Civil society organizations request an increase in the number of parliament seats

25 May 2007
By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia (a station labeled insolent by Hun Sen)
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy

The alliance of civil society organizations requests an increase in the number of parliament seats for the 4th mandate (2008-2013) to 130, in proportion to the population increase.

The joint statement issued by the alliance of civil society organizations on 25 May, indicated that the Cambodian population will increase to almost 14.5 million in 2008.

Hang Puthea, the executive director of Nicfec, said that because the alliance sees the population growth in the near future, it decides to ask the government to review its ability to increase the number of parliament seats.

Hang Puthea said: “We observe that the number of MPs is too small, they cannot visit all their constituents. Therefore, their number should be increased, this is not to help any political party in particular, but it is to increase the number of parliament seats for those parties who won the election so they can have more MPs and the latter have the opportunity to work more… The population increases, and a number of villagers are facing hardship, therefore, with the population increase, the number of MPs should also increase.”

Hang Puthea added that the alliance also wants to ask the National Assembly to clearly divide the work among MPs and government officials, that is, there should be a clear division between the legislative and the executive branches.

Khmer Intelligence News - 23 May 2007

23 May 2007

Commemoration: First democratic elections organized in Cambodia exactly 14 years ago (1)

Today is the 14th anniversary of the first democratic elections ever organized in Cambodia. On May 23, 1993, the United Nations, through the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), held general elections as stipulated by the October 23, 1991 Paris Peace Agreements. In 1993, there were facilities given to overseas Cambodians to take part in the poll. Special polling stations were organized in New York, Paris, Geneva and Canberra for Cambodians living in North America, Europe and Australia.

Most additional MP seats would go to SRP (2)

The ruling CPP and the government are reluctant to increase the number of National Assembly seats for the 2008 election in accordance with the election law because they know that most additional parliamentary seats would go to the opposition SRP. In particular, in several constituencies with only one seat each that is controlled by the CPP (Sihanoukville, Preah Vihear), the creation of a second seat as legally justified by the increase in the population over the last ten years, would benefit the SRP, which has become the country's second largest party. Documents in English and French by clicking here.

All TV stations are controlled by the CPP (2)

All the seven TV stations operating in Cambodia are directly or indirectly, politically and/or financially controlled by the ruling CPP, which wants to make sure that no rival political parties have access whatsoever to the electronic media. CPP top leaders or their close relatives have a significant portion of the equity of most of the following television companies/stations: TVK (State-owned; channel 7); Phnom Penh Municipality (channel 3); Army (channel 5); Bayon (channel 27); Apsara (channel 11); Khmer TV (channel 9); CTN (channel 21).

Funcinpec to expel other parliamentarians (2)

After Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Prince Norodom Chakrapong, former Funcinpec Secretary-General Chhim Seak Leng, a number of other prominent Funcinpec members could be expelled from the oldest royalist party and would ipso facto lose their parliamentary seats. They are former Interior Co-Minister You Hockry, former CPP Interior Vice-Minister Sin (Pin) Sen who defected to Funcinpec in 1998, and Prince Norodom Sirivudh. Princess Norodom Vacheara has declared that she would leave politics soon.

Cambodian MP in Pakistan (1)

National Assembly member Tioulong Saumura was in Islamabad last week as a member of a team led by the Washington-based National Democratic Institute and charged with assessing the pre-election situation in Pakistan. General elections are expected to be held in that country by the end of this year. The delegation was received by the Prime Minister. More information at www.samrainsyparty.org

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