In the afternoon of February 6th, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly held a session to discuss and provide opinions on some major issues related to the draft law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Law on the Organization of the National Assembly. Notably, the key point discussed was the restructuring of the specialized agencies under the National Assembly, including reducing the number of committees and changing the names of many units.
Restructuring the National Assembly’s Organizational Structure
According to the report by Chairman of the Legal Committee Hoàng Thanh Tùng, after a review and reorganization process, the number of specialized agencies directly under the National Assembly will include the Ethnic Council and 7 committees, down from the current 9 committees.
Specific Changes
- Reduction of 2 Committees:
- The Foreign Affairs Committee will cease operations, with its responsibilities transferred to the National Defense and Security Committee, the National Assembly Office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- The National Defense – Security Committee will be renamed the National Defense, Security – Foreign Affairs Committee.
Chairman of the Legal Committee Hoàng Thanh Tùng (Photo: Phạm Thắng).
Merger of Committees:
- The Legal Committee and the Judiciary Committee will merge into the Legal – Judiciary Committee.
- The Economic Committee and the Finance – Budget Committee will merge into the Economic – Finance Committee.
- The Social Committee and the Culture – Education Committee will merge into the Culture and Social Committee.
Upgrading Two Subordinate Agencies:
- The Petitions Committee will be upgraded to the Petitions and Oversight Committee.
- The Deputies’ Work Committee will be upgraded to the Deputies’ Work Committee.
The Ethnic Council and the Science, Technology, and Environment Committee will retain their current names.
Session 42 of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on the afternoon of February 6th (Photo: Phạm Thắng).
Regulations on Personnel and Roles of the Agencies
The draft law amending and supplementing certain articles of the Law on the Organization of the National Assembly specifies:
Election Rights:
- The Chairperson of the Ethnic Council and the Chairpersons of the Committees are elected by the National Assembly.
- Deputy Chairpersons and members of the Ethnic Council, as well as Deputy Chairpersons and members of the Committees, are approved by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.
Role of the National Assembly Office:
- The National Assembly Office serves as an administrative body, providing comprehensive advice and support for the National Assembly, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, deputies, and coordinating services for activities of the Ethnic Council and the Committees.
- The Secretary-General of the National Assembly – Head of the National Assembly Office is the head of the office, accountable to the National Assembly and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.
Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nguyễn Khắc Định concluded the content of the session (Photo: Phạm Thắng).
Opinions on the Term “Specialized Agencies”
During discussions, there were suggestions to clearly define in the Law on the Organization of the National Assembly the number and names of the committees to ensure their legal status. Some opinions suggested using the term “agencies of the National Assembly” instead of “specialized agencies of the National Assembly.”
National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn emphasized that the term “specialized” should not be used because these agencies inherently require expertise to fulfill their tasks. Deputy Speaker Nguyễn Khắc Định concluded that the Standing Committee of the National Assembly agreed to maintain the term “agencies of the National Assembly” as per the current law.
Conclusion
Streamlining the machinery and restructuring the agencies of the National Assembly aims to enhance operational efficiency and meet the requirements for legislative innovation. This is a significant step toward building a more professional, transparent, and effective National Assembly. Readers can find more detailed information through the references below.
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