Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday rebuked the opposition for urging
foreign donors to refrain from signing any new agreements with the
government until after the election and boasted of a new $26 million
handed over last week by the European Union (E.U.)
Opposition lawmakers from the SRP and Human Rights Party sent out
letters to Cambodia’s foreign embassies and donors on Thursday saying
that the current government had “lost its legitimacy” since the National
Assembly ejected all 27 of them on June 5. The dismissal leaves the
assembly with only 93 lawmakers, all of them ruling CPP members and well
short of the 120 required by the Constitution.
“Some people have asked foreigners not to give aid and not to buy
goods from Cambodia. A few days ago, I heard they said foreigners should
not sign to provide aid or sign on projects,” Mr. Hun Sen said,
speaking at an inauguration ceremony for a new pagoda in Kampot
province.
“But yesterday the European Union signed to give $26 million for
agriculture, so they don’t listen to them,” Mr. Hun Sen said referring
to a signing ceremony held with the E.U. on Thursday.
“They provide aid not for me to waste, and [Agriculture Minister]
Chan Sarun does not waste the payments,” he said. “Why do those people
hate Cambodian people like this? I will not be short of food if the
donations are cut or if they stop buying goods from Cambodia. Who will
suffer? The people will suffer.”
E.U. Ambassador Jean-Francois Cautain signed the five-year deal for
20 million euros, or about $26.2 million, on Thursday—the same day the
opposition issued its call for a freeze—along with Mr. Sarun and Finance
Minister Keat Chhon.
The E.U. did not reply to a request for comment Sunday but on
Thursday said it had not yet received a copy of the opposition’s
request.
According to a copy of Mr. Cautain’s speech at the signing ceremony,
the E.U. had been working with the government on the deal for the past
two-and-a-half years and was giving aid for the first time to an entire
sector rather than a specific project.
“This is, from our side, a strong show of confidence and trust in the
capabilities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to
efficiently and properly manage our funding in order to realize the
objectives of this financing agreement,” Mr. Cautain said.
“It is the first time we are applying these implementation principles
in Cambodia and we know they will represent a challenge for all of us,
but we believe this is the way to go to ensure increasing the country’s
ownership and leadership.”
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)
and a party candidate in next month’s elections, said Sunday that no
foreign embassy or donor had yet reacted to their call to hold off on
any new deals with the government.
The CPP-dominated National Assembly dismissed the opposition SRP and
Human Rights Party lawmakers, claiming they had effectively given up
their seats when they all joined the CNRP to contest the national
election together. The opposition lawmakers reject the argument,
insisting that they still belong to their old parties as well.
The U.S. State Department has publicly criticized the dismissals as breaching “the spirit of a healthy democratic process.”
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