NA Office Chairman Nguyễn Hạnh Phúc speaks at the session. — VNA/VNS Photo Pham Kiên

HÀ NỘI (VNS) — The National Assembly (NA) will spend 12 days discussing the new Government’s personnel in its upcoming session, NA Office Chairman Nguyễn Hạnh Phúc said yesterday.

The topic will be on the table from April 4 to 16 during the 13th NA tenure scheduled to open on March 21. Other topics under discussion include amendments to the law on the press, and care and education of children.

The controversial Law on Demonstration, however, didn’t make the cut. NA Deputy Chairman Uông Chu Lưu said the Government needed time to carefully prepare the law before it was presented to the NA for approval.

The general election will be held in May to select a new NA, which will then cast their votes to decide the top leaders of a new Government, including the President, the NA Chairman, the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers.

In its next meeting, the NA is expected to review and pass four new draft laws, including the Law on Information Access, and a law on amendments and supplements to articles in the laws on value-added taxes, excise taxes and tax management.

The NA will also look into amendments made to five laws regulating the conclusion, accession and implementation of treaties; the press; the protection, care and education of children; and pharmaceutical, import and export duties.

New NA deputies

In terms of the 14th National Assembly’s personnel structure, Nguyễn Túc, a member of the presidium of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC), said some changes should be made to promote the Party’s leadership and people’s right to ownership of the State.

In the first consultative conference, which was held last month by the VFFCC, delegates discussed the percentage of ethnic minority people, non-Party candidates and candidates under the age of 40 included in the deputy pool.

The VFFCC proposed to change the rate of NA deputies introduced in Resolution 1135/2016 by the NA Standing Committee.

Túc said the expected number of NA deputies in the 14th NA under 40 should be at least equal to that of the previous term. The resolution proposed including 50 people under 40, but the actual number may differ depending on voters’ decisions.

He said young people who believe they are qualified should nominate themselves. In recent NA elections, many candidates who nominated themselves were elected.

Túc also said that the proposed number of between 25 and 50 non-Party deputies, which accounts for only 10 per cent of the total NA, was a modest figure.

There were more than 4.5 million Party members in the country, half of whom were retired, he said, adding that this figure should be 100.

Recent NA elections have showed that non-Party deputies make impressive speeches and ask sharp questions. They dare to speak out honestly on people’s thoughts and criticisms. The increase in the number of deputies from this group would help NA activities become more dynamic while assuring the Party leadership and promoting the people’s right to ownership.

The results of the 11th, 12th and 13th National Assembly elections have showed that many self-nominated candidates were elected, and candidates introduced by State agencies or organisations failed. This shows that the elections have become more realistic as people’s knowledge and awareness have increased. — VNS