President reviews 60 years of building State governed by law

President reviews 60 years of building State governed by law

(26-08-2005)

HA NOI — “The Vietnamese State attaches great importance to building the people's administration and strengthening socialist legislation,” said President Tran Duc Luong.

Interviewed by the Viet Nam News Agency on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2), President Luong highlighted the historical stages of the Vietnamese nation since President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, founding the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam.

“Major events in history that are of great significance become greater and greater, and more and more remarkable with time. This is also true of Viet Nam's historical events because they opened up a new era in the Vietnamese nation's history and were linked to all of mankind's development,” said President Luong.

According to President Luong, the Declaration of Independence read by President Ho Chi Minh at the Ba Dinh Square was the first important legal document declaring the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam and affirming the Vietnamese people's freedom and independence before the world.

After President Ho read the Declaration of Independence, he called upon the entire people of Viet Nam to fight against the French colonialists, and the resistance war ended with the Dien Bien Phu victory.

The glorious victory signalled the collapse of colonialism and was the Vietnamese people's contribution to the national liberation movement in the world, said the president.

Afterwards, President Luong added, the US replaced France to occupy southern Viet Nam and undermined the implementation of the Geneva Agreement.

President Ho Chi Minh said “nothing-is-more-precious-than-independence-and-freedom,” and the Vietnamese people waged a difficult resistance war against the US to save the country.

The twenty-year heroic and unyielding fight ended with the Spring 1975 general offensive campaign to liberate the south of Viet Nam and completed the national and democratic people's revolution nationwide, said Luong.

The victory was recorded as the greatest feat of arms in the Vietnamese nation's history that spans thousands of years and a powerful strike on imperialism, he said.

It also opened up prospects for the world people's struggle for peace, national independence, democracy and social progress. Since then, Viet Nam has reunified and the country's revolution has entered a socialist-oriented stage, aiming for a wealthy people, a strong nation, and a democratic, just and civilised society, he added.

In regard to building a rule of law in Viet Nam, President Luong said: “Our state is a rule of law. In fact, late President Ho Chi Minh's thoughts include building a rule of law and a state of the people, by the people and for the people, since the initial days of the Vietnamese revolution.

This is a valuable inheritance left by President Ho Chi Minh to build a rule of law. We have so far had four constitutions – the 1946, 1959, 1980 and 1992 constitutions. These say that the fundamental nature of our state is a rule of law of the people, by the people and for the people.

The state attaches special importance to building the people's administration and strengthening the socialist legal system. Living and working in accordance with the constitution and laws has become a way of life in the country.”

On the strengthening of the Vietnamese State in the process of the socialist-oriented industrialisation and modernisation, President Luong said that since the country had implemented the renewal process and the multi-sectoral market economy had been formed under the State management, Viet Nam had always improved its legal system in accordance with new requirements, i.e., bringing into full play the people's mastership and continuing to make the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam stronger.

He stressed that the renewal process and the building and defence of the country were taking place under favourable conditions, both at home and abroad.

However, the country faced big challenges and the threat of lagging behind in economic development and technology compared to other regional countries, he said, adding that a comprehensive renovation would liberate productive forces and bring into full play all resources, both domestic and international, to reach the goal of industrialising and modernising the country.

President Luong said Viet Nam's position and strength had been improved. The 20th century was a century of great changes for the country, a century that witnessed the glorious struggle for national independence and freedom, reunification and socialist construction. It was also a century of exploits and victories that were historically significant for the era, he said.

He added that the 21st century would see great changes in science and technology with the knowledge-based economy playing a more important role. He stressed the need to boost multilateral cooperation among nations to resolve global problems.

The president said Viet Nam was advancing along the path to international integration for development, and the country boasted great potential with its natural resources and labour force.

The Vietnamese people's good character and the stability of the socio-political system had helped the country obtain a high economic growth rate in recent years, he said. He praised Viet Nam's contributions to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world, saying the country had actively taken part in reducing poverty, combating and preventing diseases, fighting terrorism, controlling natural disasters, protecting the environment, and supporting the world people's struggle against war.

“It is sure that Viet Nam's role and position have been confirmed in the regional and international arena,” he said.

“The great August Revolution, which led to the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, is forever a glowing landmark, opening a new era – the glorious era of Ho Chi Minh, a stage of the nation advancing forwards.

All these wonderful things originated from President Ho Chi Minh's great thought and the Communist Party of Viet Nam's correct leadership – the leaders and organisers of all victories of the Vietnamese people,” President Luong concluded. — VNS