness.

Specifically, the amendments would focus on eight out of 120 articles, grouped into two main areas: provisions concerning the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations, and provisions in Chapter IX of the 2013 Constitution relating to the two-tier local government model.

The proposed amendments are intended solely to support the continued implementation of the organisational streamlining revolution according to the spirit of Resolution No 18 of the Party Central Committee, with regards to the continued reform and streamlining of the organisational structure of the political system, without extending into unrelated areas.

Starting from May 6, the NA will spend one month gathering public feedback on the constitutional amendments.

Regarding provincial-level mergers, it is expected that after the Government submits its proposal to the National Assembly, the matter will be debated in Parliament.

If approved, the number of provinces and centrally-run cities will be reduced by nearly half, down from 63 to 34.

The Politburo has also provided guidance on transitional provisions, allowing about a month and a half to ensure seamless, uninterrupted local government operations. The transition will follow a roadmap for the reorganisation and merger of provincial and communal-level administrative units, with no intermediate district level.

Given that the scope of the proposed constitutional amendments is limited—expected to affect only about eight of the 120 articles of the 2013 Constitution—it has been proposed that the amendments be made through a Resolution of the National Assembly, Mẫn noted. — VNS