Chapter V: THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

 Article 69

The National Assembly is the highest representative body of the People and the highest state power body of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The National Assembly shall exercise constitutional and legislative powers, decide on important issues for the country, and conduct the supreme oversight over the activities of the State.

Article 70

The National Assembly has the following tasks and powers:

1. To make and amend the Constitution; to make and amend laws;

2. To exercise the power of supreme oversight over the observance of the Constitution, laws and resolutions of the National Assembly; to review work reports of the President, Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Government, Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuracy, National Election Council, State Audit Office, and other agencies established by the National Assembly;

3. To decide on the country's major goals, targets, policies and tasks for socio-economic development;

4. To decide on fundamental national financial and monetary policies; to introduce, change or abolish taxes; to decide on the division of revenues and expenditures between the central and local budgets; to decide on the safe limits for national, public and government debts; to decide on state budget estimates and the allocation of the central budget; and to approve the final accounts of the state budget;

5. To decide on state policies on ethnicities and religion;

6. To regulate the organisation and operation of the National Assembly, President, Government, People's Courts, People's Procuracies, National Election Council, State Audit Office, local administrations, and other agencies established by the National Assembly;

7. To elect, relieve from duty or remove from office the President, Vice Presidents, Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons of the National Assembly, members of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Chairperson of the Ethnic Council, Chairpersons of the Committees of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Procurator General of the Supreme People's Procuracy, Chairperson of the National Election Council, State Auditor General, and heads of other agencies established by the National Assembly; to approve proposals on the appointment, relief from duty or dismissal of the Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers or other members of the Government, and Judges of the Supreme People's Court; and to approve the lists of members of the National Defense and Security Council and the National Election Council. After being elected, the President, Chairperson of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, and Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court shall take an oath of loyalty to the Fatherland, the People and the Constitution;

8. To conduct votes of confidence on persons holding positions elected or approved by the National Assembly;

9. To decide on the establishment or abolition of ministries or ministerial-level agencies of the Government; to establish, dissolve, consolidate, separate or adjust the administrative boundaries of, provinces, centrally run cities and special administrative-economic units; or to establish or abolish other agencies in accordance with the Constitution and law;

10. To annul documents of the President, Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Government, Prime Minister, Supreme People's Court and Supreme People's Procuracy that contravene the Constitution, laws or resolutions of the National Assembly;

11. To decide on a general amnesty;

12. To stipulate the titles and ranks in the people's armed forces, diplomatic titles and ranks, and other state titles and ranks; to institute orders, medals, and state honourary titles;

13. To decide on issues of war and peace; to determine states of emergency and other special measures to ensure national defense and security;

14. To decide on fundamental foreign policies; to ratify, or decide on the accession to, or withdrawal from, treaties related to war, peace, national sovereignty or the membership of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in important international and regional organisations, treaties on human rights or fundamental rights and obligations of citizens, and other treaties that are not consistent with the laws or resolutions of the National Assembly; 15. To decide to hold referenda.

Article 71

1. The term of the National Assembly is five years.

2. Sixty days before the expiration of the term of the National Assembly, a new National Assembly must be elected.

3. In special cases, the National Assembly may decide to shorten or extend its term, at the proposal of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, if at least two-thirds of the total number of the National Assembly deputies vote for it. The extension of the term of the National Assembly must not exceed twelve months, except in wartime.

Article 72

The Chairperson of the National Assembly shall preside over National Assembly sessions; authenticate by his or her signature the Constitution, laws and resolutions of the National Assembly; lead the work of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly; organise the conduct of the external relations of the National Assembly; and maintain a relationship with National Assembly deputies. Vice Chairpersons of the National Assembly shall assist the Chairperson in his or her work as assigned by the Chairperson.

Article 73

1. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly is the permanent body of the National Assembly.

2. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly is composed of the Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons and members.

3. The number of members of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly shall be decided by the National Assembly. A member of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly may not concurrently be a member of the Government.

4. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly shall perform its tasks and exercise its powers until a new Standing Committee is elected by the succeeding National Assembly.

Article 74

The Standing Committee of the National Assembly has the following tasks and powers:

1. To prepare, convene and preside over sessions of the National Assembly;

2. To enact ordinances on issues assigned to it by the National Assembly; to interpret the Constitution, laws and ordinances;

3. To oversee the implementation of the Constitution, laws and resolutions of the National Assembly and ordinances and resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly; to oversee the activities of the Government, Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuracy, State Audit Office, and other agencies established by the National Assembly;

4. To suspend the implementation of documents of the Government, Prime Minister, Supreme People's Court or Supreme People's Procuracy that contravene the Constitution, or laws or resolutions of the National Assembly, and refer those documents to the National Assembly to decide on their annulment at the next session; to annul documents of the Government, Prime Minister, Supreme People's Court or Supreme People's Procuracy that contravene ordinances or resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly;

5. To direct, harmonize and coordinate the activities of the Ethnic Council and the Committees of the National Assembly; to guide and ensure the conditions for the work of National Assembly deputies;

6. To propose the National Assembly to elect, relieve from duty or remove from office the President, Chairperson or Vice Chairpersons of the National Assembly, members of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Chairperson of the Ethnic Council, Chairpersons of the Committees of the National Assembly, Chairperson of the National Election Council, or State Auditor General;

7. To supervise and guide the work of the People's Councils; to annul resolutions of the People's Councils of provinces or centrally run cities that contravene the Constitution, laws or documents of state agencies at higher levels; to dissolve the People's Councils of provinces or centrally run cities in case they cause serious damage to the interests of the People;

8. To decide on the establishment, dissolution, consolidation, separation, or adjustment of the boundaries of, the administrative units under the provinces or centrally run cities;

