Law on Grassroots Democracy: Enhancing People's Mastery

Officials of the Democracy - Law Committee (Provincial Fatherland Front Committee) study new points of the Law on Implementing Democracy at the Grassroots Level

The Law on Implementing Democracy at the Grassroots Level was issued with many new points, a breakthrough compared to the Ordinance on Implementing Democracy in Communes, Wards and Towns.

The first new point about the scope of regulation is reflected in the name of this law. Accordingly, the law not only regulates democracy in communes, wards and towns, but also regulates democracy in state agencies, public service units and organizations that employ workers. This contributes to ensuring publicity and transparency in the activities and accountability of grassroots authorities and agencies, units and enterprises. While the previous ordinance did not specifically stipulate the rights and obligations of citizens in implementing democracy in communes, wards and towns, the Law on Implementing Democracy at Grassroots Levels specifically stipulates 4 rights and 5 obligations of citizens in implementing democracy at the grassroots level.

To further strengthen the legal framework to protect citizens, the Law on Grassroots Democracy also adds a number of prohibited acts such as causing difficulties, harassment or obstruction, threatening citizens to practice democracy at the grassroots level; forging documents, cheating or using other tricks to distort the results of discussions, decisions, and participation of citizens' opinions. The Law on Grassroots Democracy also specifically stipulates that violations of the law on grassroots democracy will be subject to administrative sanctions, even criminal prosecution, compensation for damages, and disciplinary action.

The Law on Implementing Democracy at the Grassroots Level was issued to meet the aspirations of many voters. Photo: The National Assembly Delegation of Hai Duong province held a conference to collect comments on this draft law on October 7, 2022 (documentary photo)

The Law on Implementing Democracy at the Grassroots Level has expanded and enhanced the rights of citizens, such as adding 1 principle of implementing democracy at the grassroots level, adding 7 forms of information disclosure, adding 3 contents for people to discuss and decide, adding 4 contents for people to give opinions before the competent authority decides... While the Ordinance on Implementing Democracy in Communes, Wards and Towns stipulates that the content of the community vote must be approved by more than 50% of the total number of voters or voters representing households, the Law on Implementing Democracy at the Grassroots Level has stipulated that there are contents that require more than 50%, and there are contents that are approved when there are 2/3 or more of the total number of household representatives. This is also the content that many opinions proposed and wished to amend when commenting on the draft Law on Implementing Democracy at the Grassroots Level.

Based on practice, the Law on Implementing Democracy at the Grassroots Level has added forms for people to participate in giving opinions in accordance with the development of technology such as through electronic information portals, telecommunications networks, and legal social networks in accordance with the level of information technology application. As voters of Chi Linh City have reflected, many wards and communes are far away, making it difficult to travel to implement democracy at the grassroots level through collecting opinions and direct meetings. Now that the Law on Implementing Democracy at the Grassroots Level has been issued with new regulations, this difficulty will be resolved.

According to Mr. Dang Van Hach, Head of the Democracy and Law Committee (Hai Duong Provincial Fatherland Front Committee), the Law on Grassroots Democracy was issued with specific regulations on many powers of the people, which is a big step forward. "This will be an important legal basis to ensure the people's right to mastery, while at the same time enhancing the responsibility of local Party committees and authorities in creating conditions for the people to exercise their right to mastery. The specific regulations also avoid causing abuse of power and taking advantage of grassroots democracy for wrong purposes," Mr. Dang Van Hach assessed.

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