General Secretary To Lam and other Party and State leaders with delegates attending the closing ceremony of the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly . Photo: Doan Tan/TTXVN
The Sixth National Assembly – the National Assembly of a unified Vietnam – was established, marking a momentous turning point in the nation's constitutional and legislative history. The first session of the Sixth National Assembly decided to rename the country the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, determined the national flag, national emblem, national anthem, and capital city, and elected the highest leadership bodies of the State. With these historic decisions, the National Assembly officially formalized the reunification of the country, ushering in a new era of nationwide progress towards socialism.
The 1980 Constitution was adopted, becoming the constitution of the transitional period, shaping the political and legal system in the initial stage of the country's transition to socialism. Along with it, a series of fundamental laws such as the 1985 Penal Code, the 1986 Marriage and Family Law, and laws on the organization of the state apparatus were promulgated, laying an important legal foundation for the operation of a unified nation.
However, after the war, the country's economy faced many difficulties due to both objective and subjective reasons: the prolonged centralized, bureaucratic, and subsidized management mechanism revealed many limitations and inadequacies; the fighting to defend the national borders at both ends of the country continued, along with fulfilling international obligations to help the Cambodian people escape the genocide; Vietnam fell into a state of encirclement, embargo, and isolation, and the lives of the people faced many difficulties... The 6th and 7th National Assemblies focused on thoroughly discussing, approving, and passing many important decisions on economic, social, security, and defense development plans, while closely monitoring their implementation, frankly pointing out inadequacies, limitations, and weaknesses in the economic management mechanism and demanding adjustments. It was from this point that the first signs of reform emerged, opening a new historical period for the country.
In December 1986, the Sixth National Congress of the Party took place, initiating the comprehensive national reform process. Based on the ideology of "putting the people first," and implementing the motto "the people know, the people discuss, the people do, the people supervise," the National Assembly quickly institutionalized the reform guidelines, becoming the center of the process of building institutions, laws, and development policies. The Eighth National Assembly, elected in 1987, made history by adopting the 1992 Constitution – the Constitution of the reform period – creating a legal framework for a multi-sector economy operating under a socialist-oriented market mechanism, expanding democracy, promoting the people's right to self-governance, and accelerating international integration.
From the 9th to the 14th National Assembly, the legislative activities of the National Assembly were more vibrant and comprehensive than ever before. Hundreds of laws and codes were promulgated, covering all areas of social life from politics, economics, culture, and society to security, defense, foreign affairs, and science and technology. Important laws such as the Civil Code, the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Enterprise Law, the Investment Law, the Commercial Law, the Competition Law, the Intellectual Property Law, the Anti-Corruption Law, the Law on Credit Institutions, and the 2012 Vietnamese Maritime Law... were successively enacted, reflecting new legal thinking, creating a transparent and equal legal framework for all economic sectors, unleashing productive forces, promoting innovation, and unlocking all resources for development.
Along with legislation, the National Assembly has significantly reformed its oversight activities. From lively and public questioning sessions to votes of confidence for those holding positions elected or approved by the National Assembly, from thematic oversight to on-site inspections at the local level – all have made oversight more substantive and effective. The National Assembly not only identifies shortcomings and weaknesses but also makes many relevant recommendations, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, while strengthening the people's trust.
In terms of deciding on important national issues, the National Assembly has passed many resolutions on five-year and annual socio-economic development plans; ratified the Land Border Treaty between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China (December 1999); ratified the Agreement between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China on the delimitation of the territorial sea, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the two countries in the Gulf of Tonkin (June 2004); decided to shorten the term of the 12th National Assembly by one year; decided on the investment policy for key national projects of strategic significance such as the Son La Hydropower Plant, the Lai Chau Hydropower Plant, the Ho Chi Minh Highway, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Gas-Electricity-Fertilizer Complex...
These policies not only promote industrialization and modernization but also contribute to changing the face of the country, improving people's lives, and ensuring national energy security.
In particular, the 13th National Assembly adopted the 2013 Constitution – a Constitution that comprehensively institutionalized the Party's reform policies, inheriting and developing the core values of previous Constitutions. The 2013 Constitution more clearly affirms the principle of unified state power, with a division of labor, coordination, and control among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, while upholding human rights and citizens' rights, expanding democracy, and enhancing the position and responsibility of the National Assembly in the political system.
During the years 2016-2021, the 14th National Assembly continued to affirm its resilience and adaptability in the face of unpredictable changes in the international and domestic situations. Besides perfecting the legal system and closely supervising the activities of the Government and state agencies, the National Assembly also proactively made many timely decisions to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the dual goal of both preventing and controlling the disease while maintaining, restoring, and developing socio-economic activities.
The 14th National Assembly truly demonstrated its role as the highest representative body of the people and the highest organ of state power, accompanying the entire nation through a challenging period. Simultaneously, parliamentary diplomacy expanded, becoming a pillar in the country's foreign policy. The Vietnamese National Assembly proactively and actively participated in many regional and international parliamentary forums, successfully hosting major international conferences, thereby enhancing the role and position of the Vietnamese National Assembly and contributing to the country's deep and comprehensive international integration process.
Looking back from 1976 to 2021, it can be affirmed that the Vietnamese National Assembly has always been a companion to the nation during historical turning points. From the unification of the country at the state level, building the legal foundation of the socialist regime, to leading the reform process, promoting industrialization, modernization, and international integration, the National Assembly has truly been the embodiment of national unity, a symbol of democracy, the center of the political system, and the place where the will and aspirations of the people converge.
With its achievements, the Vietnamese National Assembly has not only excellently fulfilled its responsibilities in constitutional drafting, legislation, supreme oversight, and making decisions on important national issues, but has also contributed to affirming Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena. These milestones will forever be a solid foundation for the country to continue entering a new era of development – an era of strong progress for the Vietnamese nation in the 21st century.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/chinh-polit/quoc-hoi-voi-cong-cuoc-doi-moi-day-manh-cong-nghiep-hoa-hien-dai-hoa-dat-nuoc-va-hoi-nhap-quoc-te-20260219072224568.htm
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