Right to question of National Assembly deputies in Vietnam

Right to question of National Assembly deputies in Vietnam (Source: internet)

The right to raise questions of National Assembly deputies under the Constitution of Vietnam

According to the Constitution 2013, National Assembly deputies have the right to raise questions to the President, Chairperson of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, Ministers and other members of the Government, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Procurator General of the Supreme People's Procuracy or State Auditor General.

The questioned persons shall present their answers before the National Assembly at a session of the National Assembly or, when the National Assembly is in recess, at a meeting of the Standing Committee of National Assembly; the National Assembly and the Standing Committee of the National Assembly may, as necessary, allow the questioned persons to submit written answers.

The right to raise questions of the National Assembly deputies under the Law on Organization of the National Assembly of Vietnam

The Law on Organization of the National Assembly 2015 stipulates the right to question the National Assembly deputies as follows:

National Assembly deputy has the right to raise questions to the President, Chairperson of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, ministers and other members of the Government, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court, Procurator General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy and State Auditor General.

The questioned person shall present his/her answers before the National Assembly at a session of the National Assembly or, in the recess of two National Assembly sessions, at a meeting of the Standing Committee of National Assembly; the National Assembly or its Standing Committee may, as necessary, allow the questioned person to give written answers.

A National Assembly deputy who disagrees with the answers has the right to raise questions again at a meeting of the National Assembly or the Standing Committee of the National Assembly or to send written questions to the questioned person.

The National Assembly Standing Committee is responsible for receiving questions from National Assembly deputies to forward them to the questioned and to decide the time limit and form of answering questions; receiving and synthesizing recommendations of National Assembly deputies.

What is interpellation? Procedures for  interpellation at each National Assembly’s session in Vietnam

According to the Law on supervisory activities of the National Assembly and People’s Councils 2015 stipulates:

Interpellation means a supervisory activity in which National Assembly deputies raise questions on matters falling within the responsibilities of the State President, the National Assembly chairperson, the Prime Minister, the Ministers or other members of the Government, the Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court or the Chief Procurator of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, the State Auditor General; or People’s Council deputies raise questions on matters falling within the responsibilities of the President of the People’s Committee, other members of People’s Committee, Chief Justice of People’s Court, Chief Procurator of the People’s Procuracy, Heads of the People’s Committee at the same administrative levels and request them to answer about their responsibility for the issues concerned.

The interpellation at each National Assembly’s session shall be carried out following the procedures below:

- A National Assembly deputy shall provide an interpellation that may be in the form of specific image(s), video(s) or material evidence;

- The interpellated person is obligated to give a direct oral reply which fully covers the interpellation without authorizing to another person to provide the reply. The interpellated person is also required to clarify his/her responsibility, measures and deadlines for remedying limitations and shortcomings (if any);

- If the National Assembly deputy disagrees with the reply, he/she is entitled to provide another interpellation to the in the interpellated person;

- Other persons may be invited to attend the meeting and reply to the interpellation of the National Assembly deputy that relates to the issue(s) under their responsibility.

The time of providing interpellations and replying to interpellations shall comply with the Internal regulations of the National Assembly’s session.

Chau Thanh

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