The 9th Session of the National Assembly: Redrawing the map, shaping the future

At this 9th session, the National Assembly will consider and pass a resolution on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for social housing development. In the photo: an apartment building integrating social and commercial housing in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: TTD

Specifically, the National Assembly will consider and decide on many important issues related to amending the 2013 Constitution, amending laws serving the organization and arrangement of the apparatus, administrative units, and many other issues.

What to amend in the 2013 Constitution?

As planned, on the first working day, the National Assembly will hear a report and discuss in groups the proposal to amend and supplement a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution and establish a Committee to draft amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution.

Vice Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee Nguyen Phuong Thuy said that the National Assembly Standing Committee has submitted a document to delegates and will report to the National Assembly at the opening session on the content of the Constitutional amendment. Specifically, according to the document, the amendment will focus on two groups of contents.

Firstly, the provisions of the Constitution related to the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and socio-political organizations to meet the requirements of streamlining the organizational apparatus, promoting the role, responsibility, and proactiveness of the VFF, the role of gathering classes and strata in society, ensuring a strong orientation towards the grassroots and close adherence to the locality.

Second, the provisions in Chapter 9 of the Constitution to implement the two-level local government organization model (including provincial and communal levels, ending district-level operations). At the same time, there are transitional provisions to ensure that local governments operate smoothly and without interruption, in accordance with the planned roadmap for arrangement and merger.

The Standing Committee of the National Assembly proposed that the National Assembly allow the study and promulgation of a resolution amending and supplementing a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution. The number of articles of the Constitution that can be amended is about 8/120 articles.

The report reviewing and evaluating the implementation of a number of provisions of the 2013 Constitution on the organization of the political system apparatus of the National Assembly Standing Committee clearly pointed out the achievements, shortcomings, limitations and causes, thereby making recommendations and proposals to amend and supplement a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution.

Accordingly, regarding the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations, the National Assembly Standing Committee proposed to amend and supplement the articles of the 2013 Constitution in the direction of amending and supplementing Article 9 to provide more comprehensive and general provisions on the position, role, functions, tasks and powers of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations according to the new organizational model after the arrangement.

Accordingly, it is expected to be amended and supplemented in the direction of generalizing the socio-political organizations (Trade Union, Farmers' Association, Youth Union, Women's Union, Veterans' Association) as socio-political organizations under the Vietnam Fatherland Front, operating uniformly within the Vietnam Fatherland Front but still maintaining relative independence.

The National Assembly Standing Committee plans to amend and supplement Article 10 to ensure the inheritance of the position and role of the Trade Union organization, consistent with Article 9 after amendment and supplementation, regulating the role of workers' representatives at the national level in labor and international relations. Amend and supplement Article 84 in the direction of no longer stipulating that central agencies of member organizations of the Front have the right to submit draft laws and ordinances...

Regarding local authorities, the National Assembly Standing Committee proposed to amend and supplement Article 110. Specifically, it does not specify in detail the system of administrative units with the names of each type of unit according to three levels, but only generally stipulates two levels: provinces, centrally run cities and administrative units below provinces and centrally run cities.

The Law on Organization of Local Government will specify administrative units below the provincial level (communes, wards, special zones) to meet the requirements of implementing administrative unit arrangement and ensuring the long-term stability of the Constitution.

Propose to amend and supplement some technical contents in Articles 111, 112, 114, 115 in the direction of not using the term "local government level" to show the consistency of the model (including People's Council and People's Committee), avoid confusion, and adjust regulations to suit the new organizational model.

Promote decentralization and delegation of power between central and local government agencies, creating initiative for local authorities according to the principle of "locality decides, locality acts, locality is responsible". Propose to add transitional regulations to ensure that local authorities operate smoothly, in accordance with the arrangement roadmap.

Data: THANH CHUNG - Presentation: N.KH

Consider and decide to merge from 63 to 34 provinces and cities

Also at the session, the National Assembly will consider and approve a resolution on merging provincial administrative units . This content is considered very important and historic as it is expected to "redraw the map of Vietnam".

According to Resolution 60 of the 11th Central Conference, the policy of merging 63 provinces and cities into 34 provinces and cities (including 28 provinces and 6 centrally-run cities) was agreed upon. Of these, 11 provinces and cities will remain the same, while the remaining 54 provinces and cities are expected to merge and consolidate into 23 provinces and cities.

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Thuy said that right after the Central Government issued Resolution 60, the National Assembly Standing Committee issued Resolution 76 on administrative unit arrangement in 2025. This resolution specifically stipulates the principles, requirements, and project development related to province mergers and commune-level arrangements. The Government has issued a plan and provided instructions for localities to implement.

"This May, the Government will finalize the projects sent to the National Assembly. Before the National Assembly considers them, the Committee on Law and Justice will conduct an examination. It is expected that in the second phase of the 9th session, the National Assembly will consider and discuss the provincial merger projects and the National Assembly Standing Committee will consider and give opinions on the commune merger project.

After the National Assembly passes the resolution on province merger, the National Assembly Standing Committee will issue resolutions on the arrangement of commune-level units associated with the 34 provinces and cities formed after the arrangement. This will be the basis for localities to carry out the work of perfecting the organizational apparatus, carrying out work, stabilizing, and organizing Party congresses at all levels," Ms. Thuy added.

Collecting public opinion on amending the Constitution within one month

Vietnam Fatherland Front of Ho Chi Minh City organizes a fundraiser to support people affected by storm No. 3 - Photo: HUU HANH

Ms. Thuy informed that after the Committee to amend and supplement a number of articles of the 2013 Constitution is established, it will study and develop a draft resolution. The draft will be announced to collect public opinions.

It is expected that from May 6, after the Committee is established, the draft will be announced to collect public opinions and will be collected for about a month. The Committee will synthesize and receive opinions from the people and delegates at the session to report to the National Assembly for consideration and approval of the resolution no later than June 26, as a legal basis for the National Assembly to consider and approve laws related to the organization of the apparatus and two-level local government.

In this public consultation, the Government proposed that in addition to the traditional form of organizing consultation, it is possible to apply the form of participating in consultation and collecting opinions through the VNeID app...

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ky-hop-thu-9-cua-quoc-hoi-ve-lai-ban-do-dinh-hinh-tuong-lai-20250505080653496.htm