Communist Review - In the state apparatus of Viet Nam, the National Assembly is regarded as the highest representative body of the people - the highest body of state power with constitutional and legislative rights, supreme oversight and decision making on key issues of the country. Since the first general election (in 1946) the National Assembly of Viet Nam has continuously matured and renovated with significant achievements in constitution, legislation, supreme oversight and decision making on key issues, contributing greatly to the overall achievements of the renovation (Doi Moi), elevating its role and position in the international arena, establishing trust, impressions in the hearts of voters and people throughout the country.

In the glorious history of the National Assembly of Viet Nam found the significant role and contribution of deputies as the nucleus of its activities and the component of its institutions. The National Assembly deputies are those who represent the will and aspiration of the people, conveying the message of life, people’s thoughts and wishes to the National Assembly’s agendas. Once laws and policies are rectified, the deputies continue to impart them to people putting them into practice. They serve as a bridge between the people and the National Assembly. They accompany the people in communicating matters of life to the National Assembly’s agendas. It can be said that; accordingly, the quality of the National Assembly deputies plays a decisive role to the effective operation of the National Assembly.

The 14^th National Assembly term (2016-2021) has come to an end. To prepare for the forthcoming 15^th National Assembly tenure, the National Election Council was established to organize elections, direct and guide the election of deputies to the People Council at all levels for the 2021-2026 term in accordance with laws. Accordingly, it is urgent to prepare for the selection and nomination of candidates; voters can select typical candidates with virtue and talent, representing the will and aspiration of the people. The practice of election of deputies to the National Assembly shows that thorough, objective and orderly preparations can lead to the selection of typical, virtuous, talented deputies for the National Assembly. On the contrary, there will be no nominations of deserving candidates with an ill-prepared process, which can lower the prestige and quality of the National Assembly as well as the people’s confidence in the Party and State.

The election of deputies to the 15^th  National Assembly and all-level People Councils in the 2021-2026 tenure will take place in the context that tremendous achievements have been gained after 35 years of renovation process, marking a historic milestone in all aspects of social life. The Doi Moi process has created significant premises enabling Viet Nam to rapidly and sustainably develop towards the goal “a prosperous people, a forceful country, and an equitable, democratic and civilized society”, stepping up to socialism. The struggle against corruption has achieved dramatic results with detected violations being strictly handled. The work of Party construction and rectification, the fight to deter degradation in political ideology, morality, lifestyle, “self-evolution”, and “self-transformation” has been drastically implemented. Those outcomes have brought positive effects contributing to strengthen people’s confidence in the Party and State. However, the world and regional situations continue to be complex and unpredictable; strategic competition between powers, trade and Information Technology wars, territorial sovereignty disputes have fiercely taken place with new instable risks and factors. The situation in South China Sea is not an exception. The struggle to safeguard sovereignty over waters, islands, and territorial integrity of Vietnamese people proves to be difficult, complex and long-lasting. Hostile forces continue to seek ways to oppose the cause of building and safeguarding the Vietnamese Fatherland. The situation, correspondingly, requires that the entire Party, people and army of Viet Nam try its utmost to strive, unite, make full use of opportunities and advantages, surmount hardships and challenges and foster the national rapid and sustainable development. As for the National Assembly, all above advantages, hardships and challenges pose a great mission which is to urgently institutionalize the Party’s guidelines and policies, particularly those of the 13^th Party Congress. This contributes to bringing the Party’s policies and guidelines to life. Simultaneously, the 15^th National Assembly should promptly tackle arising issues in real life such as reviving the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining social orders and safety, strengthening international integration, ensuring national defense and security and territorial sovereignty. The above mentioned missions require the 15^th National Assembly to continue to inherit and bring into play the achievements of the previous National Assembly tenures, particularly the 14^th National Assembly so as to renovate intensively and comprehensively, meet the demands of national development, construct a socialist rule-of-law state and enhance the national status in the international arena.

In the current situation, the key and decisive issue is the selection of personnel and nomination of candidates for the 15^th National Assembly, which enables it to take on missions within its powers in legislative activities, supreme oversight and pivotal decision-making. Preparing and nominating the National Assembly candidates plays a significant and decisive role in the effective operation of the National Assembly. To this end, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp the issues as follows:

Firstly, grasping the Party’s directing viewpoints and policies on cadre work and selection process, nominating the National Assembly candidates.

Preparing candidates running for the National Assembly deputies is a task of great vitality; therefore, it is necessary to fully grasp the Party’s directing viewpoints and policies on cadre work, strictly follow the cadre selection process, heighten the responsibility of party committees and leaders in planning, selecting and nominating the National Assembly candidates. It is also advisory to associate the nomination of the National Assembly candidates with the personnel work for Party congresses, especially at provincial and national levels so as to nominate typical candidates with virtue, morality, talent, firm political willpower and ideology, qualified as prescribed by law. It is simultaneously significant to combine election with building and strengthening the State apparatus organization, meeting the demand and missions of national economic development in the 2021-2026 period. 

Secondly, adhering to the criteria of the National Assembly deputies as prescribed by the Law on Organization of the National Assembly.

The Law on Organization of the National Assembly 2015 (recently amended and supplemented under Law No.65/2020/QH14) specifies the criteria of the National Assembly deputies. Accordingly, deputies are required to ensure such conditions and criteria as being loyal to the Fatherland, the people and the Constitution; striving for the innovation cause for a common goal “a prosperous people and a strong, democratic, equitable and civilized country”; having Vietnamese nationality; displaying great morality, assiduity, thrift, integrity, righteousness, selflessness; strictly obeying the laws; having firm political willpower and resolutely fighting against corruption, wastefulness, bureaucracy, arrogance, authoritarianism and other legal violations; being well-educated with capability, health, work experience and prestige to fulfill the National Assembly deputies’ missions; listening to the people’s aspirations, winning the people’s confidence and being qualified to engage in the National Assembly’s activities. Therefore, the selection and nomination of the National Assembly candidates must base on the criteria of deputies of the National Assembly.

Thirdly, the National Assembly is the highest representative organ of the people; therefore, it is necessary to ensure its representative structure, but the relationship between structure and quality should be harmoniously handled.

In reality, structure is seen as one of fundamental attributes in the National Assembly because guaranteeing structure plays an proactive part in ensuring representativeness. It is of vital importance to properly handle the relationship between structure and quality in the selection and nomination of candidates while inheritance, renovation and development features are promoted. The National Assembly is the representative body of the people; correspondingly, there must be representatives from all walks of life and social strata, representing various regions, peoples, religions, genders, industries, professions and ages. However, highlighting structure does not equal lowering standard and quality since there is no contradiction between the two elements. What important is the quality of each structural component in the National Assembly. To do this, it is essential to thoroughly grasp specific criteria, moral standards, qualifications, professional capacity for each structured position to serve as the basis of the selection and nomination of candidates representing in the National Assembly.

Fourthly, ensuring the people’s ownership, the inspection and supervision of the people as well as the Viet Nam Fartherland Front and other socio-political organizations in preparing and nominating candidates, guaranteeing publicity and transparency while respecting and listening to the people’s aspirations.

The National Assembly deputies are the representatives of the people. Accordingly, the people always play a central role in all electoral stages and processes. Relying on the people, listening to people’s aspirations to build a contingent of cadres, selecting nominees for leadership positions in the political system at all levels and nominating the candidates for the National Assembly and the all-level People Councils serve as a traditional principle throughout the cadre work of the Vietnamese Communist Party. In conditions of constantly bringing into play democracy, the role of classes of people in the Party’s cadre work is of more significant importance than ever. Consequently, all-level party committees, heads of agencies and organizations, while nominating candidates for the National Assembly, must be in close touch with and consult the people about each specific candidate so as to encourage the talented and virtuous to participate in handling national affairs and eliminate those who are unworthy and untrustworthy by the people from the state apparatus.

The Viet Nam Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations at all levels must be the bridge connecting the Party and the people in personnel work, the ears, the eyes of the people, supervising the preparation in order to excellently conduct negotiations, selecting  and nominating qualified candidates for the National Assembly and the People Councils at all levels. For that reason, authorized agencies have to create favorable conditions for the Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations to truly engage in the preparation of candidates. It is also required that the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations be responsible, thoroughly grasp the people’s opinions, promptly report to authorized agencies in preparing and nominating candidates for the National Assembly and the People Councils at all levels.  

Fifthly, investigating and inheriting lessons drawn from the previous elections of the National Assembly deputies and  People Councils’ delegates, particularly experience in preparing candidates for the 14^th National Assembly and personnel work in the all-level recent Party congresses so as to better the nomination of candidates for the 15^th National Assembly and the all-level People Councils in the term 2021-2026.

The election work in the recent terms shows that the elections have been basically held in accordance with the law, guaranteeing safety, democracy and thrift; the representativeness has been ensured, reflecting through the number, structure, component of candidates and elected deputies; the delegates’ quality has been improved; voters have selected typical delegates, deserving to be the National Assembly deputies. The success of the election is the premise for the National Assembly to excellently perform its functions and tasks in legislative activities, supreme oversight and decision making on important issues over the past few years.

Nevertheless, the election of the National Assembly deputies in general and the preparation of candidates to nominate for the National Assembly in particular still remain a number of shortcomings. Those are: for some structured positions, the number of distributed delegates did not reach the original plan; less than 500 deputies elected⁽¹⁾; the proportion of full-time National Assembly deputies and female deputies was lower than that planned before⁽²⁾. Also, the verification of voters’ profiles and the collection of voters’ opinions were still done as a formality in places, which led to the fact that unqualified candidates were selected. Eliminating self-nominated candidates to the National Assembly deputies off the list, who are trusted by voters at their localities or workplaces in the third consultation, has not won complete public consensus. As a result, there were candidates who won the election but then regarded unqualified and not recognized as the National Assembly deputies by the National Election Council⁽³⁾. In the selection and consultation to nominate candidates for the National Assembly, there have still been a number of opportunistic, corrupted, intentionally illegal, irresponsible delegates, some of whom have later been criminally punished or disciplined by the Party, negatively affecting the Party prestige and the people’s confidence. These are not only shortcomings but also valuable lessons for the forthcoming election. All in all, it is essential to promote strengths and successes and surmount shortcomings and weaknesses with a view to make good preparations for the election.

The upcoming 10^th session of the 14^th National Assembly will decide on the election day of the National Assembly deputies, all-level People Councils’ delegates in accordance with the Law on Election of the National Assembly deputies and People Councils’ delegates (or Election Law for short). Because of time limitation, authorized agencies carrying out election work, particularly personnel work should focus on the following:

Firstly, thoroughly grasping the criteria of the National Assembly for each title, deputy structure in order to select, nominate the distinguished, virtuous and talented for the 15^th National Assembly.

The 15^th National Assembly continues to be a strongly renovated National Assembly regarding organization and operation, effectively implement the motto: “Solidarity, renovation, creativity, action for the sake of the people”. Accordingly, the 15^th National Assembly deputies will represent the new height of development with adequate quality, capacity to effectively fulfill their functions, tasks and responsibilities as the highest representative body of the people, the highest body of the State power in the new development context. In order to establish a National Assembly structure on par with its tasks, it is necessary to apply the general criteria of the National Assembly deputies to each specific deputy structure.

When considering the qualifications of the National Assembly deputies, it is essential to harmonize the criteria of political willpower, morality and capacity among the deputies. Especially, as for the National Assembly candidates who are cadres and party members, when considering political, ideological and ethical standards, it is necessary for them to be assessed up on whether they show 9 manifestations of degradation in political ideology, 9 expressions of “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” internally, 9 signs of ethics and lifestyle identified in the Resolution of the 4^th Central Conference, Tenure 12 or not. On that basis, only cadres and party members without any manifestations among 27 ones are selected and nominated. Those with degradation, degeneration, self-transformation are to be excluded.

For those who are not cadres and party members, when considering appropriate criteria for each specific individual, it is essential to attach importance to factors such as ideology, morality, lifestyle, dignity, responsibility, dedication and devotion for the sake of the people and the country.  Criteria regarding professional competence such as education, expertise, health, work experience and prestige should be specified and quantified for specific positions in the structure of the National Assembly, on which basis qualified, capable and experienced candidates are selected and nominated to involve in policy planning, law making and decision making on key national issues. These criteria need paying special attention to when selecting and nominating candidates for the full-time National Assembly positions at both central and local levels.

Secondly, ensuring the quality and structure proportion of representatives in the official list of the National Assembly candidates.

As for deputies who are ethnic minorities: striving to achieve the rate as prescribed in the Election Law in which there must be at least 18% of the National Assembly candidates on the official list who are ethnic minorities. Viet Nam has 54 ethnic minorities, many of whom express a strong desire to have their representatives in the National Assembly. However, due to the limited number of the National Assembly deputies, there has rarely full representation of 54 ethnic minorities in the National Assembly structure in each tenure. The question is how to achieve and exceed the proportion of the National Assembly deputies who are ethnic minorities in order that they have rotating representatives in the National Assembly. To this end, it is essential to review and create favorable conditions for ethnic minorities who are not represented in previous tenures of the National Assembly to stand a chance of nominating their distinguished representatives for the 15^th National Assembly.

As for the structure of female deputies: thoroughly grasping all the provisions on gender equality in the structures, organizations of the apparatus in general, in the candidate structure of the National Assembly in particular, ensuring that at least 35% of the candidates on the official list are females. In the structure of deputies to the National Assembly in previous tenures, the proportion of female deputies has not yet met the provisions of the Election Law though the ratio of female candidates on the official list in some localities met and exceeded the minimum requirements of the Election Law. There might be a number of reasons why an appropriate rate of female deputies to the National Assembly is not guaranteed; yet, it is basically due to the quality of preparation and nomination of women to run for the National Assembly deputies. Vietnamese women have the tradition of being “heroic, indomitable, faithful, humane and responsible”, and there have always been talented, virtuous, capable, knowledgeable and qualified women, together with men, taking on the country and people’s affairs.

For this reason, it is necessary to pay special attention to, seek for, and detect female talents in all walks of life, professions, industries and work fields so as to foster, train, challenge and prepare personnel to nominate for leadership and office management positions in agencies, organizations of the political system as well as the National Assembly deputies.  In order to make good preparations of the female personnel to be nominated as the National Assembly deputies, it is vital to reject all the gender stereotypes with respect and enhancement of women’s roles, staying fair, objective and truly equal. Authorized agencies, organizations have to create favorable conditions and uphold the roles, responsibilities of women and women’s unions in detecting, selecting and nominating representatives as the National Assembly deputies. This is the key factor to achieve the goal of gender equality in the National Assembly’s organization and operation.

The proportion of representatives according to the structure of young delegates, religions, industries, sectors and business communities in the total number of the National Assembly deputies is of great importance, ensuring the National Assembly’s representativeness. Accordingly, it is essential to base on the general criteria of the National Assembly deputies in preparation and nomination of its candidates according to the structure of representatives and appropriately apply to each specific individual with a view to either guarantee the quality of the National Assembly deputies or harmonize the proportion of delegates in each representative structure.

Thirdly, well preparing personnel sources to nominate as the full-time National Assembly deputies, 8^th tenure.

The Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Organization of National Assembly has recently been ratified at the 9^th session of 14^th the National Assembly, increasing the proportion of the full-time National Assembly deputies by at least 40% the total number of its deputies. This is an important supplement and amendment to further strengthen the effectiveness and capacity of the National Assembly in legislative activities, supreme oversight and decision making on key issues of the country, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new phase. Thus, the preparation of personnel to nominate as the 15^th full-time National Assembly deputies needs close attention, clear direction and detailed implementation.

Apart from the criteria of the National Assembly deputies prescribed in Article 22 of the Law on Organization of the National Assembly, the chosen candidates standing for the full-time National Assembly deputies need to meet the following criteria: having university degrees, analytical and policy-making capacity, organization skills, expertise and hands-on experience in accordance with the expected positions; owning firm ideology and political stance; being responsible in the National Assembly’s operation;  being through positions of directors and equivalence, Directors of Departments, branches or higher and being already planned as the full-time National Assembly deputy. Also, the age limit for candidacy for the full-time National Assembly deputies complies with the provisions of Politburo’s Directive No.35-CT/TW on May 30^th, 2019 and Central Organizing Committee’s Guideline No.26-HD/BCHTW on October, 18^th, 2019.

So as to achieve the goal of increasing the proportion of the full-time National Assembly deputies  by at least 40% of the total number of its deputies, it is necessary to proactively and urgently do the planning of the full-time National Assembly deputies, review and reconsider the planned candidates, promptly remove from the list those who are no longer eligible, discover and supplementarily nominate the qualified for the planning list to ensure the quality of planning resources and actively recommend specific personnel as full-time deputies to the 15^th National Assembly.

As for those nominated for the full-time National Assembly deputies for the first time, young and qualified cadres should be selected so that they can engage in many tenures of the National Assembly aiming at improving the professionalism of the National Assembly deputies. The full-time deputies of the 14^th National Assembly who are qualified for re-election need to be comprehensively assessed regarding such aspects as their performance as full-time National Assembly deputies, political qualities, capacity, expertise, confidence among voters. This important issue needs further study to seek for appropriate solutions so as to honor the full-time National Assembly deputies who performed their excellent duties in past tenures, further strengthening voters’ confidence. Through assessment, adequate consideration is required in order not to nominate the full-time National Assembly deputies who do not demonstrate their competence and prestige during their term of office for re-election despite their age falling within range in accordance with the provisions of the Election Law.

Fourthly, bringing into play, upholding responsibility in the selection and nomination of candidates to stand for the 15^th National Assembly deputies.

The selection and nomination of candidates for the National Assembly is a vital mission, a decisive factor in the success of the election of the National Assembly deputies. Consequently, managing to excellently implement personnel work, guarantee democracy promotion and centralized leadership of the Party in the cadre work ought to be one of the key missions by the party committees, central and local governments from now to the election day.

Party committees should continue to lead and direct the review and supplementation of the National Assembly deputies’ planning under their respective scope and responsibility; concentrate on assessing the nominees in accordance with the prescribed process and procedures, ensuring the objectivity and comprehensiveness. Party committees, particularly leaders, should directly hold responsibility for the selection, nomination of candidates for the National Assembly, organize consultations and recommend nominees for the National Assembly and all-level People Councils, promoting the people’s mastery in election work and facilitating the full exercise of their rights for self-nomination and election in accordance with the laws.

Thoroughly grasping the motto relying on the people, bringing into play their roles in cadre work, party committees, authorities and the Viet Nam Fatherland Front  should base on the provisions of the Election Law, concentrate on directing and deploying effectively voters’ conferences to nominate     candidates for the National Assembly. Voters’ conferences should attract a great number of voters, creating a democratic environment for voters to frankly make comments and assessment for expected candidates, ensuring that each meeting is really a democratic activity of the voters. Their comments and judgments should be fully, objectively and precisely reflected, learned from and comprehensively considered when nominating candidates standing for the National Assembly deputies.

Consultation conferences to nominate candidates as the National Assembly deputies at central and local levels should be closely directed and organized, guaranteeing democracy in conformity with the law. The quality and effectiveness of the consultation conferences have a huge impact on the preparation and nomination of candidates for the National Assembly. Each consultation step is done cautiously to review and screen cadres, reassess the preparation and nomination quality for candidates running for the National Assembly deputies. Therefore, there must be close direction and leadership from the party committees; simultaneously, the responsibility, initiative and creativity of the Fatherland Front and its member organizations should also be upheld.

The citizens’ rights to stand for election is a constitutional one prescribed in the Election Law. Hence, it is essential to conduct further research into self-nomination provisions, which can either ensure closeness in accordance with the prescriptions of the Constitution and law or facilitate citizens in exercising their rights to run for election. However, self-nominated National Assembly deputies have to fully meet the criteria of the National Assembly delegates, have high aspirations to devote for the national sustainable development cause, make huge contributions to the cause of renovation, acquire immense prestige and win voters’ confidence. The election campaign has to be fairly and equally run by the National Assembly candidates.

The practice of election in previous tenures has shown that those who ran for candidacy were unequal in terms of qualifications and capacity. Therefore, in order to improve the overall quality of the National Assembly and People Councils’ deputies, it is required to intensify the leadership and direction of the all-level party committees and organizations in personnel preparation. It is also imperative to enhance the supervision of the National Election Council, Committee of Election in considering and distributing candidates to constituencies on the basis of quantity, structure, and composition of delegates, guaranteeing the fairness and equality among candidates.

In the process of preparation, nomination of candidates to stand for the National Assembly deputies, special attention should be paid to the settlement of complaints and denunciations relevant to nominated candidates. The settlement of complaints and denunciations must strictly comply with the provisions of the Law on Complaints, Law on Denunciations and Law on Election, promptly making fair and objective conclusions to remove unqualified candidates from the list, safeguarding the honor and prestige of victims of false complaints and denunciations, strictly handling all the acts of abusing complaints and denunciation rights to smear, slander others as well as distort the truth, causing difficulties for the electoral work. Becoming a National Assembly deputy is of great honour but accompanied by great responsibility, requiring each candidate to strive, train and serve as a bright example to win voters’ confidence. They will be the people’s delegates supervised by the people right after being nominated. Thus, they have to demonstrate their political qualities, morality, lifestyle, loyalty, aspirations, dignity and capacity to be trusted and selected by voters.

In order to successfully organize the election of deputies to the National Assembly in May, 2021, it is required to strictly implement the process of nomination and selection to truly elect the National Assembly deputies who deserve to represent the people’s will-power, aspiration and ownership, to guarantee that all criteria, quantities and structure requirements are met. Striving to elect enough 500 deputies and achieve the proportion of the full-time National Assembly deputies in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Organization of the National Assembly which has been amended and supplemented at the ninth session of the 14^th National Assembly./.

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(1) In the election of the deputies to the 14^th National Assembly, there were 496 deputies elect with a shortage of 4 deputies compared to the total number of deputies elect: 1 in Soc Trang, 1 in Dong Nai, 1 in Son La and 1 in Lam Dong

This article was published in the Communist Review, No. 950 (September 2020)