Vietnam’s National Assembly:
The election of the 16th National Assembly takes place almost two months after the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam. What political and social significance does this event hold in translating the congress’s major orientations into practice?
Former Vice Chairman of the Office of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyễn Sĩ Dũng speaks to Việt Nam News reporter Thu Vân about the upcoming elections to the 16th NA and the role of the legislature in realising the strategic vision set out at the 14th National Party Congress.
Party General Secretary Tô Lâm has delivered strong messages on renewal and development. Having worked with several generations of leaders, how do you feel witnessing this transition?
I clearly sense that the present moment carries a distinctly different tone: more decisive in implementation, more direct in addressing bottlenecks, and stronger in its demand for reform.
When General Secretary Tô Lâm speaks of “breakthrough” and of ushering the country into a new phase of development, what stands out is a shift in focus—from sound policies to tangible results. This represents an important evolution in leadership thinking: implementation capacity becomes a key measure of political credibility.
That spirit places clear demands on the NA.
First, legislative thinking must shift from “risk-averse management” to “development facilitation.” This means reducing excessive ex-ante controls, expanding space for innovation, and designing laws that are transparent, stable and conducive to renewal. Law should not only manage risks but also unlock opportunities.
Second, oversight must go to the heart of accountability. Breakthroughs cannot occur if implementation is not monitored and evaluated against measurable outcomes. The NA must conduct deeper and more substantive supervision, attach responsibility to individuals, and ensure that enacted policies translate into real improvements in people’s lives.
In that sense, such breakthroughs require a more dynamic, strategic and decisive legislature in both lawmaking and oversight, so that national aspiration is transformed into the institutional architecture that drives the country forward.
What do you see as the biggest challenges for the 2026–2031 term and what are your expectations for the relationship between the NA and the Government?
The 2026–2031 term will face at least three major challenges. The first concerns the pace and quality of growth. As traditional advantages such as land and low-cost labour diminish, development must increasingly rely on science, technology, innovation and higher productivity. This will require deeper institutional reform than ever before.
The second challenge is governance in a context of growing global uncertainty: strategic competition, economic volatility, digital transformation and artificial intelligence. The legal system and the State apparatus must be flexible and responsive enough to adapt quickly, while maintaining macroeconomic stability.
The third challenge lies in implementation capacity. We have adopted many sound policies. The real test is whether these policies are implemented thoroughly and produce measurable results.
In this context, I hope the relationship between the NA and the Government will increasingly reflect a genuine development partnership. The NA sets the legal and institutional framework and exercises effective oversight, while the Government proactively proposes policies and implements them with determination. These two institutions complement and balance each other within a unified system of governance.
I particularly hope that this coordination will be based on transparency, candour and mutual trust, with a shared commitment to turning resolutions and policies into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
What is the most important criterion for assessing the quality of a NA deputy in the coming period?
In my view, the most important criterion is genuine representative capacity: the ability to transform the will and aspirations of the people into policy ideas, legislative decisions and effective oversight.
In this new stage of development, deputies need not only credibility or professional expertise, but three essential qualities: firm political courage, sharp policy thinking and a deep sense of responsibility to their constituents. Deputies must be willing to raise questions, engage in debate, and pursue issues until meaningful change is achieved.
I maintain that people elect representatives, not merely title-holders. Representation is the ability to articulate what matters to voters and to act consistently in the public interest.
There have been notable improvements in representative skills, but overall I believe they have not yet received sufficient attention. Many candidates are strong administrators, yet have not been fully equipped with legislative skills, policy debate experience or the capacity for sustained engagement with constituents.
Improving representative capacity must become a systemic priority, because the overall effectiveness of the National Assembly ultimately depends on the quality and capability of each deputy.
What will be the most important measure of success for the 16th National Assembly after five years, and if you were to propose one major reform, what would it be?
The most important measure of success will not be the number of laws enacted, but the extent to which the development environment improves and public trust is strengthened.
If laws become more transparent and stable; if citizens and businesses clearly feel that compliance costs have declined, opportunities have expanded, and rights are better protected, then that will be the true measure of success. The NA must pass laws and create an institutional framework that allows the country to operate more effectively and dynamically.
If I were to propose one major reform, it would be a comprehensive overhaul of the legislative process, placing quality and enforceability at the centre. This includes rigorous policy impact assessments before laws are enacted, stronger independent review mechanisms, reducing overly general framework-style legislation, and establishing systematic post-legislative scrutiny.
The most important reform lies not only in what laws say, but in how they are made. When the legislative process is upgraded, the overall quality of institutions rises as well, providing a durable foundation for the country’s next stage of development.
If you could send a message to candidates and voters ahead of election day, what would you emphasise?
I would say something simple but fundamental: view the election not only as a right, but also as a responsibility for the nation’s future.
To candidates, what matters most is not the position you may hold, but whether you are prepared to serve as a genuine representative of the people. A deputy must be willing to speak out, defend the public interest, and accept accountability before the people.
To voters, each ballot chooses not only a person, but also a direction, a spirit and a commitment. We are entering a new stage of development, and the quality of the NA will directly shape the quality of institutions and the country’s future trajectory.
Choose with clarity, with responsibility, and with confidence that today’s decisions will help shape the nation’s tomorrow. --VNS
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