On the morning of June 27, with 450/450 delegates in favor, the National Assembly passed 1 law amending 11 laws in the military and defense sectors. The law takes effect from July 1, 2025.
With the Law on Officers of the Vietnam People's Army, a number of titles of commander, Political Commissar of the provincial border guards, deputy commander, deputy Political Commissar of the provincial border guards, commander, political officer of the district-level military command, deputy commander, political officer of the district-level military command have been abolished.
The removal of some of the above titles is to ensure compliance with the project to continue to reorganize the local military organization to be "streamlined, compact, and strong" to meet the requirements of the tasks in the new situation of the Central Military Commission.
The Law also adds the responsibility of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to decide to call up reserve officers for training and call up reserve officers for active service, train, inspect and prepare for encouragement and combat readiness for cadres, civil servants, and reserve non-commissioned officers residing in the locality.
Before the National Assembly approved, there were opinions suggesting studying key areas to raise the highest military rank of Major General to the Commander and Political Commissar of the Provincial Military Command, correlated with the People's Public Security Force (CAND), especially after streamlining the apparatus, reducing provincial-level units and the Provincial Border Guard.
There are opinions suggesting studying the regulation on the general rank for the commander and the Political Commissar of the provincial military command, because the responsibility of the commander is very great when merging the province.
Explaining this proposal, General Phan Van Giang - Politburo member, Minister of National Defense - said that the draft only amends and supplements issues related to the arrangement of the apparatus of the political system and the organization of local government at 2 levels to ensure consistency with relevant regulations.
On the other hand, the Law on Officers of the Vietnam People's Army has just been amended in 2024, stipulating the highest military rank for officers' positions and titles and assigning the Government to stipulate positions with military ranks from Lieutenant General and below to ensure the number of positions with military ranks at the general level according to the regulations of competent authorities.
Therefore, the Government proposes to keep it as the draft law.
There are opinions suggesting specific regulations on the highest military rank for the position and title of the Chairman of the National Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs Committee, which is Senior Lieutenant General, Deputy Chairman of the National Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs Committee, and Standing Committee member of the National Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs Committee (currently full-time delegate) is Major General to be similar to the People's Public Security Law.
Reporting on this content, the Government said that it has supplemented the draft law in the direction that the People's Army officers seconded to hold the position of Chairman of the National Defense, Security and External Affairs Committee of the National Assembly have the highest military rank of Senior Lieutenant General.
Second- seconded officers approved to hold the position of Deputy Chairman of the National Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly or appointed to the position of Deputy Minister or equivalent position or title with the highest military rank of Lieutenant General.
The seconded military officer approved to hold the position of member of the Party Committee is a full-time National Assembly delegate working at the National Defense, Security and External Affairs Committee of the National Assembly or appointed to the position of Director General or equivalent position or title with the highest military rank of Major General.