9. To decide to declare a state of war in case the National Assembly cannot meet, and report it to the National Assembly for decision at its next session;

10. To decide on general or partial mobilisation; to declare or cancel a state of emergency throughout the country or in a particular locality;

11. To conduct the external relations of the National Assembly;

12. To approve proposals on the appointment or relief from duty of ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

13. To organise referenda in pursuance to decisions of the National Assembly.

Article 75

1. The Ethnic Council is composed of the Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons and members. The Chairperson of the Ethnic Council shall be elected by the National Assembly; Vice Chairpersons and members of the Ethnic Council shall be approved by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

2. The Ethnic Council shall study and make proposals on ethnic issues to the National Assembly; exercise the power of overseeing the implementation of policies on ethnic groups, programmes and plans for socio-economic development in mountainous and ethnic minority areas.

3. The Chairperson of the Ethnic Council may be invited to attend Government meetings to discuss the implementation of policies on ethnic groups. The Government shall consult the Ethnic Council before promulgating regulations on the implementation of policies on ethnic groups.

4. The Ethnic Council has additional tasks and powers similar to those of the Committees of the National Assembly set out in Clause 2, Article 76.

Article 76

1. A Committee of the National Assembly is composed of the Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons and members. Chairpersons of the Committees shall be elected by the National Assembly; Vice Chairpersons and members of the Committees shall be approved by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

2. The Committees of the National Assembly shall verify draft laws, proposals on laws, other drafts, and reports as assigned by the National Assembly or the Standing Committee of the National Assembly; exercise the oversight power within the scope of their powers and tasks prescribed by a law; and make proposals on issues that fall within the scope of their activities.

3. The establishment or dissolution of the Committees shall be decided by the National Assembly.

Article 77

1. The Ethnic Council or the Committees of the National Assembly may request members of the Government, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Procurator General of the Supreme People's Procuracy, State Auditor General or concerned individuals to make reports, give explanations or provide documents on necessary matters. The persons who receive requests shall respond.

2. State agencies shall study and respond to the proposals made by the Ethnic Council and the Committees of the National Assembly.

Article 78

The National Assembly may, as necessary, establish an ad-hoc Committee to study and verify a certain project or investigate a certain issue.

Article 79

1. A National Assembly deputy shall represent the will and aspirations of the People of his or her constituency and of the whole country.

2. A National Assembly deputy shall maintain close ties with voters and submit to their supervision; collect and truthfully convey their views and aspirations to the National Assembly and concerned agencies or organisations; meet and report to the voters on his or her activities and activities of the National Assembly; respond to the requests and petitions of voters; monitor and press for the settlement of complaints and denunciations, and guide and assist in the exercise of the right to complaint or denunciation.

3. A National Assembly deputy shall inform the People of, and mobilise them to implement, the Constitution and laws.

Article 80

1. National Assembly deputies have the right to raise questions to the President, Chairperson of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, Ministers and other members of the Government, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Procurator General of the Supreme People's Procuracy or State Auditor General.

2. The questioned persons shall present their answers before the National Assembly at a session of the National Assembly or, when the National Assembly is in recess, at a meeting of the Standing Committee of National Assembly; the National Assembly and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly may, as necessary, allow the questioned persons to submit written answers.

3. National Assembly deputies have the right to request agencies, organisations or individuals to provide information and documents related to the latter's tasks. The heads of agencies or organisations, or individuals shall answer questions raised by deputies within the time limit prescribed by a law.

Article 81

No National Assembly deputy may be arrested, held in custody, detained or prosecuted without the consent of the National Assembly or, when the National Assembly is in recess, without the consent of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly. In the case a deputy is detained for a flagrant offense, the agency holding the deputy in custody shall immediately report the case to the National Assembly or the Standing Committee of the National Assembly for consideration and decision.

Article 82

1. National Assembly deputies shall fully perform their tasks; and have the right to participate as members in the Ethnic Council or a Committee of the National Assembly.

2. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies or other agencies of the State shall create the conditions for National Assembly deputies to perform their tasks.

3. The State shall ensure funding for the activities of National Assembly deputies.

Article 83

1. The National Assembly shall hold sessions in public. The National Assembly may, when necessary and at the request of the President, Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Prime Minister or at least one-third of the total number of the National Assembly deputies, decide to conduct a closed session.

2. The National Assembly shall hold two sessions a year. The National Assembly shall hold an extraordinary session when so requested by the President, Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Prime Minister or at least one-third of the total number of the National Assembly deputies. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly shall convene sessions of the National Assembly.

3. The first session of a newly elected National Assembly must be convened within sixty days from the date of election of the National Assembly deputies; this session must be opened and presided over by the Chairperson of the outgoing National Assembly until the new National Assembly elects its Chairperson.

Article 84

1. The President, Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Ethnic Council and Committees of the National Assembly, Government, Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuracy, State Audit Office, Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and central bodies of the Front's member organisations have the right to submit draft laws to the National Assembly or submit draft ordinances to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

2. National Assembly deputies have the right to submit their proposals on laws and ordinances, or draft laws and draft ordinances, to the National Assembly or the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

Article 85

1. Laws and resolutions of the National Assembly must be voted for by more than half of the total number of the National Assembly deputies; the making or amendment of the Constitution, decisions to shorten or extend the term of the National Assembly or to remove from office one of its deputies must be voted for by at least two-thirds of the total number of the National Assembly deputies.

Ordinances and resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly must be approved by more than half of the total number of its members.

2. Laws and ordinances must be promulgated within fifteen days of their passage, unless the President requests reconsideration of an ordinance.