Political News 24/9 Deputies discuss People's Court law Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung yesterday called for clarification of the draft amended Law on the Organisation of the People's Court. He said it needed to reflect the spirit of the Constitution by showing that the court has the judicial power and was an independent agency in its proceedings. Hung was speaking at a discussion session of the NA Standing Committee on the draft law. Representative of the People's Supreme Court suggested that the draft law give more competence to the Court in investigating and collecting evidence in criminal cases when necessary. However, representative of the NA Judicial Committee said investigating and collecting evidence was the job of investigative units and in reality, no countries in the world allowed a court to carry out investigations and collect evidence. However, the committee agreed with the People's Supreme Court that there was a need to establish a new specialised court to deal with administrative tasks which fall within people's courts. This new court is proposed to be named "Administrative Court". On the same day, NA deputies also discussed the draft law on NA deputies and People's Council deputies election. All agreed that it was necessary to have a law regulating the matter. Regarding the criteria for candidates, some deputies said the law needed to have more detailed requirements as well as identifying the difference between candidates for NA deputy title and candidates for the title of People's Council deputy. While the draft law said that candidates for these titles must submit a health report issued by authorised medical agencies and a judicial certificate, many deputies disagreed. NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said the requirement to submit such documents would be a waste of time and money. On the other hand, NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said the draft law had not addressed gender equality in making lists of candidates and suggested this should be clarified in the draft law. Deputies agreed with an official document explaining why voting had not been organised for many overseas Vietnamese. They suggested the issue be studied further so that Vietnamese citizens around the world could practise their voting rights. Party General Secretary to visit the Republic of Korea General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) Nguyen Phu Trong will pay a State visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from October 1-4. The visit will be made at the invitation of the RoK President, Park Geun-hye, announced the CPVCC’s Commission for External Relations on September 23.- Prime Minister hails VN-Russia MoU on fighting corruption Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has described the Memorandum of Understanding on fighting corruption freshly signed between Vietnam and Russia as a practical contribution to fostering and enhancing the bilateral friendship and cooperation. The Government leader made the remarks while receiving Head of the Anti-Corruption Department of Russia’s Presidential Executive Office Plokhoi Oleg Anatolevich, who is on a working visit to Vietnam , in Hanoi on September 23. He said the Party and State of Vietnam define anti-corruption as a key and regular task, which must be carried out in a resolute and persistent manner with a focus on improving institutional system and legal regulations as decisive measures. Vietnam joined the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2009. The country hopes to further cooperation with international partners, including Russia , in sharing experience and training officials in the field, the PM said. He added that the Government always supports cooperative activities between its Inspectorate and the Russia ’s Anti-Corruption Department. The Russian official said his agency will closely work with Vietnamese inspectors to implement effectively the cooperation contents featured in the signed MoU. Earlier, Plokhoi Oleg Anatolevich held talks with Inspector General of the Vietnamese Government Inspectorate Huynh Phong Tranh. He is scheduled to meet with officials from the departments of internal affairs in Quang Ninh and Khanh Hoa provinces and Ho Chi Minh City from September 23-28. President tours Central Highlands Kon Tum province President Truong Tan Sang visited a number of localities in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on September 22-23 to monitor the construction of new-style rural areas, the allocation of farm land to ethnic minorities, the maintenance of security and the implementation of judicial reform. Visiting the border commune of Sa Loong, he found that the locality had accomplished five of the 19 criteria for building new-style rural areas. Whilst providing some land to local residents for cultivation, 17 households were still in dire need of land for subsistence farming. He inspected the Bo Y Border Gate Economic Zone in Ngoc Hoi district, observing its operations as a transit stop for goods along the international trade route connecting Myanmar, northwestern Thailand, and southern Laos with Vietnam’s Central Highlands and Central regions. Covering 1,565 ha, the zone has so far attracted 25 investment projects. Later, he held a working session with provincial officials. He praised the province for its significant progress in industrialising agriculture, ensuring food security and developing cash crops, like rubber and peppercorn. Speaking of the province’s large natural forest coverage, he said Kon Tum should only use forest resources carefully and implement policies to encourage local residents to get involved in protecting the forests. With regards to the 12,000 households that requested 3,000 ha of land for farming, the President called upon Kon Tum to reassess its map of available cultivation land to settle the matter satisfactorily. Sharing a border with Laos and Cambodia, the province should pay attention to its foreign relations in order to maintain peace in the region, President Truong Tan Sang said. During his visit, which is part of his Central Highlands tour, the state leader attended a ceremony to donate 50 cows to poor households and victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in Po E and Ngoc Tem communes. The cows were gifted by the “Cow Bank” which was developed to help border residents improve their lives. Kon Tum has 13 border communes and is home to 30 ethnic minority groups. In the first half of 2014, the province’s GDP increased by 11.6 percent and annual per capita income exceeded 25 million VND. After three years of implementing the new-style rural area building programme, the province has built roads to all the communes, has connected 96 percent of its villages to the national power grid, and has built primary schools and healthcare stations in 81 out of 86 communes.- Foreign military attachés visit Diplomatic Academy A delegation of foreign military attachés led by Indian Colonel Mulath Sri Kumar visited the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in Hanoi on September 23. Welcoming the delegation, Deputy Director Nguyen Vu Tung briefed the guests on the formation and development of the academy as well as its structure and functions. He also introduced the academy’s training cooperation programmes with foreign countries. Lao leader welcomes Vietnamese guest Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Vuong Dinh Hue was received by Lao Vice President Bounnhang Volachith in Vientiane on September 23. Hue congratulated the Lao people on their achievements, most recently the successful organisation of the 35 th General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. He informed his host of the outcomes of the talks between his delegation and the Lao Party Central Committee’s Commission for Economic Development. During the meeting, both sides affirmed their determination to enhance collaboration and share expertise in a bid to fulfill their duties to provide economic advice. The Lao leader spoke highly of the partnership between the two economic commissions, saying that their cooperation had helped Laos overcome challenges in economic development. He expressed his hope that the commissions would continue to intensify their cooperation, contributing to the Vietnam-Laos special relationship. Myanmar, Vietnam boost communications cooperation Vietnam hopes that Myanmar will carve out a niche for Vietnamese information and communications technology (ICT) firms to invest in and cooperate with Myanmar partners to develop a dynamic ICT market there. Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son made the proposal at a meeting with his host President Thein Sein on September 22. Son reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy of strengthening ties of friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Myanmar. The Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) will do its utmost to enhance ICT cooperation with Myanmar, contributing to deepening bilateral ties, Son assured President Thein Sein. For his part, President Thein Seine said a number of Vietnamese businesses, including major ICT firms, are seeking investment opportunity in Myanmar. He stated that in 2010 the two countries signed cooperative agreements in 12 fields, including ICT and that Myanmar supports the two countries’ businesses in increasing cooperation in all fields, particularly ICT. He conveyed sincere thanks to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for providing effective assistance for Myanmar in assuming its ASEAN Presidency 2014 task. Earlier, Son worked with leaders of the Myanmar Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Ministry of Information, on ICT and broadcasting cooperation. He said Vietnamese ICT, radio and television firms are willing to cooperate with Myanmar partners to realise signed agreements in 2010. Vietnam will create the best possible conditions for Myanmar businesses to seek investment opportunity in the country, he told his hosts. The Myanmar side said that their country issued the Communications Law in 2013 and is building the Information Law. It will spend 30% of its investment for foreign-invested ICT projects, providing a good chance for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the field. Source: VNA/VOV/VNN