Hanoi (VNA) 𒐪– The reform of the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels towards higher standards was among voters’ proposals included in a report delivered by the head of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee during the first session of the 14th National Assembly on July 20.

Voters nationwide voiced their hope that deputies elected to the NA and People’s Councils will fully realise the action plans and promises they made, suggesting that a mechanism should be put in place to empower the VFF to monitor the work. The deputies should perform their duty as representatives of the people by honestly and fully coveying voters’ ideas, requests and aspirations to the NA and State agencies, they said. Lauding the 13th NA’s efforts in building and approving the 2013 Constitution as well as its reform through organising question-and-answer sessions, voters also pointed to the shortcoming of the previous NA, including the loose coordination in writing law that led to mistakes in some legal documents. They also urged the NA, Government and judicial agencies to continue speeding up measures to prevent and combat corruption. Voters and citizens expressed their concern and anger at China’s illegal reclamation and construction of works and deployment of armed forces in islands and reefs belonging to Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, together with violent acts against Vietnamese fishermen. These actions have caused instability in the region, threatening the freedom of navigation in the East Sea and violating the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea signed by ASEAN and China , they noted. They expressed hope that the Party and State will continue rolling out resolute and effective measures to safeguard the national sovereignty over seas and islands in a peaceful manner. At the same time, voters voiced their concern over the serious environmental pollution and depleted natural resources due to industrial production, mining and the operation of trade villages, which affect the sustainable development of the country and future generations. They lauded the Government’s efforts in investigating the reasons for mass fish deaths along the coasts of four central provinces and in handling Formosa Ha Tinh for causing the unprecedented environmental incident. They urged the Government and local administrations to seek measures to deal with short-term and long-term consequences of the incident, while supervising Formosa Ha Tinh in fully realising their commitments. The voters also requested support from the Government in implementing measures to minimise climate change impacts. Meanwhile, food safety was also among the concerns of voters who voiced their hope for urgent solutions to bring about basic changes in awareness and social responsibility of agricultural and food producers and traders in the field. Also, they highlighted the need to enhance the quality of higher and post-graduate education, as well as the creation of jobs for college and university graduates, together with better health care services. Voters in some localities also raised objections to high road tolls. During the first NA session, VFF Central Committee President Nguyen Thien Nhan also proposed some solutions to specific problems raised by voters.-VNA