NGOs Urge Revision of Draft Anti-Corruption Law
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
More than 30 NGOs urged the National Assembly on Saturday to revise the draft of the long-awaited anticorruption law to ensure that it meets international standards.
In a statement marking the UN's International Anti-Corruption Day on Saturday, the NGOs, which include the Cambodian Defenders Project the Center for Social Development and the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said four main points must be taken into account for the law to meet their approval.
"We think that as long as the anti-corruption law does not comply with international standards...the law is useless," the NGOs said. "The law appears strong, but is in fact powerless."
The law must ensure that the anti-corruption investigation body it establishes is independent of the government, the NGOs said Police investigating corruption should report directly to the non-governmental body and not to court prosecutors, they added.
The law should also include clearly defined measures to protect witnesses and victims of corruption. And it should require all government officials to publicly declare their assets, the statement said. Previous drafts of the law have not included these provisions, Comfrel Director Koul Panha said.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the draft anti-corruption law is still with the Council of Ministers, but added that the Assembly will review the NGOs' request if the law is submitted to parliament.
Cheam Yeap claimed the law will be passed in early 2007 and he blamed NGOs for delaying the law's passage by repeatedly asking for it to be reviewed. The anticorruption law has been meandering through the corridors of government for more than a decade.
Cheam Yeap also said that once the law is passed, he will be happy to declare his assets.
"We are producing the laws. We are not involved in corruption," he added.
Koul Panha said that lawmakers could set a good example by declaring their assets before the law is passed.
"This will show their responsibility to their constituents," he said.
In a statement marking the UN's International Anti-Corruption Day on Saturday, the NGOs, which include the Cambodian Defenders Project the Center for Social Development and the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said four main points must be taken into account for the law to meet their approval.
"We think that as long as the anti-corruption law does not comply with international standards...the law is useless," the NGOs said. "The law appears strong, but is in fact powerless."
The law must ensure that the anti-corruption investigation body it establishes is independent of the government, the NGOs said Police investigating corruption should report directly to the non-governmental body and not to court prosecutors, they added.
The law should also include clearly defined measures to protect witnesses and victims of corruption. And it should require all government officials to publicly declare their assets, the statement said. Previous drafts of the law have not included these provisions, Comfrel Director Koul Panha said.
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said the draft anti-corruption law is still with the Council of Ministers, but added that the Assembly will review the NGOs' request if the law is submitted to parliament.
Cheam Yeap claimed the law will be passed in early 2007 and he blamed NGOs for delaying the law's passage by repeatedly asking for it to be reviewed. The anticorruption law has been meandering through the corridors of government for more than a decade.
Cheam Yeap also said that once the law is passed, he will be happy to declare his assets.
"We are producing the laws. We are not involved in corruption," he added.
Koul Panha said that lawmakers could set a good example by declaring their assets before the law is passed.
"This will show their responsibility to their constituents," he said.
5 comments:
Chiem Yiep is a very irresponsible law maker who is a afraid to declare the asset that he gets from sucking the blood of the poor. This CPP individual and Ah Sen's Cabinet took more than a decade to draft a corruption law which should take a few months to finish. This is the guy that says, "Cambodia should not be ashamed in begging for international money. The more we get is the better. It is hameful that the whole Cambodia survive on borrowing and begging starting from the King to Prime Minister to low ranking officials. How much $ we owe to the IMF and other nations? Who is going to pay for how long. What is the national debt right now, who knows?
Cheam Yeap is blaming the NGO in the corruption law delay. This excuse is unfair and groundless. Who is writing the the corruption law Ah Youn Cheam Yeap? Isn't it Ah Sen ha? Don't be so stupid. You are worse than a child. A responsbble would say it my fault, Dad. I apologize for what I did wrong. On the other hand you are looking for a scapegoat. The world knows already that if they do not put pressure on you, this law would probably be never existed because that is what your cpp likes.
You have to understand that the CPP and Hun Sen write the law, enforce the law. Therefor they are above the law.
I think we all, know the outcome of this anti-corruption law...
Right on 5oo riel toilet!!
Look how fast CPP changed the constitution to their favor. Laws to them are for suckers!
AH CHEAM YAP Vietcong trained economist know no boundry when dealing with corruption except blaming other people!
AH CHEAM YAP needs to go back to Vietong school in Hanoi to update his rusty economic knowledge!
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