Competent authorities have approved in principle the convening of an extraordinary session of the National Assembly (NA) in August, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man announced on June 23.
Delivering closing remarks at the third session of the NA Standing Committee, the top legislator said the committee had adopted one ordinance and five resolutions while giving opinions on two other matters within its authority.
He noted that from now until the end of the year, the workload facing the NA, its Standing Committee, the Government, and relevant agencies will be substantial, particularly legislative tasks and preparations for upcoming sessions.
According to the NA Chairman, only a little over one month remains for preparations for the extraordinary session, while the Government has proposed 20 items for the legislature’s consideration and approval, including 17 draft laws and normative resolutions, along with three other important issues.
In addition, based on conclusions made by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam at a recent meeting of the Central Steering Committee for institutional perfection and law enforcement, the NA is expected to consider for the first time four major draft laws, namely the revised Land Law, the consolidated State Budget Law based on the mergence of the current State Budget Law and Public Investment Law, the revised Criminal Procedure Code, and the revised Penal Code.
As a result, a total of 24 items are expected to be submitted to the extraordinary session.
The NA Chairman urged submitting agencies and NA bodies to accelerate preparations, strengthen coordination, and complete dossiers and supporting documents in accordance with regulations. All draft laws and normative resolutions must be submitted to the NA Standing Committee for review and comments before July 20, he said.
He stressed that legislative quality must take precedence over quantity.
“Quality must be placed above all else. We must not pursue quantity for the sake of achievements, nor allow hasty preparations, incomplete dossiers, immature or unclear content, low feasibility, or shortcomings that emerge immediately after promulgation,” he said.
The top legislator also requested NA agencies to clearly state whether submitted items meet the required conditions when commenting on proposed agendas. Any item failing to meet deadlines, quality requirements, or dossier standards should be proposed for removal from the agenda, he added.
He further urged agencies to complete detailed regulations and implementation guidelines for laws and resolutions adopted at previous NA sessions, stressing the need to end situations in which laws take effect before guiding documents are issued or with inconsistent regulations.
According to the NA Chairman, besides legislative work, numerous important supervisory and parliamentary diplomacy tasks remain through the end of the year, including the organisation of a legal forum and another on supervisory activities in the third quarter.
He called on NA agencies, the Government, and relevant bodies to closely follow their work programmes, strengthen coordination, and ensure the effective implementation of assigned tasks. He also encouraged greater application of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in lawmaking, supervision, and decision-making on major national issues.
