Information

- Election date: May 20, 2007

- Rate of turnout: 99.64% (56,252,543 voters)

- Total elected deputies: 493

- Structure of National Assembly:

+ Self-nominated deputies: 0.2%

+ Full-time deputies: 27.99%

+ Non-partisans: 8.7%

+ Ethnic Minority People: 17.6%

+ Women: 25.8%

+ Religious Followers: 0.8%

Characteristics and Marks of the term

After more than 20 years, the comprehensive renewal process of the country, initiated and led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, reaped major and historic achievements in terms of socio-economic development, defence-security, external relations, Party and State building, and national solidarity enhancement.
The achievements of the renewal process lifted the country out of a protracted socio-economic crisis and created the foundations for stepping up national industrialisation and modernisation. The political and social situation was stable, and Vietnam’s prestige and standing in the international arena promoted.
The National Assembly made important reforms, gradually completed its organisational structure and operation methods, increased the number of full-time deputies, and better performed its legislative functions and supreme supervisory role, and made decisions on important issues of the country.
However, apart from certain advantages, the country also encountered a number of difficulties and challenges, including weaknesses in the economy and infrastructure, a widening wealth gap, natural disasters, and epidemics in many places. Meanwhile, the world and the region saw complex developments, especially the financial and monetary crisis and the global economic recession, which adversely affected the country’s socio-economic development. Hostile forces continued boosting the “peace evolution” strategy and subversive riots under the pretext of “democracy”, “human rights”, and ethnic and religious affairs to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.
That fact required Vietnam build a peaceful and stable environment, a developed economy, strong defence – security, a sound strategy and righteous orientations. This was also a request and heavy responsibility for the National Assembly in its 12th tenure, shortened from five to four years to match the tenure of the Party and all-level People’s Councils.
Under the leadership of the Party, the 12th National Assembly continued all-round and strong reform of both organisational and operational methods while fully performing its functions and duties as regulated in the Constitution and laws, thus obtaining many important outcomes.
In four years, the National Assembly passed 67 laws and 13 resolutions, and its Standing Committee, 14 ordinances and nine resolutions containing legal regulations, most of them new or comprehensively revised.
The legislative process continued to be reformed towards improving the quality, proactiveness, democracy, and detail of the legal documents. With the passage of the law on the issuance of legal documents in 2008, some steps in the legislative process were changed to better ensure they were more scientific, democratic, and tight. The change of time for the National Assembly to vote on annual law and ordinance making programmes, to the first session instead of the last in a year, gave the agencies drafting and submitting bills more time to prepare draft laws. The revision and supplementation of law and ordinance making programmes were carried out in a more flexible manner. Accordingly, the National Assembly Standing Committee can consider changes to the programmes and report them to the parliament at the next session. Besides, the assignment of the Standing Committee as the one coordinating the completion of draft laws to submit to the National Assembly helped, to some extent, increase the proactiveness of parliamentary agencies, thus contributing to the improvement of quality and the acceleration of law making.
Supervisory activities were particularly enhanced to propose amendments and supplements to policies so as to promote their effectiveness, minimise negative impacts, address mistakes and shortcomings in a timely manner, and boost the performance of duties. Supervision focused on a number of pressing issues in almost all areas, from economy, society, State budget, culture, education, and science - technology to defence - security, diplomacy, and activities of judicial agencies.
Question-and-answer (Q&A) activities, a direct and important form of supervision of the National Assembly, continued to undergo strong and substantive improvements. They were carried out according to groups of issues, with the participation of many ministers and heads of sectors, as well as the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, thus minimising paper replies and increasing open and straightforward dialogue between legislators and question recipients.
One of the new points in supervisory activities was that the parliament looked into its Standing Committee’s reports on the outcomes of supervising the settlement of voters’ opinions. This activity helped consolidate people’s trust in the Party and State, and encouraged the public to more actively engage in State management activities.
During the tenure, the National Assembly made decisions on investment in the Lai Chau hydropower and Ninh Thuan nuclear power projects, considered resolutions on shortening the 12th tenure, extended the 2004-2009 tenure of all-level People’s Councils, adjusted the administrative boundaries of Hanoi and related provinces, changed the administrative boundaries between some provinces, and piloted the removal of district- and ward-level People’s Councils. To meet new requirements of reality to enhance the authority and sense of responsibility of the National Assembly, as well as State management agencies, in making decisions about the investment, management, and use of large-scale facilities and projects in Vietnam and overseas, the National Assembly decided to amend and supplement Resolution No 66/2006/QH11, dated June 29, 2006, on nationally important projects submitted to the parliament for decision.
External activities of the National Assembly continued to be promoted, consolidated and expanded. The legislature increased bilateral diplomacy so as to create positive changes in the relations of friendship and multifaceted cooperation with countries in the region and the world. It strengthened ties with neighbouring, ASEAN and Northeast Asian countries; stepped up relations with the US, the European Parliament, and the parliaments of many EU member countries; developed ties with the parliaments of many African and Central and South American nations; and intensified the traditional relations with Central and Eastern European countries, thereby creating a favourable international environment for national construction and defence.
The National Assembly’s chairmanship and successful organisation of the 31st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-31), election as Vice Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for 2010-2011, and role as the Chair of the ASEAN+3 group marked a strong growth of Vietnam’s parliamentary diplomacy, thus practically contributing to the country’s integration into the world and the region.

