Ha Noi (VNA) - The Anti-Corruption Law, passed by the 11th National Assembly in late November 2005 at its 8th session, emphasises preventive measures as a long-term, basic strategic policy to fight corruption.
The law was approved after a long process of careful drafting, utilising public opinion and spirited discussions among NA deputies.
It is considered one of the laws which greatly interests nationwide voters as well as overseas Vietnamese and the international community.
The Law follows the Party and State's viewpoint which has highly prioritised the fight against corruption as an important task of the whole Party and the entire people. The fight needs all the strength of the political system as well as active involvement of people from all walks of life and the entire society. Beyond just corruption, the fight should also combine the combating of waste, bureaucracy and smuggling, and especially the abuse of power.
With eight chapters and 92 articles, the Anti-Corruption Law defines the concept of corruption, a system of preventative measures, concrete activities to uncover corruption, and punishments for corruptive acts.
Preventive measures include stepping up publicity and transparency in the operation of State-run agencies, organisations, businesses, the management of State budgets and State property, completing regulations on public affairs, as well as inspecting officials and civil servants' property and income.
Among the specific activities to uncover corruption as regulated by the law, denunciation is considered to be an important source of information. Whistle blowers are protected by specific clauses in the law.
If an official is found to be corrupt they will face disciplinary actions or criminal charges. Assets acquired through corruption will be strictly handled according to the law. In the case of assets placed in a foreign country, the Vietnamese government will recover the assets through cooperation with foreign governments. The assets will then be returned to their legal owners.
The law, which took effect on June 1, 2006, replaces the ordinance on anti-corruption enacted in 1998. The law has met requirements of the international integration process, surmounted shortcomings of the legal system on anti-corruption and conformed to the United Nations Convention against Corruption which Viet Nam signed in 2003.
The law's stipulations aim at adapting to an anti-corruption programme as well as an initiative to fight corruption in the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum which Viet Nam joined in 2004.
Being enacted when corruption and negative phenomena are becoming increasingly more complicated, the law is expected to create a firm legal foundation to destroy corruption once and for all.
However, the former chairman of the National Assembly, Nguyen Van An has said, "Combating corruption and waste is an extremely difficult task and an issue of vital significance to the regime, but it is more dangerous if we only talk but do not act."-Enditem |