The National Assembly is the highest representative body of the Vietnamese people and the highest state power body of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The National Assembly exercises constitutional and legislative powers, decides on important issues for the country, and conducts supreme oversight over the activities of the State. The National Assembly has about 500 members, representing 63 cities and provinces in Vietnam, elected by popular vote to serve a five-year term.
The National Assembly has the main powers and duties as follows: (i) to make and amend the Constitution; to make and amend laws; (ii) oversight over the observance of the Constitution, laws and resolutions of the National Assembly by the governmental agencies; (iii) to decide on the country's major goals, targets, policies and tasks for socio-economic development; (iv) to decide on fundamental national financial and monetary policies; to introduce, change or abolish taxes; to decide on the division of revenues and expenditures between the central and local budgets; to decide on the safe limits for national, public and government debts; to decide on state budget estimates and the allocation of the central budget; and to approve the final accounts of the state budget; and (v) to elect, relieve from duty or remove from office the key executive and judiciary officials.
