Confidence vote gets thumbs up Floodwaters in the Mekong Delta's Long An Province last year. Besides passing a resolution on confidence votes for top leaders, National Assembly deputies yesterday also agreed to issue a Law on National Disaster Prevention and Control to better mitigate the impacts of natural disasters. — VNA/VNS Photo HA NOI (VNS)— The National Assembly passed a resolution yesterday to hold votes of confidence for officials that held elected positions or were approved by the NA or People's Councils. The resolution applies to those in positions of power including the State President, the NA Chairman, the Prime Minister and his deputies, ministers and other Government members, Judges of the People's Supreme Court, Head of the People's Supreme Procuracy and the Chief State Auditor. Members of people's councils will also be allowed to apply a vote of confidence for positions including Chairman of the People's Council and Chairman of the People's Committee. Confidence votes will commence from 2013. Valuations will be based on the results of the politicians' work, morality and lifestyle. The resolution points out that the people who were voted in must faithfully report back and answer all questions asked by Assembly deputies and members of people's councils. Those involved will be able to express levels of high confidence, confidence and low confidence. Those receiving low confidence votes for two consecutive years will have to undergo a final no-confidence vote. Officials who receive a vote of no confidence at this stage will be asked to stand down from their positions. Also yesterday NA deputies agreed to issue a Law on National Disaster Prevention and Control to fulfil legal corridors for activities to prevent, cope and tackle damage caused by such incidents. The discussion focused on human resources, materials, facilities, equipment, finance and other necessities for prevention activities, and the State management's responsibilities, as well as the rights and obligation of organisations and individuals. Deputy Do Van Ve from Thai Binh said the State must take the main role rather than "support" natural disaster prevention as the draft law stated, especially in improving forecasting, mobilising human resources, organising rescue activities, solving damage and compensating losses for people who took part in the activities. Deputy Dang Ngoc Nghia from the central province of Thua Thien Hue shared the opinion. However, he said the draft law should be more concrete and clear, separating responsibilities between relevant bodies. He also asked the State and authorities at different levels to direct prevention work. The work should be mixed into the State's socio-economic development plans and strategies. Deputy Dang Thi Phuong Thanh said the State Budget was limited, and the work would be expensive. She proposed establishing a fund for natural disaster prevention and control with financial contributions from organisations and individuals. People living in damaged areas and difficult areas would be exempt from fund raising, said Thanh. Deputy Pham Thi Phuong from Ha Tinh Province said activities would be based on mutual support among sectors as well as donations from the international community. Vulnerable groups including people with disabilities, children, the elderly and women would be given priority during rescue work, healthcare and other services after disasters occurred. Deputies also agreed a regulation on prohibiting the cutting and destroying of protective and riverhead forests. Statistics showed that about 500 people were killed each year by natural disasters, and thousands more were injured. Losses were estimated at from 1 to 1.5 per cent of GDP. Law on Capital City Lawmakers yesterday afternoon agreed to pass the Law on the Capital City. The law contains the position and role of the capital city, and the responsibilities of the National Assembly, Government, ministries, branches and people in protecting and developing the city. It also embraces regulations to protect the capital's culture, education, science and technology, housing development and traffic and land management. Under the law, planning must be approved by the Prime Minister after the NA gave it the nod. The law prohibits expanding hospitals within the inner city, and new industrial zones and industrial production enterprises, tertiary education and vocational training institutions are not allowed to be built in the inner districts. The Prime Minister will decide measures and a road map to relocate some industrial enterprises, tertiary education units and hospitals from the inner city to outlying areas. The city's architecture, landscape and construction must follow a master plan to ensure preservation and promotion of cultural and historical values and create a green area for the city as well as the two sides of the Hong (Red) River. Given the city's budget can not cover important environmental, traffic, hydraulic projects, the State budget would compensate for the shortfall under a proposal by the Prime Minister. Anti-terrorism law The NA deputies yesterday discussed the draft law on fighting and preventing terrorism. Most of the delegates said a special task force to fight terrorism should be formed. Deputy Nguyen Van Minh from the northern mountainous province of Bac Kan and Do Ngoc Nien from the southern province of Ninh Thuan suggested training counter-terrorism skills and supplying modern equipment for existing forces. They argued that a force specialising in counter-terrorism would require large investment in terms of human resources and materials. According to deputy Huynh The Ky from the southern province of Ninh Thuan, a specialised anti-terrorism unit was needed to prevent attacks, rather than react to them. He added that this force did not need to be large but must be ready for duty. Some deputies asked for clarification of what actions constituted terrorism in order to avoid confusion with other crimes. — VNS