The National Assembly's full-time deputies generally approved of the drafted revision of the 1992 Constitution, especially the leading role of the Party laid out in Article 4 of the constitution.

At a conference in Hanoi on March 13, some deputies added that the article should make clear that the Party and its organisations and members must operate under the framework of the Constitution.

NA's Law Committee Chairman Phan Trung Ly said that Article 4 suited the goals of the people and the leading role of the Party affirmed by the nation's process of construction and protection, as well as the need for reform in leadership.

Deputies also debated parts of the draft related to private ownership, human rights, governmental mechanisms, national election councils and State Audit.

Some deputies said that the Constitution should establish a set of guidelines for organising local governments, both urban and rural.

Deputy Tran Du Lich from Ho Chi Minh City said that the State administration should be arranged into three levels (national level, provincial level and city level) rather than the current four levels.

Many deputies backed the draft's proposal to add three independent constitutional institutions into Article 10.

Deputy Chairman of the NA's National Defence and Security Committee Tran Dinh Nha said that the Constitutional Council will be an essential mechanism for supervising the legislative activities of the National Assembly.

"Some NA laws might contradict the Constitution. In that case, the council will suspend those laws and ask the NA to correct them," said Nha.

He also proposed establishing a National Corruption Prevention Committee under the NA that will take responsibility for serious corruption cases or cases relating to foreign factors.-VNA