Building and perfecting the mechanism to protect the sanctity of the Constitution

On the afternoon of May 12, the Steering Committee for the Project "Strategy for building and perfecting the Socialist Rule of Law State of Vietnam until 2030, with a vision to 2045" held a seminar on the topic "Referendum on the Constitution; protecting the Constitution; ensuring and protecting human rights". Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission, Phan Dinh Trac, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Steering Committee for the Project chaired the seminar.

At the seminar, representatives of agencies, experts and scientists discussed and gave their opinions on the implementation of a referendum on the Constitution as stipulated in the 2013 Constitution; Adding the right of the People to decide on the Constitution to the Constitution. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Minh Tuan, Hanoi National University, implementing a referendum on the Constitution is necessary to bring benefits to both the people and the State.

Overview of the seminar.

"Because the people are the subjects of the right to make the Constitution, one of the basic manifestations of the democratic regime of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Referendum is a method and channel of interaction and cooperation between the State and the people. The referendum on the Constitution also contributes to strengthening the legitimacy of the Constitution, increasing the support of the people at home and abroad for our Constitution and institutions" - Associate Professor, Dr. Dang Minh Tuan said.

Speaking at the seminar, Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission Phan Dinh Trac affirmed that respect for the Constitution and law is a fundamental characteristic of a rule-of-law state. Most countries in the world have set out the requirement to build and perfect a mechanism to protect the Constitution.

"Clause 2, Article 119 of the 2013 Constitution stipulates: The National Assembly, the agencies of the National Assembly, the President, the Government, the People's Court, the People's Procuracy, other agencies of the State and the entire people are responsible for protecting the Constitution. The mechanism for protecting the Constitution is prescribed by law. This provision has been institutionalized and specified in laws on the organization, apparatus, functions and tasks of State institutions, socio-political organizations, civil, criminal and administrative laws... and has been implemented quite seriously. However, through the summary, it shows that there are still shortcomings in the provisions on effective mechanisms to protect the dignity of the Constitution. From that, a number of agencies and organizations participating in the development of the Project, a number of experts and scientists have raised the issue of the need to build a specialized constitutional protection institution".

Ensuring and protecting human rights is both a characteristic and a value of a rule-of-law State. In a State organized according to the rule of law, human rights are always associated with citizen rights and are respected, guaranteed and protected. Article 3 of the 2013 Constitution stipulates: The State recognizes, respects, protects and guarantees human rights and citizen rights. Therefore, the development of this Project is an opportunity to study, consider and propose the implementation of that commitment./.