The 13th NA conducted its activities amid complicated and uncertain developments in the region and the world. In the country, opportunities were interwound with challenges in socio-economic development and the safeguard of national independence and sovereignty. The legislature took on a huge volume of work regarding law-making and execution, together with the Party, entire people, and armed forces helping the country weather difficulties and challenges, while stepping up reform and national construction and development.
* Promulgating 2013 Constitution, perfecting legal documents specifying the Constitution
During the tenure, the NA approved the 2013 Constitution and basically completed amendments, supplements, and promulgation of new laws in line with the Constitution.
The 2013 Constitution was established amid the comprehensive and concerted reform of the economy and politics, meeting the requirements for national construction, defence and global integration. With the 2013 Constitution, the core and basic values of the 1946, 1959, 1980 and 1992 Constitutions were inherited and developed. The Constitution reflected the Party’s will, the people’s heart, the State and social leadership of the Party; and the trust, strong will and aspirations of the absolute majority of the people in the Party, State and regime.
The Constitution upheld human rights, citizens’ basic rights and interests, the people’s subjectivity in exercising rights related to politics, civil affairs, economy, socio-culture, national defence, security and external affairs, while affirming legislative, executive and judicial rights. It set basic principles to reform and perfect the State apparatus and ensure the allocation, coordination and control of State power.
The NA’s outstanding achievement during the 13th tenure was promulgating the 2013 Constitution and basically specifying the Constitution in laws regarding the organisation of the State apparatus, protection of justice, human and citizens’ rights, perfecting the socialist-oriented market economy mechanism, consolidating national defence-security, social safety and order, and ensuring social welfare, environment protection, external relations and global integration.
* Considering, deciding on the country’s important issues
During the tenure, the NA issued a number of important resolutions on socio-economic development, adjusted socio-economic development targets for 2011-2015 many times, and revised them each year to suit the reality. It also assigned specific targets and tasks to legislative, executive and judicial organs to make positive and effective changes in all areas.
The NA also issued a resolution on investment in Long Thanh International Airport, adjusted several measures to effectively continue with the policy of building the Ho Chi Minh Highway, and considered and decided on other important issues.
During the tenure, a number of concerted measures were worked out to promptly respond to situations, ensure the cautious and flexible implementation of monetary and fiscal policies, cut down on unnecessary and inefficient expenses, and many drastic measures taken to ensure national financial security and macro-economic stability, curb inflation, restore economic growth, ensure social welfare, and improve material and spiritual lives. Various decisions contributed to promptly dealing with urgent issues such as planning management, the construction and operation of hydropower plants and water reservoirs, the fight against crime, the budget for shipbuilding for offshore fishing, the protection of sovereignty over sea and islands, the construction of new-style rural areas, poverty reduction, improvements to ethnic minority lives, care for drug users at rehabilitation centres, and salary increases for those on the State payroll who are in need, which were welcomed by voters.
* Conducting focused supervision
Together with law-making and decision-making activities on the country’s important issues, the NA also reformed its supervision activities.
The NA’s Q&A sessions upheld a constructive spirit, democracy, openness and dialogue, a sense of responsibility, and self-criticism by lawmakers questioned. Thematic supervision was strengthened, focusing on key and important life issues. Resolutions and proposals on supervision were basically correct, suited the reality, and were conducted seriously with clear results.
The NA continued to make improvements in supervision activities. Re-supervision was carried out regularly, initially overseeing the implementation of the NA’s Resolutions on Q&A sessions. Accordingly, the subsequent meeting had to report on the outcomes of commitments and measures issued in the previous Q&A. In particular, in the 10th session, the NA conducted “full-term questioning” for heads of the State agencies in terms of the implementation of the NA’s resolutions on thematic supervision and Q&A sessions from the beginning of the tenure. Thus, the NA fully oversaw and monitored the implementation of its resolutions and learned necessary lessons to continue performing its important function.
During the tenure, the NA twice represented people nationwide to exercise its right to supreme supervision over votes of confidence on key leading posts in the State apparatus. The results of votes of confidence prompted those elected or approved by the legislature to continue working hard, refine their virtue, and improve their capacity and working efficiency, thus making marked changes in several sectors.
* NA’s external activities strengthened
As the Chair, Vietnam successfully held the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly with the theme “The Sustainable Development Goals: Turning Words into Actions”. It adopted the Hanoi Declaration, which contributed to promoting parliamentary diplomatic activities, affirming Vietnam’s stature in the international arena and marking the country’s intensive and extensive global integration.
Many bilateral and multilateral diplomatic activities were stepped up, contributing to promoting friendship and all-around cooperation with parliaments and international organisations, developing ties in both breadth and depth, with priority given to important and traditional partners such as Laos, Cambodia, China, Russia, the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the European Parliament, creating an environment conducive to national construction and defence. Progress was made in the popularisation of external activities in both content and form, contributing to pooling support from the international community in protecting sea and island sovereignty and refuting distortions and incitements by reactionary and hostile forces.