Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Written by Vong Sokheng and Sebastian Strangio The Phnom Penh Post
But opposition politicians, civil society predict more of the same
PRIME Minister Hun Sen has announced the official five-year plan for his government's coming mandate, highlighting human rights, corruption and the rule of law as key concerns. But opposition spokesmen say the new CPP-dominated government, voted in by the National Assembly Thursday, will have little impact on the Kingdom's endemic corruption.
"The government is determined to guarantee peace and political stability and improve the state of law in order to generate respect for human rights and democracy," Hun Sen said at the first meeting of his newly-appointed cabinet Friday. He also promised to maintain economic growth and reduce poverty by one percent per year.
Hun Sen added that the behaviour of politicians and their families was vital to building trust in government services. "The powerful and rich have to be educated not to buy vehicles and motorbikes for their children to race in the streets," he said, calling on civil servants to carry out their duties with "good morality".
"If you commit a bad deed, you will receive a bad deed, like [Khmer Republic president] Lon Nol, whose stroke paralysed half his body," he warned. "When you die, you cannot bring money [and] houses along with you."
However, Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Ke Sovannroth said the continuities between the old government and the new were more striking than the differences. "It is the fourth mandate of a new government, but the officials holding power are not new," she said. "It doesn't mean that they will work with a conscience to serve the nation."
Mar Sophal, head of the monitoring unit at election watchdog Comfrel, agreed that the new government's promises could not be taken at face value. "Every political announcement was good, but the individual officials have no real commitment to following up all these programs," he said.
PRIME Minister Hun Sen has announced the official five-year plan for his government's coming mandate, highlighting human rights, corruption and the rule of law as key concerns. But opposition spokesmen say the new CPP-dominated government, voted in by the National Assembly Thursday, will have little impact on the Kingdom's endemic corruption.
"The government is determined to guarantee peace and political stability and improve the state of law in order to generate respect for human rights and democracy," Hun Sen said at the first meeting of his newly-appointed cabinet Friday. He also promised to maintain economic growth and reduce poverty by one percent per year.
Hun Sen added that the behaviour of politicians and their families was vital to building trust in government services. "The powerful and rich have to be educated not to buy vehicles and motorbikes for their children to race in the streets," he said, calling on civil servants to carry out their duties with "good morality".
"If you commit a bad deed, you will receive a bad deed, like [Khmer Republic president] Lon Nol, whose stroke paralysed half his body," he warned. "When you die, you cannot bring money [and] houses along with you."
However, Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Ke Sovannroth said the continuities between the old government and the new were more striking than the differences. "It is the fourth mandate of a new government, but the officials holding power are not new," she said. "It doesn't mean that they will work with a conscience to serve the nation."
Mar Sophal, head of the monitoring unit at election watchdog Comfrel, agreed that the new government's promises could not be taken at face value. "Every political announcement was good, but the individual officials have no real commitment to following up all these programs," he said.
10 comments:
Phnom Post is the Communist-mouthpiece of the ruling party.
Certainly, these big boys knew precisely how to bite off more than they could chew -- by intimidating and silencing those who oppose them.
1:51 PM , come on man, Phnom penh post already took the view from the opposition party. So it is not communist mouthpiece like u said..
All I can say to the govt. is same, same and same..No change..coz we have a ruling family in Cambodia now. They made dynasty..
Last 20 years..they might be farmers or their mind is also farmer...But now their behavior and appearance is more than a royal family...
Their daughters, sons...are now Princes and Princessess..Whenever they go out..there are bodyguard..Not a commoner can talk to them now...Wake up, your new majestie!!!
Good that Hun Sen know about Lon Nol but I think now he is on the same path with lon nol, corruption, power abuse, neptism..He is more than an emperor, his childeren are princes and princesses..I afraid that one day..another Khmer Rouge will come...Pls god..no more..enough!!!!
2:33 PM
You meant to say: "people power" REVOLUTION. If that what you mean, I have to completely concur with you with the fact people power REVOLUTION is an ineluctable possibility -- and it's frighteningly REAL.
Samdech Hun SenVarman is unconscientiously forgetting to mention about Hun Chea, a nice and very educated boy?
"if you do bad karma, you will bet bad karma," Hun Sen warns his rich and powerful servants.
No one in the world can star as a fierce fighter, a poet, a heavy smoker (Samdech watches out for lung cancer-Lon Nol had stroke from bad Karma)- then political leader and religious leader like him
The group pointed out to him that, " No problem Samdech, We use just 10% of money from bad Karma to build pagodas and offer Sakroma gifts to monks and the poors, then we are forgiven from Buddhas. Then we still rich and powerful in next life."
False promise? Why don't you come down and scam some people here and see if it is false promise or not.
THE DOG IS THE SAME DOG A KWAK
Yeah, and we love it that way.
See what happen to Lonol you mother fucker CPP and ah Royal shit will got 100 times!
Yeah, but Lon Nol is no CPP.
Post a Comment