NGOs demand for an Anti-Corruption Law (Photo: RFA)10 Parties Promise Anti-Corruption Law
By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
26 June 2008
With the election one month away, 10 of the country's 11 competing political parties have signed a declaration to pass anti-corruption legislation if brought to power in July.
The ruling Cambodian People's Party has not responded to a request from the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Against Corruption, which was sent to each party and asked for cooperation in passing an anti-corruption law of international standards.
"The Cambodian People's Party has not replied to [the coalition] because we have done a draft law on corruption already," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said, accusing the coalition of ignorance of Cambodian law.
The draft law on corruption has been at the Council of Ministers for more than a decade.
The current government is not willing to pass a corruption law because many officials are corrupt, said Mam Sitha, president the Independent Committee Against Corruption and chairman of the Peace and Transparency for Human Rights Group.
"Because of the corruption in Cambodia, we lose $300 million to $500 million per year," she said. "That means we lose $1 million per day."
The ruling Cambodian People's Party has not responded to a request from the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Against Corruption, which was sent to each party and asked for cooperation in passing an anti-corruption law of international standards.
"The Cambodian People's Party has not replied to [the coalition] because we have done a draft law on corruption already," government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said, accusing the coalition of ignorance of Cambodian law.
The draft law on corruption has been at the Council of Ministers for more than a decade.
The current government is not willing to pass a corruption law because many officials are corrupt, said Mam Sitha, president the Independent Committee Against Corruption and chairman of the Peace and Transparency for Human Rights Group.
"Because of the corruption in Cambodia, we lose $300 million to $500 million per year," she said. "That means we lose $1 million per day."
