Lawmakers have asked the government to provide a draft law on the right to protest for the National Assembly to discuss.
Speaking during the debate on the National Assembly's legislative timetable 2016-2017 held this morning, July 26, deputy Truong Trong Nghia from HCM City stressed the need to issue a law to ensure the right to protest outlined in the 2013 Constitution.
Deputy Truong Trong Nghia speaking at the NA meeting on July 26. Photo by quochoi.vn
“The right to protest as stipulated in the 2013 Constitution should be seen as public peaceful gatherings to express the opinions, desires and needs of the demonstrators," Nghia said. "It is the legitimate right of everyone. We owe the public this law."
Nghia, who is a lawyer, suggested introducing the law at the fourth meeting of 2017 and passing at the fifth or sixth meeting of 2018.
Supporting Nghia's proposal, Deputy Bui Van Xuyen who is standing member of National Assembly Law Committee, said that he is disappointed when the law was again withdrawn from the timetable for the 2016-2017 period.
"This law had been discussed at many previous NA meetings but the draft still hasn't been completed yet," Xuyen said. "I don't know when the government will submit the law. But I think it has been made difficult as the government has given the Ministry of Public Security the responsibility to draft the law while this ministry directly monitors public security."
Xuyen suggested that the Ministry of Justice should make the draft while the Ministry of Public Security supervise the process.
Responding to deputies' concerns about the law, NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu said the draft had still not been completed.
“The NA's Law Committee has just checked with the government but they said they haven't completed it yet," Luu said. "We've urged the government to speed up the draft and will report at the next meeting."
