By Leang Delux and Soren Seelow
Cambodge Soir
Unofficial translation from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read Cambodge Soir’s original article in English
The committee in charge of reflecting the possibility of increasing the number of MPs to go along with the demographic growth did not approve such measure. The SRP, the defender of this measure which it would benefit from, is still trying to convince the government.
Must the number of MPs be increased to reflect the country’s demographic growth? The SRP is not letting this issue go, and the government is opposed to this measure up until now. Since the first democratic election in 1993, the number of MPs did not change, meanwhile, the population has grown by almost 50%. In 14 years, only three seats were added to reflect the creation of three provinces and municipalities (Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Kep), thus bringing the total number of MPs from 120 to 123. No population growth adjustment has ever been done yet.
The SRP proposes 12 additional seats at the National Assembly (NA)
One year prior to the election year, the SRP demands for an update in the number of MPs as a function of the number of population. The SRP considers this as an issue of principle, but it is also a political calculation because it sees itself as the largest beneficiary of such reform. However, this year again, just as it was in 2002, the committee in charge of advising on this issue gave, last Thursday, a negative answer to the number increase request.
Consisting of 6 members (one representative for each party having a seat at the NA, two representatives of the Ministry of Interior, and the director of the national institute of statistics), the committee believed that this measure “would be too costly” for the country. Only SRP MP Son Chhay was for it. The SRP suggested the creation of 12 new seats, costing $300,000 per year ($2,000 of monthly salary per MP). The SRP believes that the financial argument pushed forward by the committee is trivial when compared to the State expenditures, and to the $27 million cost to construct the new NA building. The committee advise is not mandatory, and it will be up the government to decide this issue before July, as the number of NA seats must be established one year prior to the election.
14.6 Million population
Until then, Sam Rainsy refuses to surrender and he hopes to convince the executive branch. He recalls that the 1997 law on the election of MPs plans “a proportional formula to revise, periodically, the number of MPs as a function of the demographic growth.” “During the first democratic elections in the post-communist-era Cambodia, in 1993, there were 120 MPs for a population size of 10.6 million, hence this amounts to one MP for approximately 88,000 constituents. For 14-year long, the number of MPs has never changed, with the exception of three seats added due to the creation of three small provinces and municipalities (Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, and Kep). The Ministry of Planning forecasts a population increase to 14.6 million by 2008. Therefore, for the upcoming general election which will take place next year, if the number of MPs is maintained at 123, each MP would represent approximately 118,000 constituents,” Sam Rainsy explained. With the increasing number of problems such as land disputes, this would increase “in an unreasonable manner” the duty borne by each MP, thereby “handicapping” the good functioning of democracy, Sam Rainsy said.
The SRP would have won
However, to Khieu Kanharith, the government spokesman, the 1997 law does not mandate the government into adjusting the number of seats as a function of the population size: “It only offers the possibility.” True, Sam Rainsy admitted, but the content and the spirit of the letter must be distinguished. Article 9 (of the 1997 law) provides a formula, a simple ratio calculation, in which “the new number of seats must be calculated.” If the law is not mandatory, the spirit of Article 9 suggests that the number of seats must be adapted to the demographic growth.
To Sam Rainsy, the committee “is ignoring the spirit of the law for purely political reasons.” He believes that, in effect, his party would win several of the new seats, and this would reinforce his party presence at the NA. “In Sihanoukville,” he cited as an example, “there is only one seat. Two is needed, and the second one will fall to the second political party in this province: the SRP. The same case is being repeated in several provinces. We ask, today, for the government to respect the law,” he summed up.
Khieu Kanharith refutes Sam Rainsy’s political interpretation, and he affirms that “the CPP is not afraid that the SRP win seats. Even if they win, it will be small.” “The Council of ministers must hold a meeting to decide this issue, no one can predict in advance its decision,” he said. Koul Panha, the Comfrel executive director, also sees political reasons behind the committee refusal, He calls on the government to reinforce the “National Assembly, the control branch of the executive,” in order to strengthen the functioning of the democracy.
Must the number of MPs be increased to reflect the country’s demographic growth? The SRP is not letting this issue go, and the government is opposed to this measure up until now. Since the first democratic election in 1993, the number of MPs did not change, meanwhile, the population has grown by almost 50%. In 14 years, only three seats were added to reflect the creation of three provinces and municipalities (Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, Kep), thus bringing the total number of MPs from 120 to 123. No population growth adjustment has ever been done yet.
The SRP proposes 12 additional seats at the National Assembly (NA)
One year prior to the election year, the SRP demands for an update in the number of MPs as a function of the number of population. The SRP considers this as an issue of principle, but it is also a political calculation because it sees itself as the largest beneficiary of such reform. However, this year again, just as it was in 2002, the committee in charge of advising on this issue gave, last Thursday, a negative answer to the number increase request.
Consisting of 6 members (one representative for each party having a seat at the NA, two representatives of the Ministry of Interior, and the director of the national institute of statistics), the committee believed that this measure “would be too costly” for the country. Only SRP MP Son Chhay was for it. The SRP suggested the creation of 12 new seats, costing $300,000 per year ($2,000 of monthly salary per MP). The SRP believes that the financial argument pushed forward by the committee is trivial when compared to the State expenditures, and to the $27 million cost to construct the new NA building. The committee advise is not mandatory, and it will be up the government to decide this issue before July, as the number of NA seats must be established one year prior to the election.
