Need to create qualitative changes in the people's police force

On the morning of September 10, under the chairmanship of Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Tran Van Mao, the Provincial National Assembly Delegation held a Conference to collect comments on the draft Law on People's Public Security (amended) and the draft Law on Amnesty (amended).

Attending the conference were comrade Nguyen Huu Cau - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Director of the Provincial Police; representatives of provincial departments, branches and sectors.

Conference scene. Photo: Thanh Le

The draft Law on People's Public Security (amended) has 7 chapters and 48 articles, of which 4 articles are added, 31 articles are amended, and 1 article is removed from the 2014 Law on People's Public Security. The draft Law on Amnesty (amended) has 6 chapters and 40 articles, of which 4 articles are added, 15 articles are amended compared to the 2007 Law on Amnesty.

These two draft laws are expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval at the 6th session taking place at the end of 2018.

Commenting on the draft Law on People's Public Security (amended), Lawyer Ho Ba Vo said: Selecting citizens to join the People's Public Security, according to Article 6, stipulates: Those who graduate from university with honors can be recruited into the People's Public Security.

“Can be” is a discretionary term, not a rule of course, not that graduating with excellent grades is automatically recruited into the police force. Mr. Vo cited: Some students passed the People's Police Academy, got perfect scores, entered high-quality departments, graduated with honors but when working, they were average. Therefore, the recruitment of the police force needs to have criteria of aptitude and practical skills.

Colonel Nguyen Huu Cau - Director of the Provincial Police Department clarified issues of concern to delegates. Photo by Thanh Le

Regarding the promotion of general rank, Mr. Vo said that it is impossible to let all provincial police directors be promoted to major general rank in the style of “a hundred flowers bloom”. There should be specific regulations, and the promotion of general rank should be given to provincial police directors in first-class provinces and cities.

Lawyer Ho Ba Vo said: Arranging regular commune police is an urgent practical requirement because resources at the commune level are inadequate, so commune police are not capable of completing their tasks.

Ms. Hoang Thi Lien - Permanent Vice President of Nghe An Lawyers Association: The goal is to build a "revolutionary, disciplined, elite, gradually modernized people's police force, prioritizing the modernization of a number of forces" but the draft law does not clearly define the organizational structure of the apparatus, does not stipulate the functions and tasks of the levels and departments in the apparatus, which is unreasonable, we must standardize it right in the Law.

Ms. Hoang Thi Lien - Permanent Vice President of the Provincial Lawyers Association suggested the need to create a qualitative change in the people's police apparatus. Photo: Thanh Le

The Standing Vice President of the Provincial Bar Association is concerned: How to create a qualitative change in the force of cadres in the People's Public Security apparatus; to create a regular, elite, modern People's Public Security force. To have a qualitative change, it is necessary to do a good job in selecting and recruiting from the input, avoiding "loopholes" in inadequate and limited input management as in the past.

A general look at all channels shows that the People's Public Security apparatus has been cumbersome and has surplus staff. There needs to be a separate chapter regulating the organization of the People's Public Security apparatus in this Law.

Regarding the content of regularizing the communal police force, the Standing Vice President of the Provincial Lawyers Association affirmed: Regularizing the communal police force in the long term strategy is very necessary.

Representatives of Prison No. 3 - Ministry of Public Security give comments on the draft Amnesty Law (amended). Photo: Thanh Le

“However, the concern is that the whole country currently has more than 9,330 communes. If each commune has 5 police officers, the Ministry of Public Security will have to arrange more than 40,000 officers. This will increase the number of officers receiving salaries from the budget, affecting the project to streamline the payroll and the national salary fund,” said Ms. Lien.

Regarding the draft Amnesty Law (amended), delegates suggested that the draft law should strictly regulate the conditions for being proposed for amnesty to avoid abuse of the clemency policy of the Party and State.

Lawyer Ho Ba Vo gives comments on the draft Law on People's Public Security (amended) and the draft Law on Amnesty (amended). Photo: Thanh Le

On behalf of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Tran Van Mao acknowledged and highly appreciated the delegates' comments.

The Provincial National Assembly Delegation received, synthesized and selected opinions to ensure scientific and feasible nature, and ensure resources to submit to the National Assembly for approval and promulgation of the draft Law on People's Public Security (amended) and the draft Law on Amnesty (amended) with quality, suitable to the requirements of practical life.