Assembly and Front co-operation needed

HA NOI — A report to the yearly joint meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee and the Viet Nam Fatherland Front's Central Committee has identified their limited co-ordination in issuing instructions for the monitoring and settlement of citizen complaints and petitions.

The lack of co-ordination is particularly true before the twice-yearly parliamentary sessions, the report says.

The co-ordination of the two organisations was ordered six years ago and the report deals with their efforts to improve meetings between deputies and their constituents as well as parliament's efforts to monitor and audit ministries and Government agencies.

It is high time for the parliament and the Fatherland Front to revise the regulations so as to have them match reality and accord with existing laws, the report says.

The review, chaired by National Assembly chairman Nguyen Phu Trong and Fatherland Front president Huynh Dam, ended with a vow from both organisations to consolidate their co-operation to make Viet Nam a socialist state ruled by law.

The meeting also agreed to further enhance the great solidarity of the entire people and to ensure their rights and interests were protected.

Fatherland Front Central Committee deputy chair Professor Hoang Xuan Xinh praised the effort that was now made to ensure co-operation between her organisation and the Standing Committee in making supervisory visits.

"Such a close co-operation has made the supervisions visits a success and winning support from voters and the population," she said.

Front Presidium member Nguyen Tien Vo asked the assembly to consider the possibility of allowing overseas Vietnamese to stand for the National Assembly.

Front Central Committee deputy chairman Cu Hoa Van suggested that his organisation's supervisory role should be officially regulated.

So too should it be brief to provide counter-arguments before a law was enacted, he said.

Front Presidium member Nguyen Tuc complained that although numerous laws had been enacted, their enforcement was inefficient.

A key reason was a lack of awareness or even a lack of understanding of the law among many people, including Government officers.

Front Presidium member Professor Luu Van Dat emphasised the importance of supervising law enforcement.

"Through the supervisory missions we'll know what law works and what does not," he said.

"Close and effective co-ordination between the front and the committee is important to the consolidation of great national unity; creating a consensus in the society and cultivating the confidence of people from all walks of life," National Assembly deputy chairman Uong Chu Luu echoed Professor Dat's view.

"The National Assembly should create conditions, including the provision of funds, to enable the Fatherland Front to complete its assignments," he said.

Front President Dam acknowledged the need to make co-operation between the two organisations effective.

"In 2010, the National Assembly Standing Committee and the Viet Nam Fatherland Front should continue to work together to enhance great national unity and build a socialist state ruled by law," he said.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong said: "Without the Fatherland Front's support, we would not have had effective meetings with voters or heard their constructive comments."

The chairman said 2010 would be very important with numerous major events, including preparation of the Party's Political Platform and Political Report that would be presented at the 11th National Party Congress - scheduled for January 2011- as well as the final report of the National Assembly's 12th tenure.

The chairman asked that both the National Standing Committee and the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committe pay special attention to great national unity as a precious tradition and a major lesson of the revolution. "The last, but not the least task, is to vigorously put democracy into practice; mobilise the people's wisdom so that they embrace the responsibility and confidence to give their comment about the Political Platform and Political Report to be presented at the 11th National Party Congress," he said. — VNS