Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra speaks at the NA's meeting (photo: quochoi.vn)

Democracy is the essence of the socialist regime and the goal and driving force of the country's development. In each revolutionary period, the Communist Party of Vietnam always attaches importance to promoting democracy in organizing and exercising the political system in order to ensure the people's right to mastery.

Fine-tuning the law on implementing democracy at the grassroots level

During the national renewal period, the Party Politburo’s Directive 30 dated 1998 said promoting the people's right to mastery at the grassroots level is the key to building a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. After nearly 25 years, the political, economic, and social context in Vietnam and the world has changed, posing a need to perfect the law on implementing democracy at the grassroots level.

International integration requires Vietnam to continue to reform its administrative procedures, perfect its legal system, consolidate its political system, and expand and promote democracy, and consolidate independence and self-reliance to maintain political stability and enhance its position in the international arena.

Along with economic growth and improved living standards, people's intellectual level and sense of political responsibility and community responsibility have increased, posing a greater need to ensure democratic rights.

The inevitability of building a law-governed socialist state sets forth requirements for fine-tuning the state apparatus, reforming the state's operation towards perfecting the institution, promoting democracy, ensuring the people's right to mastery, and improving the relationship between the State and society and the relationship between the State, enterprises and people in a harmonious and win-win manner.

NA deputies adopt the Draft Law on Implementation of Democracy at the Grassroots Level (Photo: quochoi.vn)

The National Assembly adopted the draft Law on Implementation of Democracy at the Grassroots Level to meet the requirements of the new development period. Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said the draft law was developed to promote democracy at the grassroots level in order to ensure that state power belongs to the people, while demonstrating the nature of the State of Vietnam as a law-governed socialist state of the people, by the people, for the people and that all State power belongs to the people and the people are the masters of the country.

The draft law also aims to ensure publicity, transparency, and accountability of local governments, agencies, units and businesses in exercising democracy at the grassroots level. It addresses limitations and inadequacies arising in the practice of the current law on the implementation of democracy at the grassroots level.

New contents in the Draft Law on Implementation of Democracy at the Grassroots Level

The Draft Law on Implementation of Democracy at the Grassroots Level comprises 7 chapters and 74 articles stipulating the exercise of democracy in communes, townships, agencies, and businesses, and the responsibility of implementing agencies.

The draft law supplements the principle which says all citizens are equal, non-discriminated in implementing democracy at the grassroots level. It specifies the rights and obligations of citizens, officials, ministries, civil servants, and employees in implementing democracy at the grassroots level. The draft law expands the scope of information publicity at the commune level in line with the Law on Information Access and current legislation, diversifies forms of information disclosure at the commune level; and expands the issues that the people discuss and decide directly. It also covers stipulations concerning people’s initiatives; forms of documents of the residential community, and the revision, replacement, and annulment of resolutions of the residential community.

The Draft Law also covers the delivery of public information in the internal information system and on the office portal, inspection through collecting votes of confidence, and casting votes of confidence for leaders and managers.

The Draft Law specifies the responsibilities for implementing democracy of the communal People's Council and People's Committee, and heads of agencies, units, and employers. It stipulates that the outcomes of the implementation of democracy by agencies is the basis for evaluating the performance of cadres, civil servants, public employees, and Party members. It also stipulates the responsibilities of the Government, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, and the reporting mechanism on the implementation of democracy at the grassroots level. The responsibilities of the People's Committees of provinces and districts are also stipulated in this draft law.

The NA’s adoption of the draft Law on Implementation of Democracy at the Grassroots Level has promptly institutionalized the policy of promoting socialist democracy with the motto "people know, people discuss, people do, people supervise, and people benefit” as stipulated in the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party. It also specifies the people's right to mastery as enshrined in in the 2013 Constitution which will contribute to fine-tuning the law-governed socialist state of Vietnam of the people, by the people and for the people.