By Meas Sokchea
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Phnom Penh Post
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (pictured) vowed yesterday to provoke a constitutional crisis by having members of parliament from his party resign their positions in an attempt to prevent the government passing the budget law.
The eponymous party leader, who lives in self-imposed exile in France, claimed in a video conference that the resignations would leave the National Assembly with fewer than the 120 sitting members required to pass the law, preventing the government further extending runaway foreign debt.
“Who lends Cambodia money? If he has doubts, he would delay or reconsider. [If] the parliament does not have enough members, they cannot decide anything,” he said, adding that increasing foreign debt would destroy the nation.
Cambodia owed US$4.4 billion in foreign debt last December, according to the CIA World Factbook, and the 2012 draft budget allows US$1.1 billion in concessional borrowing.
Persecution of his and other opposition parties, human-rights violations and manipulation of the justice system to benefit the ruling Cambodian People’s Party had also forced the SRP to take this drastic action, Sam Rainsy said.
But he failed to specify when, or how many, SRP parliamentarians would resign and made claims that were not necessarily supported by articles of the constitution he cited.
In arguing that the government will be unable to pass legislation, Sam Rainsy cites Article 120, which states that “the assembly consists of at least 120 members,” but makes no mention of what impact a failure to meet this number will have on the passage of legislation.
He also cites article 95, which stipulates that members who resign at least six months before the end of a mandate will be replaced, but makes no mention of how this will affect the assembly’s ability to pass laws.
Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap called the threatened resignations a “political stunt” and “stupid delirium” that did not scare the ruling party and said Sam Rainsy should look at America’s foreign debt before criticising the government.
“This is Mr Sam Rainsy’s light-headedness or hopelessness. And if his party members do the same as him, it is the same light-headedness,” Cheam Yeap said.
Cheam Yeap said any vacated SRP seats would simply be divided among the other parties in parliament.
Koul Panha, executive director of Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, said the effect of the resignations would be unclear but legally problematic. “But I [think] maybe they cannot block [legislation],” he said.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (pictured) vowed yesterday to provoke a constitutional crisis by having members of parliament from his party resign their positions in an attempt to prevent the government passing the budget law.
The eponymous party leader, who lives in self-imposed exile in France, claimed in a video conference that the resignations would leave the National Assembly with fewer than the 120 sitting members required to pass the law, preventing the government further extending runaway foreign debt.
“Who lends Cambodia money? If he has doubts, he would delay or reconsider. [If] the parliament does not have enough members, they cannot decide anything,” he said, adding that increasing foreign debt would destroy the nation.
Cambodia owed US$4.4 billion in foreign debt last December, according to the CIA World Factbook, and the 2012 draft budget allows US$1.1 billion in concessional borrowing.
Persecution of his and other opposition parties, human-rights violations and manipulation of the justice system to benefit the ruling Cambodian People’s Party had also forced the SRP to take this drastic action, Sam Rainsy said.
But he failed to specify when, or how many, SRP parliamentarians would resign and made claims that were not necessarily supported by articles of the constitution he cited.
In arguing that the government will be unable to pass legislation, Sam Rainsy cites Article 120, which states that “the assembly consists of at least 120 members,” but makes no mention of what impact a failure to meet this number will have on the passage of legislation.
He also cites article 95, which stipulates that members who resign at least six months before the end of a mandate will be replaced, but makes no mention of how this will affect the assembly’s ability to pass laws.
Senior CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap called the threatened resignations a “political stunt” and “stupid delirium” that did not scare the ruling party and said Sam Rainsy should look at America’s foreign debt before criticising the government.
“This is Mr Sam Rainsy’s light-headedness or hopelessness. And if his party members do the same as him, it is the same light-headedness,” Cheam Yeap said.
Cheam Yeap said any vacated SRP seats would simply be divided among the other parties in parliament.
Koul Panha, executive director of Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, said the effect of the resignations would be unclear but legally problematic. “But I [think] maybe they cannot block [legislation],” he said.
1 comment:
The good thing for Sam Rainsy to continue to stay outside Cambodia is to expose some elements inside SRP to the direction of CPP headwind direction. For almost a year and half, he has been learning and getting to know the true meaning of the level of his members of the party. As he can see some of them start to shake up and fall. Another benefit is that the vacancy of himself has left avaluable moment of decision making in chaos but has help to create the thoughtful analytical and critical thinking within some of outstanding of the party memebers. So far there is fracture but not to extend that could destroy the entire party. As he learns that the party can be ripped apart by pieces and rebuild but the fundamental foundation of ideas and core policies are needed to be in place. The party name remains strong among young generation as well as middle age who has income between $300-500/month. Stronger among among those who concern Cambodia future outlook.
The bad thing of Sam Rainsy to stay outside cambodia is to have his party moving in a slow speed. CPP is able to reign but undone the root. Has fostered the unstable environment of future anticipation of direction. But can be done later and the downsize is time can't wait. It is likely that Sam Rainsy may have to stay awy from the next election after 2013 up to 2014. It is costly absence but essential to reframe its member cohesiveness. Comparing to him being in jail just for 5 years not to mention 10 years requred. and less spoken and in touch with outisde, it will be much more devastating to himself and SRP,. But only to gain minimal sympathy and that's it
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