The press conference announcing the Presidential Order on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – The Presidential Office held a press conference in Hà Nội on Monday to announce a Presidential Order promulgating major legislative changes recently passed by the 15th National Assembly (NA) and its Standing Committee.

The reforms included the NA’s resolution on the amendments and supplements to several articles of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, the revised Law on Organisation of Local Government, and the ordinance amending and supplementing Article 10 of the Population Ordinance.

The constitutional amendments, packed into two articles, took effect immediately upon adoption on June 16.

The resolution reinforces the role of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) as a political alliance and voluntary coalition uniting political organisations, socio-political organisations, social organisations, and prominent individuals from diverse social, ethnic, religious, and overseas Vietnamese communities. It formally recognises five key mass organisations under the VFF’s umbrella: the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour, the Việt Nam Farmers’ Union, the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union, the Việt Nam Women’s Union, and the Việt Nam Veterans’ Association. These groups, formed voluntarily, are tasked with representing and protecting their members’ rights and legitimate interests.

A major structural reform outlined in the resolution reconfigures Việt Nam’s administrative system into two tiers: provinces/centrally-run cities and their subordinate administrative units defined by law. The resolution also stipulates that special administrative - economic units are established by the NA.

Notably, the district-level administrative units will be eliminated nationwide starting July 1, according to the resolution.

The resolution amending and supplementing some articles of the Constitution marks the beginning of a profound institutional reform, demonstrating a revolutionary mindset reform in the political system organisation and national governance. It is said to serve as the constitutional basis for the successful implementation of the Party and State's policy on streamlining the apparatus of the political system, creating the foundation for building a strong and prosperous Vietnam with happiness for the people.

The revised Law on Organisation of Local Government, spanning seven chapters and 54 articles, also took effect on Monday (June 16).

It shows a reformed mindset for securing modern local governance, enabling development, removing bottlenecks, unlocking resources, and meeting the goal of fast and sustainable growth of localities and the country as a whole in the new era. The approval of this law also creates a solid legal cornerstone for the organisation and operation of local governments according to the two-tier local government model, applied for the first time in the country.

Meanwhile, the amended Population Ordinance, adjusting Article 10, came into force on June 3.

The amendment aims to create a legal basis for institutionalising the Party's guidelines and policies on population affairs, focusing on the birth rate and the rights and obligations of each couple and individual in having children, thereby ensuring human rights, basic rights of citizens, and gender equality in the population work while helping maintain a stable replacement fertility rate nationwide and address the significant difference in birth rates between regions and population groups. – VNS