In her commemorative speech, current NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan praised him as a fervent patriot, a competent leader, a well-versed man of culture, a close associate of President Ho Chi Minh and a talented son of Hanoi.
He was elected to the first National Assembly of the new Vietnam in January 1946 and was later named Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
One of his major contributions was leading the National Assembly to formulate and adopt the first constitution of Vietnam, the 1946 Constitution, in which national independence and the people’s happiness were enshrined.
As head of the parliament, he and the NA Standing Committee strongly advocated the government’s foreign strategy of reconciliation with the French in order to expulse Chiang Kai-shek’s troops.
Chairwoman Ngan stated that Nguyen Van To had devoted his entire life to the cause of illuminating the people and liberating the nation.
She added that he was a bright example of thriftiness, modesty and a simple way of life with no regard for personal wealth and fame.
Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Nguyen Lan Dung, a long-time NA member, said that the anniversary was an occasion to remember a respected scholar, a patriot whose whole life was dedicated to serving the nation.
On the occasion, the National Assembly Office also held an exhibition featuring valuable materials from the life and career of Nguyen Van To.