Outstanding sessions

* First session from July 19 to August 4, 2007: the National Assembly elected:

- State President: Nguyen Minh Triet

- Vice State President: Nguyen Thi Doan

- National Assembly Standing Committee with 18 members

- National Assembly Chairman: Nguyen Phu Trong, elected by the National Assembly on July 23, 2007

- Prime Minister: Nguyen Tan Dung

- Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court: Truong Hoa Binh

- Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy: Tran Quoc Vuong

- Council of Ethnic Affairs and Committees of the National Assembly: Committee on Legal Affairs; Committee on Judicial Affairs; Committee on Economic Affairs; Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs; Committee on Defence and Security; Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents, and Children; Committee on Social Affairs; Committee on Science, Technology and Environment; and Committee for External Relations

- The session’s secretary with 13 members, headed by Tran Dinh Dan

- Agencies of the National Assembly Standing Committee: Board of Deputies’ Affairs, Ombudsman Board, Institute for Legislative Studies

- The National Assembly passed a resolution on shortening the National Assembly’s 12th tenure by one year (2007-2011)

* Third session from May 6 to June 3, 2008: the National Assembly passed a resolution on adjusting the administrative boundaries of Hanoi and some related provinces. Accordingly, from August 1, 2008, the country has 63 administrative entities, consisting of five centrally-run cities and 58 provinces.

* Sixth session from October 24 to November 27, 2009: the National Assembly passed resolutions on investment in the Lai Chau hydropower and Ninh Thuan nuclear power projects.

Laws passed by the 12th National Assembly

  • August 4, 2007 :
    Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Law on Anti-Corruption Fight
  • November 21, 2007 :
    + Law on domestic violence prevention and control
    + Law on communicable disease prevention and control
    + Law on personal income tax
    + Law on product and goods quality
    + Law on chemicals
    + Law on special amnesty
    + Law on mutual legal assistance
  • June 3, 2008 :
    + Law on management and use of State assets
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the law on oil and gas
    + Law on Red Cross activities
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the publication law
    + Law on value-added tax
    + Law on corporate income tax
    + Law on compulsory purchase and requisition of property
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the law on drug prevention and control
    + Law on the issuance of legal documents
    + Law on atomic energy
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the law on officers of the Vietnam People’s Army
  • November 13, 2008 :
    + Law on biodiversity
    + Law on high technology
    + Law on cadres and civil servants
    + Law on road transport
    + Law on Vietnamese nationality
    + Law on health insurance
    + Law on execution of civil judgments
    + Law on special consumption tax
  • June 17, 2009 :
    + Law on criminal records
    + Law on public debt management
    + Law on urban planning
  • June 18, 2009 :
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the law on cinematography
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the law on cultural heritage
    + Law on overseas representative missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
    + Law amending and supplementing Article 126 of the housing law and Article 121 of the land law
    + Law on State compensation liability
  • June 19, 2009 :
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the intellectual property law
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Penal Code
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of laws relevant to basic construction investment
  • November 23, 2009 :
    + Law on the elderly
    + Law on medical examination and treatment
    + Law on telecommunications
    + Law on radio frequencies
    + Law on militia and self-defence forces
  • November 25, 2009 :
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the education law
    + Law on natural resources tax
  • June 16, 2010 :
    + Law on the State Bank of Vietnam
    + Law on credit institutions
  • June 17, 2010 :
    + Law on non-agricultural land use tax
    + Law on posts
    + Law on economical and efficient use of energy
    + Law on persons with disabilities
    + Law on adoption
    + Law on execution of criminal judgments
    + Law on commercial arbitration
    + Law on food safety
  • November 15, 2010 :
    + Law on inspection
    + Law on environmental protection tax
    + Law on public employees
  • November 17, 2010 :
    + Law on protection of consumers’ rights
    + Law on minerals
  • November 24, 2010 :
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the law on insurance business
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the securities law
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the law on election of deputies to the National Assembly and the law on election of deputies to People’s Councils
    + Law on administrative procedures
  • March 29, 2011 :
    + Law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Civil Procedures Code
    + Law on human trafficking prevention and control
    + Law on independent audit
  • October 19, 2007 :
    Ordinance amending and supplementing certain articles of the ordinance on execution of prison sentences
  • January 26, 2008 :
    + Ordinance on defence industry
    + Ordinance on the Coast Guard of Vietnam
  • April 2, 2008 :
    Ordinance amending and supplementing certain articles of the ordinance on settlement of administrative violation cases
  • August 27, 2008 :
    Ordinance on procedures for detention of sea vessels
  • November 21, 2008 :
    Ordinance on the communal public security force
  • November 22, 2008 :
    Ordinance amending and supplementing Article 6 of the ordinance on natural resources tax
  • December 27, 2008 :
    Ordinance amending Article 10 of the ordinance on population
  • February 27, 2009 :
    + Ordinance amending and supplementing certain articles of the ordinance on organisation of criminal investigations
    + Ordinance on court costs and fees
  • March 16, 2010 :
    Ordinance on procedures for detention of aircraft
  • February 19, 2011 :
    + Ordinance amending and supplementing certain articles of the ordinance on judges and jurors of People’s Courts
    + Ordinance amending and supplementing certain articles of the ordinance on procurators of the People’s Procuracies
  • June 30, 2011 :
    Ordinance on management and use of weapons, explosives, and supporting tools