National Assembly of Vietnam

The National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the national unicameral legislature of Vietnam. The Constitution of Vietnam recognizes the assembly as "the highest organ of state power." The National Assembly, a 500-delegate unicameral body elected to a five-year term, meets in the session twice a year. The assembly appoints the president (head of state), the prime minister (head of government), the chief justice of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam, the head of the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam (or 'Supreme People's Office of Supervision and Inspection'), and the 21-member Government. Vietnam is an authoritarian state. The National Assembly has been characterized as a rubber stamp for the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) or as only being able to affect issues of low sensitivity to the regime. The VCP controls nomination and election processes at every level. The VCP has great influence over the executive and exercises control through the 150-member Central Committee, which elects the 15-member Politburo at national party congresses held every five years. All senior government positions are held by members of the party. Constitutionally, the National Assembly is the highest government organization and the highest-level representative body of the people. It has the power to draw up, adopt, and amend the constitution and to make and amend laws. It also has the responsibility to legislate and implement state plans and budgets. Through its constitution-making powers it defines its own role and the roles of the Vietnamese State President, the Vietnamese Government, the local people's councils and people's committees, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuracy.