Matters on Which the People Provide Opinions Before Competent Authorities Make Decisions
What Contents Do the People Participate in Before the Competent Authorities Decide?
Based on Article 25 of the 2022 Law on Grassroots Democracy Implementation, the contents on which the People give their opinions before the competent authorities decide include:
[1] Draft plans for socio-economic development at the commune level; plans for the transformation of economic structures and production structures; proposals for fixed cultivation and settlement, new economic zones, and plans for the development of sectors and occupations at the commune level.
[2] Draft land use planning at district level and adjustment plans; management and use of land funds allocated to the Commune People's Committee.
[3] Investment and construction policies, land policies, waste treatment and environmental protection, compensation, site clearance, and relocation and resettlement plans for the decision of public investment in national important projects, Group A projects, projects with large-scale relocation and resettlement, projects with potential negative impacts on the environment, and projects directly affecting the socio-economic life of the community at the project site.
[4] Draft proposals for the establishment, dissolution, merger, division, and adjustment of administrative boundary units; naming and renaming of administrative units; and drafting proposals for the establishment, dissolution, merger, division, and naming and renaming of villages and residential groups, and the merging of residential clusters.
[5] Draft administrative decisions of the Commune People's Committee related to community interests, including decisions to issue or approve programs, plans, projects, and proposals impacting the environment, public health, social order and safety, and other issues affecting the community.
[6] Draft planning tasks and general construction plans, draft planning tasks and subdivision plans, detailed construction plans, and general construction plans for communes, and rural residential points construction plans.
[7] Draft regulations on grassroots democracy implementation in communes, wards, and commune-level towns; draft regulations on the implementation of democracy in specific fields and activities in communes, wards, and commune-level towns (if any).
[8] Draft administrative decisions that establish obligations or terminate or restrict the rights and interests of citizens in the commune.
[9] Other contents as prescribed by law, regulations on the implementation of democracy in communes, wards, and commune-level towns, requirements of competent state agencies, or the commune government sees fit to collect opinions.
What Contents Do the People Participate in Before the Competent Authorities Decide? (Image from the Internet)
How Are People's Opinions Collected?
Based on Article 26 of the 2022 Law on Grassroots Democracy Implementation, the forms in which the People participate in giving their opinions are stipulated as follows:
Article 26. Forms of People's Participation in Giving Opinions
- Forms of collecting People's opinions include:
a) Conferences for exchange and dialogue between the Commune People's Committee and the People;
b) Organizing community resident meetings;
c) Distributing opinion collection forms to households;
d) Through suggestion boxes, hotlines (if any);
e) Through the Grassroots Front Committee at the village, residential group, and local socio-political organizations;
f) Through the commune-level electronic information portal, the webpage of the local government;
[...]Thus, People's opinions are collected through the following forms:
- Conferences for exchange and dialogue between the Commune People's Committee and the People
- Organizing community resident meetings
- Distributing opinion collection forms to households
- Through suggestion boxes, hotlines (if any)
- Through the Grassroots Front Committee at the village, residential group, and local socio-political organizations
- Through the commune-level electronic information portal, the webpage of the local government
- Through lawful telecommunication networks and social networks, ensuring suitability with the level of information technology application at the commune, village, and residential group levels
- Organizing dialogues to collect opinions from citizens who are the subjects of implementation for draft administrative decisions that establish obligations or terminate or restrict the rights and interests of citizens at the commune level
What Principles Govern the Implementation of Democracy at the Grassroots Level?
Based on Article 3 of the 2022 Law on Grassroots Democracy Implementation, the principles governing the implementation of democracy at the grassroots level are as follows:
- Ensuring the rights of citizens, officials and public employees, and laborers to be informed, to participate in giving opinions, deciding, and monitoring the implementation of democracy at the grassroots level.
- Ensuring the leadership of the Communist Party, the management of the State, the core role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and local socio-political organizations in the implementation of democracy at the grassroots level.
- Implementing democracy at the grassroots level within the framework of the Constitution and laws; ensuring order and discipline, not obstructing the normal activities of commune-level local governments, agencies, units, and organizations that employ labor.
- Protecting the interests of the State and the legal rights and interests of organizations and individuals.
- Ensuring transparency, fostering accountability in the process of implementing democracy at the grassroots level.
- Respecting the People’s opinions, promptly addressing their proposals and feedback.
