Practicing democracy well will make people trust the government.

Mr. Nguyen Van Pha.

PVHow do you evaluate the practice of grassroots democracy in recent times?

Mr. Nguyen Van Pha:The Party and State documents provide truly effective mechanisms to promote and strengthen grassroots democracy and are also the basis for handling undemocratic officials. In addition, thanks to the participation and efforts of the people and the voluntary implementation of the grassroots authorities, the situation of undemocratic behavior and violations of people's mastery rights in many places has significantly decreased.

Many hot spots caused by the loss of democracy have been handled, bringing stability to people's lives and raising people's trust in grassroots Party committees and authorities.

What impressed me most was that many construction projects in many areas basically had the participation of the people from the planning, design and construction stages to the implementation stage.

However, there are also many places that practice democracy in a formal way, although contributions and obligations are made public, but they are made public in places where it is not easy for people to come and read or know. Although people are received and suggestions are made in the mailbox, it is only effective at first, then it becomes a formality.

PV: How has the reality of taking advantage of democracy with extreme actions been identified, sir?

Mr. Nguyen Van Pha:Recently, there has been a boom in the use of social networks to spread false information, causing political and social instability, and opposing the Party and the State. There have been many cases of people organizing livestreams to defame, slander, and defame others; even when the whole country is focusing on fighting the Covid-19 epidemic, some people are taking advantage of social networks to tell lies or to propagate and sell drugs... Identifying these problems is not difficult for authorities, but handling them is not easy because some cases take a whole year to be handled.

The reason why many people are lured is because they lack legal knowledge or follow and encourage. Therefore, in addition to strictly handling those who commit wrongdoings, the authorities need to continue to do a better job of propagating the law so that people do not listen to or encourage bad people.

PV: Recently, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave its first comments on the draft Law on implementing democracy at the grassroots level. This session of the National Assembly is determined to have a legal document to implement democracy at the grassroots level in a substantive and effective manner. In your opinion, how can we overcome the situation of formal democracy?

Mr. Nguyen Van Pha:The above-mentioned results in practicing democracy also come from the fact that we have very positive mechanisms from the Party's Directives and the State's laws. However, it must be said that the system of legal documents on democracy, especially grassroots democracy, is very scattered, and many regulations are even outdated. Therefore, the Government's proposal, which was accepted by the National Assembly, to build a Law on implementing democracy at the grassroots level is a somewhat late but timely action.

Formal democracy has two causes: from institutional building and from the people. Besides regulations with specific mechanisms for implementation, there are still some formal mechanisms, which can be done or not done, no one will review anyone. Therefore, this time the National Assembly must concretize the mechanisms and those mechanisms must be feasible. At the same time, eliminate regulations that are just slogans if there is no implementation mechanism.

When the law is enacted, the government must truly consider practicing democracy at the grassroots level not only as its duty but also as its right. Because if democracy is practiced well, people will trust the government, and from there, leadership and direction will be better.

As for the people, they must also consider democracy as their right. Because in many places, although people have been informed and propagandized, they lack self-awareness and do not proactively exercise their rights. People must exercise their rights and consider this an environment to show their dedication, contribute their efforts and efforts to build their homeland and also an environment to monitor officials.

PV: Practicing democracy at the grassroots level must come from both the grassroots government and the people themselves. When the people have the right to be masters, they must also fulfill their civic duties. What do you think about this relationship when looking at the reality in recent times?

Mr. Nguyen Van Pha:The regulations to bind the responsibilities of Party committees and authorities in implementing grassroots democracy are quite complete. As for the people, democracy does not mean saying and doing whatever they want, but must be based on the spirit of the Constitution regulating human rights, basic rights and obligations of citizens and related legal regulations.

I think that, from both sides, the government and the people, if they exercise their rights and obligations well, democracy will be fully implemented in reality.

PV: According to you, the motto of "people know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise and people benefit" as the goal set out by the 13th National Party Congress should be legalized in the Law.practice democracy at the grassroots?

Mr. Nguyen Van Pha:Recently, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front organized social criticism on this draft Law and received many enthusiastic opinions from experts, scientists and managers.

Experts all believe that legalizing the motto of people knowing, people discussing, people doing, people inspecting, people supervising, and people benefiting is necessary and the draft law has basically achieved this.

However, there are also some opinions that there are still many formal regulations and the desire to make people voluntarily and proactively contribute ideas to the local government through people's inspection institutions, community investment supervision boards and directly the grassroots Fatherland Front Committees so that people can monitor the government's activities. What has been said to the people, declared to the people, and approved by the people must be implemented in practice.

PV: President Ho Chi Minh once said: "It is a hundred times easier to endure without people, and a thousand times harder to overcome with people." According to you, how can practicing democracy become the universal key that can solve all difficulties?

Mr. Nguyen Van Pha:Many theoretical and practical studies have also drawn extremely profound lessons that President Ho Chi Minh taught.

I believe that Party committees and authorities at all levels must have the people's trust and must rely on the people to carry out their duties. Because the people are the ones who elected the officials. To have the people's trust, democracy must be widely practiced, always taking the people's interests as the goal to strive for and serve. If we can do so, democracy will become the universal key to solving all difficulties at the grassroots level.

Uncle Ho once said: "Democracy is to make people open their mouths." The National Assembly will soon pass the Law on Democracy at the Grassroots, and I think it is necessary to institutionalize this great thought of Uncle Ho.

PV: Thank you sir./.