The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of life and the NA meeting is a prime example. This is the first time in 70 years that the NA has held its general session online and the Vietnamese NA is the first legislature in the world to do so.
Addressing the opening of the session, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said: “We need to reform the organization of the NA meetings toward flexibility and use technology to cope with the new economic situation.”
During last week’s online meeting, deputies registered for speech and debated online. The registration of speech was recorded by the Presidium’s management system and shown on the screen at the Dien Hong assembly hall in Hanoi. Deputy Chau Quynh Dao of Kien Giang province said: “The registration and debate were transparent, open, timely, and efficient. The transmission line was good and voices were heard clearly.”
The deputies were briefed on the meeting’s agenda by an online app. They could also use the app to access digital libraries and reference documents. Deputy Nguyen Duy Huu of Dak Lak province said: “We’re satisfied with the transmission quality. By meeting online, the National Assembly made a great step forward in using technology.”
NA Secretary General and Head of the NA office Nguyen Hanh Phuc said that as Vietnam moves into the 4th Industrial Revolution, using technology in NA meetings is important: “We’ve been talking much about converting risks into opportunities. This is an opportunity for us to renovate NA activities to save time and money. This is a step closer to Industry 4.0.”