3 new signals from the 2nd session of the 14th National Assembly

The second session of the 14th National Assembly has concluded. With what parliamentary life has brought to society over the past month, the session has sent out many new positive signals.

What impressed voters nationwide most was the intense and heated questioning atmosphere in the National Assembly this time. The questions directly addressed pressing social issues, from cronyism in investment and environmental destruction to mass appointments at the end of the term and entire families holding official positions "through proper procedures"...

The hottest keywords from social life, such as "Ca Na steel," "Vu Huy Hoang," "Trinh Xuan Thanh," "flood release according to procedure causing flooding," and "officials assaulting citizens," frequently appear in questioning sessions. This has created an interactive National Assembly, where voters feel that their own grievances are shared and addressed by their representatives within the body they elected, which is also the highest state power organ of the nation.

A view of the 2nd session of the 14th National Assembly.

At this session, the debate space for delegates has been greatly expanded. The old style of questioning, "Please tell us, Minister," has given way to very direct questions like "Is it true or not?", "Is that correct?", "Where does the responsibility lie?", "Is there vested interest group involved?"... This style and content of questioning puts the respondent in a position of facing public opinion and millions of voters. If the respondent deviates from the topic, gives a weak or evasive answer, delegates are immediately allowed to continue the debate, forcing the respondent to get to the point and clarify the issue further.

Along with the 35 delegates who debated in this National Assembly session, voters will find it hard to forget the fiery questioning of delegate Pham Thi Minh Hien to the Minister of Industry and Trade during her first exercise of the right to question. “I request that the Minister answer directly and truthfully to voters nationwide whether or not there is vested interest in the process of supplementing the project's planning? Is the Ministry chasing after businesses to carry out the project? Is investment based on planning or planning based on investment?... Is it not a criminal act to disregard the scientific and dedicated criticisms of experts and allow the authorities to supplement this project's planning?”

Also at this session, the National Assembly demonstrated the necessary caution in its legislative agenda. The decision to postpone two draft laws that attracted significant public attention – the Law on Associations and the Law amending the 2015 Penal Code – due to differing opinions and unresolved issues, showed that the National Assembly paid special attention to the quality of the draft laws before voting to pass them. Certainly, there is no greater pressure than the National Assembly's responsibility to its constituents and to the development of the country if these draft laws are enacted only to fail before being implemented.

Of course, to convince voters, National Assembly deputies must continue to demonstrate that courage. Fiery questioning and strong accountability in the parliamentary sessions only truly matter when these issues are addressed in practice. And the signals from this session allow voters nationwide to place their hopes in that!

According to PLO