Nomination by the truck load for government positions

Keo Remy, one of the useless government advisors who was recently nominated by royal decree following his defection to the CPP after the general election (Photo: Im Navin, Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

03 Nov 2008
By Ung Chamroeun
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

Through three royal “krets” (decrees) approved in October by King Sihamoni, 50 government advisors, including two women, were nominated.

Among these advisors, four will benefit the rank of state ministers, 19 of ministers, 11 of state secretaries and 16 of under secretary of state.

Among these advisors, there were numerous defectors from the opposition parties. Former members of the Funcinpec party, NRP, SRP or HRP, as well as those from other parties, these men and women joined the CPP shortly before the general election, or shortly thereafter.

The large number of nominations is considered by some as a reward distributed to these new CPP members who belonged to other political parties in the past. Hun Sen issued a very clear principle: “welcome with warmth the new members, while keeping the old members.” Some political observers noted that the perspective of such nominations pushes members from other political parties to join the CPP. “Seniority has no meaning in this party (CPP) in order to become a government official. It’s best to belong to the SRP first, for example, before defecting to the CPP shortly before the election,” an anonymous NGO official indicated.

According to Rong Chhun, President of the Cambodia Independent Teachers’ Association (CITA), this practice creates a source of waste for the state budget. He noted that “Cambodia holds the world record for useless nominations to government positions.”

Son Chhay questions Hun Sen over advisors’ appointment

Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Click here to read the original letter in Khmer

To Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia

Through the intermediary of Samdech Heng Samrin, President of the National Assembly

Subject: Request for an immediate ending of the practice of nominating of advisors holding the rank of ministers and state secretaries. Request to send the names of all the advisors who received a government salary to the National Assembly.

Based on:

1. Article 90 (2) of the constitution which stipulated that: “The assembly shall pass a vote of confidence in the Royal Government by an absolute majority of all members.”
2. The nomination of numerous people, including businessmen, low-ranking officials, to the position of advisor of the prime minister, of the president of the National Assembly, of the president of the Senate, with the rank of ministers, secretaries of state, and under secretaries of state.

Based on the subject and the references cited above, I am informing Samdech Prime Minister that, based on observation, the third mandate government have nominated businessmen, government workers, and members of various parties who defected from their parties as advisors to the government, with the rank of ministers and secretaries of state, and nobody knows how many hundreds these are, nor do anyone know their individual expertise in helping the country with good governance as a state of law, because the government must spend a lot of budget for the salaries of these people.

With the complaints from ministers, who are the ministry leaders, saying that they have difficulties organizing work at their ministries when the low-ranking officials are nominated as advisors of the country leadership, and they also hold the position of ministers like them (actual ministers), this situation prevent the ministers from actually ruling over these advisors who have the same rank as them (ministers).

There are also complaints from the police saying that a number of crooked businessmen who received the title of advisors to the country leaders, used their positions and titles to violate various laws, and created difficulties for the police to fight against these violatioins, such as land-grabbing activities from the people, contraband, and the avoidance to pay tax to the state, etc…

There are criticisms from a number of parties about the ruling party using its power to nominate political defectors who joined it, and these defectors received benefits as advisors with the rank of ministers, for example, saying that this rights violation of other equal political parties by the use of money and illegal government positions, will affect the free and fair election.

Knowing that the King is very reluctant in forcing himself to sign the decrees nominating these individuals to high ranking position, only to serve the interest of the ruling party,

Based on the opinion that the nomination of any individual to the rank of ministers or secretaries of state must require the agreement from the National Assembly through a majority approval vote from all the MPs beforehand,

Because there is no country in the world where the Prime Minister has so many advisors and spends state budgets as he wants, unlike what is happening in the current Kingdom of Cambodia,

I am asking the Prime Minister to review for an immediate end of these nominations of advisors with the rank of ministers or secretary of states, and to review those who were already nominated but do not have the expertise, or they are not necessary, in order to remove them so as to preserve the order in the governance in a responsible country, and to cut down the unnecessary expense on these advisors also.

At the same time, in order to learn about the number of government advisors, I am asking the Prime Minister to please send the list of all these advisors, with the specification of their expertise, and the advises they provided to the government in the past.

I hope that the Prime Minister will agree with the request above.

Please accept my highest respect.

Done in Phnom Penh, 18 February 2008
Son Chhay
Phnom Penh MP

Viewed and Sent to Hun Sen
Phnom Penh, 20 February 2008
Heng Samrin