National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân speaks at an NA meeting on Tuesday. The NA has passed a resolution to dismiss Ngân as its chair and the Chair of the National Election Council.—  VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — The National Assembly (NA) on Tuesday in Hà Nội passed resolutions to relieve Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân from her post as NA Chair and as Chair of the National Election Council (NEC).

Eighty-nine per cent of the legislators voted in agreement to adopt the resolution, while 3.1 per cent voted against.

The resolutions will take effect as soon as a new NA chair and also Chair of the NEC is elected on Wednesday.

The dismissal was part of the procedures to prepare for the legislative election that will take place in May.

Ngân was the first woman in Việt Nam to become an NA chair and Chair of the NEC.

She was elected as NA chair during the first session of the 14th legislative in July 2016, and Chair of the NEC in the 9th session.

A letter explaining the dismissal was submitted to the NA by its incumbent vice chair Tòng Thị Phóng on Tuesday morning.

The letter said: “During her tenure as a National Assembly Chair and Chair of the National Election Council, Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân has always fulfilled her missions.

“The consolidation of these positions was made at the request of the Party and State to arrange high-level personnel after the 13th National Congress.”

Vương Đình Huệ, Secretary of Hà Nội Party's Committee, was officially nominated by the NA Standing Committee on Tuesday to succeed Ngân.

The NA is set to discuss lists of nominees and elect its new chair and new Chair of the NEC on Wednesday.

Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân was born on April 12, 1954 in the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre. She was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party from the 9th to the 12th tenure, Secretary of the Party Central Committee in its 11th tenure, a member of the Politburo in its 11th and 12th tenures, and a National Assembly deputy from the 12th to the 14th tenure.

Before becoming NA chair, she was Deputy Minister of Finance (April 1995 – August 2002); Secretary of Hải Dương Province’s Party’s Committee (September 2002 – February 2006); Deputy Minister of Finance (March-April 2006); Deputy Minister of Trade (May 2006 – July 2007); Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (August 2007 – July 2011); and Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly (July 2011 – January 2016).

Court performance discussions

The NA deputies on Tuesday morning discussed reports on the Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuracy’s performance in the 2016-21 tenure.

Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyễn Hòa Bình said courts across Việt Nam completed tasks the National Assembly assigned despite increased workload (on average eight per cent yearly) and staff downsizing.

In the last five years, courts received 2.4 million cases and resolved 2.37 million. Less than 1.5 per cent of convictions were later removed or corrected.

As many as 99.5 per cent of criminal cases and 97.3 per cent of cases relating to civil issues, marriage and family, trade and labour were resolved.

“During the period, no miscarriage of justice was reported,” Bình said.

Deputy Nguyễn Thị Thủy from Bắc Kạn Province said justice agencies more effectively fought against crimes and violations in the past five years.

Many cases went down in judicial history because of their size and serious features, she said, referring to cases where offenders appropriated dozens of trillions of Vietnamese đồng or cases with the number of offenders reaching dozens or even hundreds.

Deputy Nguyễn Thị Thủy from Bắc Kạn Province at a discussion on the performance of the Supreme People’s Court during 2016-2021 on Tuesday morning. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

The period also saw new kinds of law violations, for example, the case of modifying exam scores in a national high school graduation exam or the dispute between conventional taxi operators and ride-hailing firms, she said.

The deputy applauded litigation at courts, saying that “litigation is the way to find the truth, ensure justice and respect human rights.”

“Involved parties could strongly show evidence and reasons at courts, which are positive signals for justice to be made,” she said.

Deputy Trương Trọng Nghĩa from HCM City said judicial reforms included in the Politburo’s Resolution 49 were constitutionalised in the 2013 Constitution and amended laws on the court, procuracy, criminal procedures and judgement enforcement.

However, he was still concerned to see in some cases, investigators, judges and prosecutors were unaware of important updates.

Deputy Nguyễn Văn Chiến from Hà Nội said barriers remained during the process of judicial sector reforms including the independence of courts.

“Courts’ activities must be independent of other agencies. Judges must be independent to People's jurors when producing judgements,” he said, adding that judges needed to improve their professional skills, fully exercise their power and use the presumption of innocence.

Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy Lê Minh Trí said that during the term 2016-2021, the agency detected, investigated and brought to court more cases than the previous term – up 34.3 per cent.

Of the cases, drug crimes accounted for a high proportion with bigger and more complex seizures.

Crimes relating to finance, banking and public investment caused serious consequences.

“Corruption crimes reduced in number but caused especially serious consequences and many offenders used to hold high positions in the Party, State and Government,” he said. — VNS