(VOVWORLD) - The National Assembly over the past 5 years has made fundamental changes in the way deputies meet voters. After meeting them, deputies have conveyed tens of thousands of voter opinions to ministries and sectors so they can promptly address significant problems. As a result, public trust in the leadership of the Party and State has grown and the gap between the National Assembly and the people is narrowing.
 Newly-elected National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (Photo:vov.vn) |
Living up to people’s aspirations
The National Assembly has refined its mode of operations to foster closer ties between voters and deputies. Meetings with voters are held on a regular basis, under various forms which can be periodic, thematic, or online, and can be flexibly adjusted for extraordinary situations like epidemics or natural disasters. Meetings take place in various venues, including remote, mountainous, ethnic areas. Voter meetings have become more consequential as they attracts greater numbers of voters and collect more suggestions from the grassroots. In the 14th National Assembly tenure from 2016 to 2021, these meetings numbered tens of thousands throughout Vietnam, where deputies listened to people’s aspirations in order to better understand their voters.
A wide range of problems have been candidly pointed out by voters, like the slow progress of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway in Hanoi, customized socio-economic development policies for mountainous, ethnic minority areas, electricity price hikes, textbook quality, and child abuse. The voice of the people has reached the National Assembly and the Government.
Le Nam, a voter who lives in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, said, “Issues of public concern we have raised included flood recovery, fire prevention, urban construction, and anti-corruption. All were forwarded to authorities by deputies and received. Many changes have been made.”
Continued reform of voter meeting
Because voters’ suggestions and complaints have been heard and translated into changes in laws and policies, voters now feel more open about expressing their opinions and want more contact with National Assembly deputies. Given people's improving general knowledge and advances in science and technology, deputies must constantly improve themselves to better represent the people.
 Nguyen Lan Dung, a National Assembly deputy from 1997 to 2011 (Photo:vov.vn) |
Nguyen Lan Dung, who was National Assembly deputy from 1997 to 2011, said, “ A deputy must understand the people and not just through voter meetings. He or she must carefully listen to what the people are saying, what difficulties they are facing, and what they want. Every deputy must be conscious of being a representative of the people.”
Newly-elected National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue says a voter meeting must address people’s concerns in a timely manner.
“Deputies must reach out to a larger number of voters and voters of different backgrounds. Their questions must be responded to directly and promptly. Representatives of a city’s departments and branches need to answer voters immediately at the voter meeting. National Assembly deputies very familiar with the localities they represent can give additional comments,” said Mr. Hue.
Relying on people, putting people at the center, and considering people as the root of governance has been improving the National Assembly, making it a more-trusted and powerful agency of Vietnam.