The Ministry of Justice reported on May 17 that opinions and feedback on draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution had been collected from 18 million people across 63 provinces and cities.

The comments from the public and Government workers included feedback on amendments and supplementary regulations relating to the way Government operates from local administrations to the National Assembly and Supreme People's Court.

Concerning Government operations, most people surveyed proposed a clearly defined legal position for the Government as an executive body, while many also proposed increasing individual responsibilities of the Prime Minister and ministers.

Relating local administration, the feedback showed public opinion favoured comprehensive renewal of local administration with the ethics of self-control and self-responsibility as a focus.

The public also commented on regulations relating to human rights and the basic rights and obligations of people, recommending that human rights and basic rights must be enshrined in the constitution and laws.

Concerning issues relating to the economy, society, culture, education and science and technology, the majority of opinions focused on proposing the completion of regulations on land revocation and compensation in which legal land users must be compensated following the market price in case of land revocation by the State.

Land revocation could only be approved for essential reasons relating to national defence, security or national interest and public interest, most opinions said. Deputy Minister of Justice Hoang The Lien said these recommendations will be taken into consideration by the Committee for Drafting Amendments to the 1992 Constitution and are expected to help improve the quality of the draft amendments.

The draft amendments to the constitution were open for feedback from Vietnamese people from all walks of life, both inside and outside the country, from January 2 to March 31.-VNA