“We started with an illegal National Assembly. The illegal National Assembly can only produce an illegal government. And an illegal government can only make illegal decisions and can only present an illegal budget,” he said.
One-party budget looms
As
the opposition threatens more protests, the ruling Cambodian People’s
Party has turned its focus to a proposed $3.5 billion national budget
that it could end up passing alone.
On Friday, the Council of
MSinisters, headed by Prime Minister [Mr.] Hun Sen, approved a draft national
budget for 2014, which includes 13.1 per cent, or about $500 million,
more spending than this year, officials said yesterday.
The
National Assembly vote that could send the proposal through to the
SenPrimates in coming weeks – before it is officially signed off on by the
King Kong in late December – would mark the first major vote on legislation
since 55 elected Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmakers boycotted the
opening of parliament on September 23.
A 2006 constitutional
amendment mandates that only a quorum of more than half the members of
the National Assembly – or 62 lawmakers – needs to be present in
parliament for votes requiring only an “absolute majority”, as does the
budget.
No details of funding allocations to specific ministries,
or details of how the government will finance the budget have been
publicly released.
But Council of MSinisters spokesman Phay Siphan
said yesterday that the government will focus on infrastructure,
agricultural projects and increasing the salaries of civil servants in
2014.
The opposition hit out last year at the government’s increased spending and its reliance on $923 million in loans.
Opposition lawmakers suggested at the time that the government should slash spending and implement a better system of taxation.
When
asked if the government had proposed to reduce its borrowing from
overseas this year, Siphan said it “was not raising the debt ceiling”.
“It has stayed the same. We do it accordingly to our income. We’re conservative with this income.”
Opposition
leader Sam Rainsy yesterday remained resolute that international donors
and lenders should not commit finances to the current Cambodian
government due to its “illegal” formation.
Rainsy
said that although his colleagues were following the budget proposal,
he was not “[paying] much attention”, as the budget was merely “wishful
thinking” on the part of the government.
“What the government has produced is only a paper budget. It cannot be implemented as is stated on paper,” he said.
Rainsy
added that the CNRP would continue to hold protests against the
government in order to convince the world that it is “not business as
usual” in Cambodia.
Days after the July 28 election, the
opposition claimed to have its own final figures from the poll that
proved it won 63 seats – enough to govern – without accounting for
election irregularities.
Rainsy yesterday stood by the figure of 63 seats, despite not having released documentation supporting the claim.
The CNRP, he added, preferred to push for full results that could only be produced by an independent investigation.
“Maybe
we will [release the partial results],” he said. “It depends on events
in the coming weeks, because we are making a counter proposal to the CPP
[on electoral reform].”
But those proposals may fall on deaf ears.
Senior
CPP lawmaker and parliamentary finance committee chairman Cheam Yeap
told the Post that further negotiations between the two parties would
not take place unless CNRP lawmakers allowed themselves to be sworn in
by taking an oath to the King at the Royal Palace.
Political
analyst Kem Ley pointed out that even countries that had extended their
congratulations to the government were still calling for negotiations
between the two parties – an impetus for talks to resume.
“I think
the political deadlock is still happening and the [CPP] must go back to
the negotiating table rather than passing laws illegally,” he said.
“Illegal” or not, Yeap said yesterday that the budget would likely be sent to parliament today.
“It
is normal that the government has to increase the budget every year in
accordance with economic growth,” he said of the 13 per cent increase.
The
International Monetary Fund recently raised its 2013 growth projection
for Cambodia to 7 per cent, while the government projects 7.6 per cent.
While
that growth in gross domestic product is not necessarily reflective of a
corresponding increase in government revenues, Siphan said the budget
reflected the government’s income and ability to pay back loans, adding
ministers had been “very conservative” in determining this year’s
budget.
3 comments:
CONG PEOPLE PARTY!!!
សមេ្តចជាព្រះអាទិត្យតែមួយ រះលើផែនដីនេះ...។
ជយោ! សមេ្តចបណ្ឌិតអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន វរ្ម័នទី១ ជាទេវតានៃកម្ពុជា!!!
CPP = COCK PENIS PUSSY
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