Bringing voters' aspirations to the National Assembly forum.

Innovate voter outreach activities.

In 2019, the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province organized regular meetings between National Assembly deputies and voters before and after each session in over 80 locations across its constituencies. These meetings were conducted in the form of contacting voters in a commune or group of communes across 21 districts, cities, and towns. In addition, the National Assembly Delegation of the province organized thematic meetings with voters who are officials and civil servants in various agencies and units.

Members of the National Assembly meet with voters in Tho Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. Photo: Thu Giang

In their voter outreach activities, the Provincial National Assembly Delegation has innovated the forms and methods of engaging with voters, focusing on and targeting areas with difficult economic conditions and places where people have many grievances, in order to listen to and request relevant levels and sectors to address the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the people.

Accordingly, at the meetings between National Assembly deputies and voters before and after each session in the five constituencies, the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Office invites representatives from provincial departments to participate, primarily those departments where voters frequently raise concerns, such as: Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs; Natural Resources and Environment; Transport; and the Social Policy Bank, etc.

At these conferences, after listening to voters' opinions, National Assembly deputies request relevant departments to respond. This approach demonstrates innovation in voter outreach and yields multifaceted benefits. Firstly, voters see that their opinions are listened to, considered, and seriously addressed; secondly, provincial departments and agencies gain insight into the situation at the grassroots level. Issues that have been and are being resolved, as well as those that cannot be resolved for various reasons, are all clarified and explained to the voters. This also serves as a channel for leaders of departments and agencies to direct grassroots levels to take more close and decisive action.

Voters in Hung Nguyen district express their aspirations to the Provincial National Assembly Delegation. Photo: My Nga

A new feature in 2019 was the meeting between the National Assembly delegation of Nghe An province and voters in Dak Lak province. “Meeting voters outside the constituency is a new and necessary activity to reach out to more specific and lively segments of the population, and to exchange opinions on more specific issues. Delegates also discussed several issues of concern to many voters and expressed their hope that people from Nghe An would continue to play their role in the neighboring province, contributing to strengthening the relationship between Nghe An and Dak Lak provinces,” said Nguyen Thanh Hien, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province.

Focus on issues that concern voters.

The Provincial National Assembly Delegation pays special attention to compiling and monitoring the situation and results of resolving voters' petitions at all levels and sectors. Through voter outreach sessions, the Provincial National Assembly Delegation has forwarded voters' opinions and petitions to the National Assembly, the Government, central ministries and agencies, and the Provincial People's Committee. Most of the voters' petitions have been addressed by ministries, agencies, local authorities, and relevant bodies, basically meeting the aspirations of the voters.

The delegation of National Assembly deputies from the province conducts a supervisory visit to Cua Dong General Hospital (Vinh City). Photo: Thanh Le

For example, voters in Hoang Mai town reflected that the Hoang Mai I Industrial Park, established 11 years ago, has been slow to attract investment, causing a waste of land resources. They requested that the Provincial People's Committee implement solutions to attract investment to develop the socio-economic development of Hoang Mai town. This request was submitted by the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Office to the Provincial People's Committee for clarification. Currently, the project is awaiting a decision from the Prime Minister approving the transfer of the project's investor to Hoang Thinh Dat Joint Stock Company. This will provide the new investor with the legal basis to complete infrastructure development and attract secondary investors.

Following urgent requests from voters regarding compensation payments for hydropower projects, particularly in the resettlement area of ​​the Hua Na hydropower project (Que Phong district), the Provincial National Assembly Delegation issued a document requesting the Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant agencies to expedite the process of allocating production land to the people, definitively resolve land compensation and clearance issues, and ensure access to clean water for residents. Based on the Provincial People's Committee's request, numerous directives have been issued to the Hua Na Hydropower Joint Stock Company, the Que Phong District People's Committee, and other relevant units to accelerate the allocation of production land to the people. Simultaneously, they have addressed difficulties and obstacles in land clearance for hydropower projects in the area, ensuring stable living conditions and production for the people.

In particular, responding to voters' suggestions regarding hydropower in the province, relevant authorities have recently reviewed the number of hydropower plants throughout the province and found that while the operation of hydropower plants contributes significantly to overall socio-economic development, the negative consequences are substantial. Therefore, the province is currently suspending the granting of permits for the construction of new hydropower plants.

The Khe Ò resettlement area is located on the Nậm Nơn River, downstream from the Bản Vẽ hydroelectric power plant.

Based on listening to the opinions and suggestions of voters, the National Assembly representatives from Nghe An province regularly reflect on prominent issues in group and plenary discussions, and actively participate in questioning on issues of concern to voters.

“Innovations in receiving and processing voter petitions at the Provincial National Assembly Delegation have contributed to increasing the accountability and responsibility of relevant levels in resolving and explaining issues; at the same time, voters can understand how their opinions are received and processed, thereby limiting the duplication of petitions through voter outreach sessions in each locality. Through each session, the activities of the National Assembly Delegation are becoming increasingly closely linked to the people and closely aligned with the realities of life.”

Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An Province, Nguyen Thanh Hien