wie strong political reforms drive the need for Vietnam to modify its Constitution immediately, and a comprehensive overview of the revision process
Vietnam's Constitutional Overhaul: What You Need to Know
Hà Nội - Vietnam is embarking on a major constitutional overhaul to implement comprehensive administrative reforms, such as reducing the number of provinces, scrapping district-level governments, and reorganizing the Fatherland Front (VFF), a significant political umbrella organization. Let's dive into the details and understand why this matters.
The Proposed Transformations
Vietnam's existing administrative system consists of three levels: provinces, districts, and communes. The upcoming constitutional amendments will focus on the following major changes, affecting eight of the Constitution's 120 articles:
- Consolidation of provinces: The current number of 63 provinces and centrally governed cities is set to be reduced to 34 through mergers. This move aims to eliminate duplicate administrative tasks, pool resources, and boost economic scale.
- Elimination of district-level governments: The proposal envisions getting rid of the entire district tier, meaning no more districts, towns, or provincial cities. Instead, provinces would manage communes directly, setting up a two-tier administrative system.
- Reconfiguration of the Fatherland Front (VFF): The VFF, an essential political institution, will undergo structural reforms. The aim is to realign its functions, organization, and constitutional definition with the new administrative structure.
NA Vice Chairman Nguyễn Khác Định remarked on May 5 that the existing three-tier government structure has become cumbersome and wasteful, failing to harness digital technologies to enhance public service delivery.
The Reason behind the Change
To carry out these reforms, the current Constitution, passed in 2013, needs to be amended. The Constitution specifies the country's three-tier administrative structure in Article 110, listing provinces, districts, and communes as official administrative units.
Therefore, eliminating the district level directly violates the Constitution, necessitating a formal amendment. Similarly, Article 9 explicitly recognizes the VFF as the "political base of the people's power," with responsibilities including national solidarity, supervision, and social feedback. Any redefinition of its status, functions, or structure mandates constitutional revision.
In contrast, provincial mergers do not require constitutional changes because the Constitution does not specify the number or names of provinces, allowing them to be modified via ordinary legislative processes.
The Amendment Procedure
Vietnam's constitutional amendment process, outlined in Article 120 of the 2013 Constitution and detailed in the Law on Organisation of the National Assembly, includes the following key stages:
- Proposal Initiation: The draft amendments can be proposed by the President, the NA Standing Committee, the Government, or at least one-third of the NA deputies.
- NA Approval: The proposal requires a two-thirds majority in the NA to advance, allowing the drafting of amendments to proceed.
- Formation of a Constitutional Drafting Committee: Once the proposal is approved, the National Assembly establishes a special committee to draft proposed changes.
- Public Consultation: Draft amendments are released for citizen feedback, letting experts, institutions, and the public contribute comments.
- Revisions and Finalisation: The committee incorporates public feedback, revises the draft, and prepares a final version for submission to the NA.
- Final Vote: The NA votes on the final draft. It must be approved by two-thirds of all deputies to pass. A referendum is optional.
Vietnam's Past Amendments
Vietnam has undergone five constitutional revisions: in 1946, 1959, 1980, 1992, and 2013. These changes have resulted in significant political or economic transformations, such as the socialist revolution in 1980 or market-oriented reforms in 1992.
In 2001, the NA passed a partial amendment to the 1992 Constitution, adjusting the government structure and enhancing the roles of mass organizations.
The Fatherland Front Matter
The Fatherland Front (VFF) is a unique political institution. Created as a coalition of political and social organizations, it represents citizens and social groups, promotes national unity, oversees government activity, and offers feedback on laws and policies.
The upcoming constitutional revision may redefine the VFF's functions or reorganize its structure to align with the proposed two-tier administration. Suggestions include revising Article 9 to further clarify and strengthen the Front's role within the political system.
Changes may also affect Article 84, potentially abolishing the right of the VFF's member organizations to propose draft legislation. The aim is to consolidate this power within the VFF's Central Committee.
Timeline
Discussions on the amendment proposal kicked off during the NA's 9th session on May 5. The NA Standing Committee has appointed a 15-member Constitutional Drafting Committee led by NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mân. Public consultation is scheduled for one month, from May 6 to June 5.
The amendments are mandated to be finalized no later than June 30, 2025, and take effect on July 1, 2025. The reforms are expected to reshape Vietnam's political-administrative landscape, marking a departure from the established three-level governance that has persisted for decades.
Communal-level units are set to be operational by August 15, 2025, and provincial-level units by September 15, 2025.
The government has proposed budget revisions to address financial needs during the transition, allocating approximately 44,000 billion VND as additional budget support.
NA Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn delivered the opening speech of the NA's 9th session on May 5, during which the amendment proposal was brought up for discussion. - VNA/VNS Photo
- The proposed constitutional overhaul in Vietnam includes structural reforms for the Fatherland Front (VFF), aiming to realign its functions, organization, and constitutional definition with the new administrative structure.
- The VFF, a significant political umbrella organization, currently has responsibilities including national solidarity, supervision, and social feedback, as specified in Article 9 of the Constitution.
- Any redefinition of the VFF's status, functions, or structure necessitates constitutional revision, considering Article 9's explicit recognition of the VFF as the "political base of the people's power."
- Suggestions for the framework revision might abolish the right of VFF's member organizations to propose draft legislation, consolidating this power within the VFF's Central Committee.
- In the context of Vietnam's ongoing constitutional amendment, AI researchers may be interested in analyzing political changes, particularly with regards to policy-and-legislation and the role of the VFF.
- The trade impacts of war and law on these structural changes and the role of government reforms will likely be significant topics within the general news and conflict discourse.
- The successful implementation of announced reforms, like consolidating provinces, reducing duplicated tasks, and reshaping the political landscape, hinges on a balanced approach that avoids creating new conflicts within the government body.
