National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has hailed the adoption of the revised Constitution as a political-legal event of historic importance, opening up a new period for national construction and defence.

In a recent news article on the significance of the revised Constitution, the NA Chairman affirmed that the document is an outcome of a meticulous, serious, scientific and democratic working process.

In the spirit of attentively listening, understanding, acquiring and filtering the quintessence of the people’s recommendations, relevant agencies and NA deputies worked enthusiastically to finalise the revised Constitution, which then went through the NA with a high percentage of votes, NA Chairman Hung wrote.

It proved that the Constitution reflects the will and desire of a vast majority of people, is a key factor for the country to enter a new period of comprehensively accelerating national renewal process, construction and defence, boosting all-sided development and international integration, he added.

The document institutionalised more fully and deeply the Party and State’s point of view on enhancing the people’s ownership, upholding socialist democracy and ensuring that all the State powers belong to the people, the NA Chairman said.

This viewpoint is the foundation for the entire revised Constitution, which makes it clear that the origin, nature, objective and the strength of the State’s power lie with the people and belongs to the people who are its supreme subjects, he affirmed.

The Constitution continues to affirm the Communist Party of Vietnam’s leadership over the State and society, which was entrusted by history, recognised by the people and confirmed by the Constitution, Chairman Hung wrote.

He also noted that human rights and citizens’ fundamental rights and duties are appreciated and placed in an important position of the document (Chapter two). This inherits the 1946 Constitution prepared by a compiling committee headed by President Ho Chi Minh himself. This also reflects the new awareness in a more adequate and deeper manner on the institutionalisation of the Party and State’s viewpoint on giving prominence to the human factor, considering the human the subject, the major resource and the objective of development.

The revised Constitution stipulates citizens’ fundamental rights and duties, adding a number of new rights in compliance with international human rights conventions of which Vietnam is a member, he added.

In terms of external relations, the revised Constitution formally announces that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam consistently implements a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development; diversification and multilateralisation of relations, active and proactive international integration and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutually benefits; abiding by the UN Charter and international agreements of which Vietnam is a member; being a reliable friend and partner, a responsible member in the international community, contributing to peace, national independence, democracy and social progress in the world, he further wrote.

Compared to the previous Constitutions, the revised document, on the basis of the 1992 version, includes specific regulations on the validity and procedures for Constitution building and amendment, demonstrating the improvement and development in democracy and law enforcement, he noted.

The amended Constitution comprises 11 chapters and 120 articles (one chapter and 27 articles fewer than the previous version). It will take effect from January 1, 2014.-VNA