National Assembly chairman Vương Đình Huệ (centre) addresses at the wrap-up of the last meeting of the incumbent 14th tenure National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Wednesday. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

 HÀ NỘI — All preparations are in place for the new National Assembly to hold its first meeting next week.

National Assembly (NA) chairman Vương Đình Huệ on Wednesday said preparations for the first meeting of the 15th NA on July 20 in Hà Nội were complete.

Speaking at the end of the last meeting of the incumbent 14th tenure NA Standing Committee, Huệ said there were important issues on the agenda for the 15th NA's first meeting which would pave the way to success for the whole tenure.

The key issues include the selection and approval of top leadership positions in State and Government for 2021-25 as well as a five-year national socio-economic development and financial plan for the same period.

Huệ called on ministries, agencies and NA agencies to finalise documents, reports and proposals that are slated to be part of the NA's agenda.

The chairman also asked NA bodies to work with the health ministry and Hà Nội authorities to ensure the NA meeting is COVID-safe.

Final NASC meeting

During the last meeting of the 14th NA Standing Committee, the committee members discussed the socio-economic development plan, the national financial plan, the plan for borrowing and repayment of public debts and the mid-term public investment plan for 2021-25.

They also gave opinions on the Government’s proposals for the investment plans of two national target programmes, comprising one on new-style rural area building and another on sustainable poverty reduction and social welfare.

In addition, the National Election Council presented a report on voters’ opinions sent to the upcoming sitting.  

Demographics of new NA

On Monday, the council adopted a resolution certifying the eligibility of 499 winners in the 15th National Assembly election.

Out of 499 deputies elected to the 15th NA, there are 151 female deputies (30.26 per cent), 89 representatives of ethnic minorities (17.84 per cent), 47 deputies under 40 years old (9.42 per cent), 14 non-Party deputies (2.8 per cent) and 296 fist-time deputies (59.32 per cent). 

The youngest female deputy is 24-year-old Quàng Thị Nguyệt of the Khơ Mú ethnic group, from the northern province of Điện Biên.

The proportion of female deputies exceeded the target by 30 per cent and is 3.54 per cent higher than in the previous term. This is the second time that the percentage of female deputies to the NA has exceeded 30 per cent (the first time was the fifth NA with 32.31 per cent).

In addition, the deputies elected to the 15th legislature are better educated than those of the previous term. The percentage with postgraduate qualifications reached 78.56 per cent, 16 per cent higher than in the 14th term, of which there were 144 doctorates and 248 master's degree-holders.

With the number of female deputies, Việt Nam is ranked 51st in the world, fourth in Asia and first in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in terms of the rate of female parliamentarians.

The number of deputies from ethnic groups is also highest ever in the history of Việt Nam’s National Assembly.

For the first time, the NA will have one deputy each from the Lự and Brâu ethnic groups – two of 16 ethnic groups with populations of less than 10,000 people each in Việt Nam. VNS