Overseas Vietnamese contribute ideas to amend the Constitution

On the afternoon of January 17, in Hanoi, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front held a conference to collect opinions from representatives of overseas Vietnamese on the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

Representative of the Vietnamese community in Japan Le Van Tam gives his opinion. (Photo: Nguyen Dan/ VNA)

The conference was attended by delegates who are members of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, a number of prestigious scientists and businessmen who are overseas Vietnamese currently working, teaching in Hanoi; delegates of the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs - Overseas Vietnamese; representatives of the Association for Liaison with Overseas Vietnamese; leaders of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and representatives of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.

Representatives of overseas Vietnamese expressed their honor and excitement to be able to contribute their opinions to the draft amendment to the 1992 Constitution - a major political-legal event of the country. This clearly demonstrated democracy, mobilized intelligence and enthusiasm, and created consensus among the people at home and overseas for the work of amending the Constitution. The delegates also wished to continue to contribute more efforts to the common development of the homeland.

Representatives of Vietnamese people residing abroad contributed comments on most of the contents of the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution. Focusing on issues related to human rights, basic rights and obligations of citizens; political regime; economic regime; State protection for the community of Vietnamese people residing abroad...

According to Dr. Phan Bich Thien, member of the Central Committee of the 7th term of the Fatherland Front, President of the Vietnam Women's Union in Hungary, the contents of the draft amendment to the Constitution have raised the 1992 Constitution to a new level. Citizen rights have been concretized and expanded to many areas. The draft also included the protection and defense of Vietnamese citizens in Article 18, Chapter II, which is a new and practical thing to do...

Dr. Nguyen Bich Thien suggested that the draft should specify the role of the Fatherland Front and include it in a separate chapter. In addition, the right to vote and run for election for overseas Vietnamese should also be more specifically stated.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Vice President and General Secretary of the Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Abroad Bui Dinh Dinh said that the Constitution needs to be concise and easy to understand to suit all classes of people.

Mr. Bui Dinh Dinh suggested that further research and consideration should be given to Clause 2, Article 18 in the draft amendment to the 1992 Constitution: "Vietnamese citizens cannot be expelled from the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or handed over to another state."

Mr. Bui Dinh Dinh cited that a Vietnamese citizen who also has foreign nationality, has a wife, children, family, assets, and job abroad, violates foreign laws and flees to Vietnam, and the foreign side requests that we hand them over. If such a regulation is made, it will lead to difficulties in applying the law and may affect diplomatic relations.

Mr. Nguyen Hoai Bac, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Vietnam-Canada Vocational College, an overseas Vietnamese in Canada, is interested in Article 19, Clause 1 of the Draft Amendment to the Constitution. According to Mr. Bac, the provision "Overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part of the Vietnamese ethnic community" does not fully demonstrate the significance of the contributions of overseas Vietnamese to the country, so it is necessary to add a provision: Overseas Vietnamese who invest directly in Vietnam according to the provisions of law are entitled to the same rights and obligations as Vietnamese citizens...

In addition to giving comments on the basic contents of the draft amendment to the Constitution, many delegates also expressed their views on legislative technical issues such as the consistent use of terms with similar content such as: according to the law (Articles 11, 12...); according to the provisions of the law (Articles 23, 24...); according to the provisions of the law (Article 58...); clarifying some terms such as: "socialist-oriented market economy"; "accommodation," "housing," "place of residence"...

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Huynh Dam highly appreciated the sense of responsibility, patriotism, and devotion to the Fatherland and homeland of the delegates representing Vietnamese people residing abroad in contributing their opinions to the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution - a work of special national importance.

Chairman Huynh Dam affirmed that the Fatherland Front will fully and accurately absorb and synthesize the opinions of the delegates; at the same time, he hopes that the delegates who are Vietnamese residing abroad will continue to send their enthusiastic opinions and contributions to the draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution, actively contributing to the cause of building the homeland and the country to develop more and more./.

According to (TTXVN) - LT