NA ponders role of government in trials
HA NOI (VNS)— National Assembly deputies yesterday expressed concern that a draft regulation allowing the Government to get involved in trial processes infringed on the independence of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and Supreme People's Procuracy (SPP).
The regulation states that the Government has the right to ask the court and the procuracy to reconsider sentences after a trial is completed.
The regulation was included in an amended draft of the Law on the Government's Organisation that was presented to the NA yesterday morning.
"The Government's responsibilities stated in the regulations are actually under the NA Standing Committee, and therefore they should not be brought into the law," said Deputy Nguyen Ba Thuyen of Lam Dong.
The deputies suggested the writers of the draft law reconsider how the Government and the assembly co-operate.
One draft regulation in particular states that the Government can ask the NA to withdraw any law-making projects from the working agenda.
It can also request that the assembly and its standing committee put the projects on hold.
"The draft law needs to be clear on whether projects can be withdrawn from the NA agenda," said deputy Nguyen Van Tuyet.
If the assembly had already include a law project in its working agenda, relevant authorities should carry it out, deputies Tuyet and Thuan Huu of Ba Ria – Vung Tau said.
Lawmakers asked the authorities in charge of developing the draft law to review four draft amendments to be submitted to the NA this session.
They are the Law on the NA's Organisation, the Law on the People's Court's Organisation, the law on the People's Procuracy Organisation and the Law on Local Government's Organisation.
Afternoon session
In the afternoon, NA deputies continued to discuss the organisation of People's Councils at district and ward levels.
Some NA deputies said that local authorities at the province level should include People's Councils and People's Committees, but that district and ward levels should only include People's Committees.
NA Deputy Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam from HCM City said that the People's Council there could not thoroughly monitor pressing issues, while others pointed out that the elimination of People's Councils would reduce costs. Many pointed to the successful pilot elimination of People's Councils at district and ward levels in 10 cities and provinces.
However, others did not want to change the structure of local authorities. NA deputy Chu Son Ha from Ha Noi pointed out that the 10 provinces where the People's Council was eliminated included some areas where the organisation performed well.
Saying that any shortcomings were caused by poor planning and inadequate human resources, he suggested that the organisation be given more legal power so it could operate more effectively.
NA deputies also said that it was necessary to specify which responsibilities fell to local governments and which belonged to the central government, especially in rural areas and islands. — VNS