Draft Law on Commune Police: Many powers make it easy to become a 'king'

Opinions in the National Assembly Standing Committee are concerned that the Law assigns too many tasks and powers while the level of communal police is still low.

On the afternoon of August 15, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave its opinion on the Draft Law on Commune Police.

Many opinions say that low input requirements will make it difficult to ensure functions and tasks when the Commune Police Chief and Deputy Commune Police Chief only need to have completed high school or higher; Police officers must have graduated from junior high school or higher; and in remote areas where there are not enough people, the requirements are lower, such as having completed primary school or higher.

2nd session of the 14th National Assembly Standing Committee (Photo: National Assembly)

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that the draft law stipulates many powers and duties for commune police (11 articles), including duties that commune police find difficult to fulfill.

“Understanding the security, order, and social safety situation; receiving, classifying, and handling cases with signs of violations of the law on security, order, and social safety in the commune”, can the commune police do this?”, Ms. Ngan questioned.

Sharing the same view, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children Phan Thanh Binh said that the bill stipulates too many tasks and powers for the commune police, so "how can they carry out such heavy responsibilities?"

“There are things like making arrest records and taking initial statements, but making records and taking initial statements is extremely difficult. Later, it will be the basis for criminal proceedings, so if you have an elementary school degree, it will be very difficult to ensure it,” Mr. Binh wondered.

Mr. Phan Thanh Binh also emphasized that the concern in rural areas is that "you have the right to be unfair to other people", so the law needs to clearly show authority, duties and responsibilities.

“Why not talk about handling violations when not performing their functions and powers properly? When having power in the countryside, farmers can easily become “kings”. There should be constraints on qualifications, as well as limits to prevent him from abusing his power,” Mr. Binh stated his opinion.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Nguyen Van Giau also expressed his opinion that "with so many tasks and powers, it is impossible to do it all" and should be reviewed./.

According to VOV