A Change of Guard

សូមស្តាប់វិទ្យុសង្គ្រោះជាតិ Please read more Khmer news and listen to CNRP Radio at National Rescue Party. សូមស្តាប់វីទ្យុខ្មែរប៉ុស្តិ៍/Khmer Post Radio.
Follow Khmerization on Facebook/តាមដានខ្មែរូបនីយកម្មតាម Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khmerization.khmerican

Thursday 28 August 2008

Anti-corruption law to be given to NA next month


PDF Print E-mail
Written by Sebastian Strangio and Vong Sokheng
Wednesday, 27 August 2008

Civil society groups have expressed concern, saying prior drafts were toothless and law will have little impact on graft

2-story-1-.jpg
HENG CHIVOAN
Lawmakers at the National Assembly will receive a copy of the draft anti-corruption law next month.
WITH the National Assembly set to pass its long-awaited anti-corruption law next month, observers have questioned the likely effectiveness of the new legislation, saying it could do little to reduce Cambodia's rampant corruption.

In a press conference Sunday, government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the draft law will be given to the new CPP-dominated National Assembly shortly after its inauguration on September 24.

But civil society groups said the draft has been difficult to obtain and they are concerned it is based on the draft submitted in 2006, which fell short of international standards.

"We have not received a new draft from the government, and we do not know of any changes to the [2006] draft law," said Sek Borisoth, director of Pact Cambodia. He said the 2006 draft was a watered-down version of earlier versions, and that its lack of whistleblower protections would hamper its effectiveness. "The fight against corruption will not be successful if the law does not help protect witnesses and whistleblowers," he said.


when we received the draft in 2007, it had no meaning and no real standards.


Sam Rainsy Party spokesman Son Chhay said the SRP had also not received a draft from the government, and assumed the law to be the same that was formulated in 2006.

"I believe [it is the same], but we have not seen it," he said. "It shouldn't be a secret, it should be a public document."

Son Chhay said the last draft lacked teeth, putting the responsibility for its enforcement into the hands of a council staffed by government officials.

"When we received the draft in 2007, it had no meaning and no real standards for fighting corruption," he said. "The government was planning to set up a Supreme Council with representatives from across the government. But if you have representatives from all sections of government, how can you deal with government corruption?"

Without amendments to the 2006 draft, he said, "corruption in Cambodia will remain the same."

However, Song Lim Neou, secretary of state at the Council of Ministers, said the draft had taken other views into account. "The law has been completed and the opinions of civil society and other stakeholders have been included in the final draft." he said.

US Embassy spokesman John Johnson said corruption cost Cambodia millions of dollars each year, and welcomed the new legislation. "We are pleased to hear that the government has announced plans to proceed with the passage of this important law," he said by email.

"We have not had recent conversations with the government on the substance of the draft law, [but] we look forward to seeing a draft of the new law and working with the government in order to pass a version that meets international standards," he said.

4 comments:

My Community Networking said...

Khmerization;
As previous mentioned that Anti-corruption law would be in once the NA convene.

Understand that Stand-off [SRP and HRP] is not yet resolved but hopefully the issue would be amicably solved in the near future to pave way for the anti-corruption law and other issues related to the national sovereignty, development and economy.

All sides of the equation, in the best interest of the national coffer and financial well being, shall seriously look into comprehensively debate and appropriate terminology shall be chosen rather than let it too braod or too general which will only cause more problems in the future. I.e. Donation, Gift, person is said to bribe and person is said to demnad bribe shall be equally punish under the newly enacted law under the independent authorized jurisdiction.

Khmerization said...

I still think that the cpp only pretend to introduce the anti-corruption laws to NA for diplomatic consumption only because of the possibility of a stalemate due to the possible boycott by the SRP and HRP. Once the NA has been convened, the anti-corruption laws will be forgotten, mark my words. These anti-corruption laws have been written/proposed since 1994 but they're kept in the NA's shelf for 14 years. The only way that the anti-corruption laws are adopted is that the laws have to be re-written and changed significantly because to adopt the anti-corruption laws in their current contents and forms would be suicidal for the CPP politicians and officials. Like I said the announcement to introduce anti-corruption laws to parliament is only a CPP's trick to get international support in the face of a boycott by SRP and HRP. After the parliament is convened and the govt. formed, the anti-corruption laws will be shelved again, possibly another 14 years.

My Community Networking said...

Khmerization;
I am not disagreed with you, however, the problem with this anti-corruption law is said to broad and no particular clause that can be protected person in question and that the body who control and decide who at fault is also critical point where SRP in the past question NA about setting up an independent body for this particular point but CPP said it is inappropriate.

I am however still believe that the anti-corruption law will come alive [may be at level acceptable to all but not drastically as one we have here in Australia - AWB case now seemed to disappeared from headline] if the government is to receive foreign aide for its budget, technical assistant and direct funding on infrastructure - as seen in ECCC case where Japanese asked the RGC to come clean on kick-back.

Khmerization said...

yes, anti-corruption can pass through parliament only if contents and forms suits and are acceptable to the cpp. the laws do not need the support of the srp and hrp. the cpp got 90 seats (over 2/3 majority) so it can play the politics of the parliament any way it wants. this is what i believe because i believe that the srp and the hrp's expectation of the anti-corruption laws is very high that would be unacceptable to the cpp who are risking their life, livelihood and their political career and possibly jail term, it they accept srp and hrp's demands for the laws.