(VOVworld) – The draft Law on Referendum will be debated for the first time at the 9th session of the 13th National Assembly. The law aims to promote democracy and people’s mastership and diversify direct democracy forms. The draft Law on Referendum specifies the 2013 Constitution and completes Vietnam’s legal system.
Referendum is a direct way for the people to express their thoughts and exercise their rights over important national issues. The National Assembly has assigned the Vietnam Lawyers Association to draft the bill. There remain different opinions on requesting the NA to organize a referendum, referendum scale, the agency or organization holding a referendum, referendum results, and resolving petitions over referendum results.
Referendum enhances democracy and people’s mastership in building a state-governed by law.
The draft Law on Referendum sets out three principles of respecting people’s power, enhancing national unity, and reinforcing social consensus. Nguyen Van Pha, a NA deputy from Nam Dinh province and a member of the Referendum Law Drafting Board, said: “The law stipulates that the local administration will have to ask for people’s opinions before implementing an issue which will have direct impacts on their lives. The draft Law on Referendum is at the national level, not for a locality. We aim to build a law that will further promote democracy and people’s mastership.”
The principle of “people know, people discuss, people do, people monitor” has been widely implemented. The draft law on Referendum will legalize these practices. Nguyen Van Quyen, Chairman of the Vietnam Lawyers Association, said: “When the law comes into force, it will reflect President Ho Chi Minh’s spirit of respecting people and considering people as the root. He aimed to develop people’s rights in deciding national issues.”
Referendum realizes the 2013 Constitution
The institution of referendum was specified in Vietnam’s first Constitution in 1946. Due to different reasons, it has not been implemented. The National Assembly collecting public opinions on the draft Law on Referendum will be an important step in the making of Vietnamese law. In principle referendum has more advantages than other representative democracy forms, but the implementation will be complicated. It’s important to draw lessons and adopt adjustments during the implementation. Bui Thi An, a NA deputy from Ha Noi, said: “The Law on Referendum will have an important position because it derives from the 2013 Constitution. We can take advantage of people’s intellect and consensus.”
167 of 214 nations have laws or regulations authorizing referendums. While Vietnam is accelerating its global integration economically and politically, the Law on Referendum will generate conditions for all people to directly get involved in important national issues.