Delegates at the session’s opening ceremony. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI —  National Assembly Chairman Vương Đình Huệ yesterday called on deputies of the 15th NA to uphold their sense of responsibility and raise initiatives to help the legislature improve its operational quality and efficiency. 

Delivering his opening remarks at the first session of the 15th National Assembly (NA) in Hà Nội, Huệ emphasised that the election and approval of senior personnel at the meeting would directly determine the quality and performance of the State apparatus for the entire term.

Huệ also highlighted the elections of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils for 2021-2026, saying the voter turnout of 99.6 per cent has reflected the public’s high sense of responsibility and trust in the Party and State.

The success of the elections has also demonstrated the strength of the great national unity bloc, he stressed. 

He said the COVID-19 pandemic had changed the economic structure, governance methods and global economic and social life, forcing many countries to change their development orientations and strategies towards self-reliance as well as focus on investment and development of the domestic market.

Việt Nam’s economic growth was lower than the set target and there were still many difficulties and challenges due to the negative impact of the fourth outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which spread rapidly in many provinces and cities, Huệ said adding that the development of the pandemic is complicated, difficult to control and may last for a long time.

Huệ said the National Assembly and deputies need to be deeply aware of the beliefs and expectations of voters, and clearly see the difficulties, advantages and opportunities, especially as the country is facing unprecedented challenges.

He suggested that delegates should strive to bring real life experiences to parliament, and help the 15th National Assembly improve its operational quality and issue correct, timely, and effective decisions.

During the session, the legislative body will elect and approve leadership positions of State agencies, and mull over reports on socio-economic development and other major issues. 

Notably, the legislature will consider and decide the numbers of NA Vice Chairpersons and members of the NA Standing Committee, and elect NA Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons, members of the NA Standing Committee, NA Secretary General, Chairperson of the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs, heads of NA committees, and State Auditor General. 

It will elect State President, Prime Minister, Vice State Presidents, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court, and Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy. 

The NA will also decide the structure and number of Cabinet members, and ratify the appointment of Deputy PMs, Ministers and other Cabinet members, along with the list of Vice Chairperson and members of the Council of National Defence and Security (if any), and the appointment of judges of the Supreme People’s Court. 

"These are the central contents of the session, which will directly determine the quality and performance of the State apparatus for the whole term," Huệ said.

During the session, lawmakers will also mull over the Government’s reports on socio-economic development and state budget in the first half of this year, and solutions to realise relevant plans in the second half; and on thrift practice and wastefulness prevention tasks from 2020 to learn lessons for the future.

The NA will also consider and approve the five-year socio-economic development plan during the 2021-25 period; five-year national fiscal plan; mid-term public investment plan; and the investment plan on the national target programme on building new-style rural areas and poverty reduction and sustainable social security.

The Việt Nam Fatherland Front’s Central Committee will deliver to the plenary session another report on the collected opinions of voters and people.

The NA will look into and approve draft resolutions on the law and ordinance building programme for 2022; adjustments to the law and ordinance building programme for 2021; and the NA’s supervision programme and the establishment of a thematic supervising delegation for 2022.

NA needs to continue innovating: Party leader

Speaking at the opening session, Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng congratulated the newly elected deputies of the 15th National Assembly. Reflecting on more than 75 years of the National Assembly, with 14 working terms, the General Secretary said that each session of the National Assembly had left its own imprints and fulfilled the responsibilities entrusted by the people, properly performing the constitutional and legislative functions, supreme supervision and decision-making tasks on important matters of the country.

The General Secretary stated that in the future, the National Assembly should continue to innovate and further improve the quality and operational efficiency to best meet the country's political requirements and tasks in the new period; promote its role and position in creating a legal framework for the country's activities.

"The NA needs to continue promoting democracy, increasing debates, in-depth analysis, clarifying achievements, advantages, as well as shortcomings to find out the causes, lessons learned and propose appropriate, feasible solutions," said Trọng.

He also stated that the National Assembly should focus on monitoring the implementation of conclusions and recommendations; improve the quality of decisions on important national issues; promote foreign affairs activities, proactively and actively integrate and cooperate internationally.

According to the General Secretary, in the immediate future, the National Assembly needs to focus on the institutionalisation and concretisation of important decisions affirmed at the 13th National Congress.

He further emphasised a very important and decisive issue that all National Assembly deputies of this term "need to continue to uphold the sense of responsibility, wholeheartedly for the country, for the people, and for the Fatherland, serving the people, regularly cultivating, practising, maintaining morality, raising their capacity in all aspects". — VNS