14.6 Million population
Until then, Sam Rainsy refuses to surrender and he hopes to convince the executive branch. He recalls that the 1997 law on the election of MPs plans “a proportional formula to revise, periodically, the number of MPs as a function of the demographic growth.” “During the first democratic elections in the post-communist-era Cambodia, in 1993, there were 120 MPs for a population size of 10.6 million, hence this amounts to one MP for approximately 88,000 constituents. For 14-year long, the number of MPs has never changed, with the exception of three seats added due to the creation of three small provinces and municipalities (Oddar Meanchey, Pailin, and Kep). The Ministry of Planning forecasts a population increase to 14.6 million by 2008. Therefore, for the upcoming general election which will take place next year, if the number of MPs is maintained at 123, each MP would represent approximately 118,000 constituents,” Sam Rainsy explained. With the increasing number of problems such as land disputes, this would increase “in an unreasonable manner” the duty borne by each MP, thereby “handicapping” the good functioning of democracy, Sam Rainsy said.
The SRP would have won
However, to Khieu Kanharith, the government spokesman, the 1997 law does not mandate the government into adjusting the number of seats as a function of the population size: “It only offers the possibility.” True, Sam Rainsy admitted, but the content and the spirit of the letter must be distinguished. Article 9 (of the 1997 law) provides a formula, a simple ratio calculation, in which “the new number of seats must be calculated.” If the law is not mandatory, the spirit of Article 9 suggests that the number of seats must be adapted to the demographic growth.
To Sam Rainsy, the committee “is ignoring the spirit of the law for purely political reasons.” He believes that, in effect, his party would win several of the new seats, and this would reinforce his party presence at the NA. “In Sihanoukville,” he cited as an example, “there is only one seat. Two is needed, and the second one will fall to the second political party in this province: the SRP. The same case is being repeated in several provinces. We ask, today, for the government to respect the law,” he summed up.
Khieu Kanharith refutes Sam Rainsy’s political interpretation, and he affirms that “the CPP is not afraid that the SRP win seats. Even if they win, it will be small.” “The Council of ministers must hold a meeting to decide this issue, no one can predict in advance its decision,” he said. Koul Panha, the Comfrel executive director, also sees political reasons behind the committee refusal, He calls on the government to reinforce the “National Assembly, the control branch of the executive,” in order to strengthen the functioning of the democracy.
7 comments:
What is a bunch of morons (SRP)?
Here, we are trying to be
conservative so that we can pay
civil sevants better, and they are
trying to waste moneys on the
useless MPs.
Has the CPP been conservative in helping the civil servants? Do some thinking before coming to a conclusion.
8:02
I agree with you most of the MPs are useless. They are waiting to carry out Hun Sen's commands regardless of the laws and the constitution.
However, if you care about the finance of the country, one way to increase revenue is to fight corruption. How many millions are missing each year because of this corrupt governtment.
listen all your dumb crackhead.
i didn't sign that treaty or order to block krt, it was ah chor yuon who did it on their own and put the blame on me. I am ah hun kvak how can i see or know how to read?
i wanted to run away but ah chor yuon threated to kill me and my family members. what can I do if each time i am forced to talk. ah hok lundee is yuan and how many times he slept with mi j'rouk my wife? all the time. it hurts me so bad to see mee j'rouk did with ah chor yuon Hok in front of my face. :( :(
12:12, we are fighting corruption.
The condition as slowly improved.
We only have so much money to
spend on it. If we are to spend
more, it would mean many people
will have to take pay cut instead
of pay increase.
As for how much money we lost
anually, I have estimated about
50-80 millions. Is that bad? I
don't think so. We could work
together to boost the growth
to easily cover the lost, instead
of making it worse by wagering
war and causing millions of people
to suffer in between, alright?
1:02,
How can you honestly believe that the CPP is fighting corruption when it take them over a decade to pass one Anti-Corruption Law. It is a lack of will.
Slowly improve is not enough when you get Thailand and Vietnam way ahead. Look at China's growth--that due to reforms.
A country that have rule of laws will cause its economy to grow, expanding the share of the pie. It would not "mean many people will have to take pay cut instead of pay increase" just because you have to pay a few more govtmt employees.
Firstly I would say even say $50-$80 million dollars loss is bad when measure against Cambodian small GDP. How many poor Cambodian can you help with 50-80 million dollars? Second, where do not get this stats? Private and independence organization put the lost approaching 1/2 a billion. How much lost in beer revenue alone according to the Cambodian Economic Institute from last week news?
Hey, dude, a piece of paper will
not reduce corruption, only
positive action does. That is how
we see it and that is why the
anti-corruption law were not on
top of the list, but now it is,
but freaking opposition want to
work on increasing MPs in the
parliament. They want to work
on reforming election law, and all
that craps. Hence, you will have
to wait a while longer, dude.
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