National Assembly maintains 123 seats

Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

On Monday morning, the National Assembly (NA) approved the draft law preserving the number of NA seats at 123 for the fourth legislative mandate. The vote received 83 approvals out of the total quorum of 92 MPs attending the session. Sar Kheng, vice-prime minister and minister of Interior, came to the NA to defend the draft law which includes 2 articles stating that, based on the joint evaluation performed by the evaluation committee for the number of NA seats for the upcoming fourth legislative mandate to be authorized by the king, there is no need to increase the NA seats, not even by one seat. Prime Minister Hun Sen also declared that the preservation of NA seats for the fourth legislative mandate is truly in agreement with the social and economical situations. Earlier, the opposition party and civil society called on the NA to increase the current number of seats from 123 to 130, based on the increase in the number of population, and to help facilitate MPs task to properly visit their constituents.

Hun Sen Urges Adoption of Assembly Seat Number [to preserve status quo]

Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
25/06/2007

Prime Minister Hun Sen has sent a letter to National Assembly President Heng Samrin, asking him to push for the adoption of a law setting the number of parliamentary seats ahead of the 2008 National Elections.

The National Assembly currently has 123 seats, and will should stay that way, Hun Sen said, despite calls from some politicians to increase the number in proportion to the growing population.

The number of seats must be set for the fourth round of national elections, Hun Sen wrote June 8, calling the situation an "emergency."

The number of seats has grown from 120 in 1993, but opposition lawmakers say more are needed to accurately represent the populace.

"Now the number of lawmakers is small, and the population is large," Sam Rainsy Party legislator Eng Chhay Eang said.

Hang Puthea, executive director of the election watchdog Nicfec, said the number of seats would increase "automatically" with the population.

"Nevertheless, I think the [ruling Cambodian People's Party] will still be leading other parties in getting the vote," he said.

SRP push for an increase in the number of seats at the National Assembly

Wednesday, May 03, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

SRP Phnom Penh MP Son Chhay said the Sam Rainsy Party is pushing for an increase in the number of seats at the National Assembly, to 154 seats. Son Chhay claims that the increase in the number of seats was computed using a correct formula based on the number of people reaching the voting age divided by the number of seats (i.e., the number of voting constituents served by each MP). Son Chhay said this number of increase must be undertaken one year prior to the election. In the past such increase was skipped due to poverty, and financial problems restricting the number of MP seats. Son Chhay said that in 2002, the committee for setting the number of National Assembly seats had determined that there should be up to 148 seats. However, this number was decreased after Hun Sen’s speech. Nevertheless, Khieu Kanharith, Minister of Information and government spokesman, said maybe Son Chhay raised this issue without considering the law, because according to Khieu Kanharith, it is not the duty of a political party to determine the number of National Assembly seats, but that it is the duty of the appropriate (National Assembly) committee to set this number of seats.

Cambodia considers more seats for National Assembly

February 22, 2007

Cambodia has organized a six- member committee to study the possibility of raising the number of seats of the National Assembly, an official said on Wednesday.

"So far we have met only for one time to discuss the matter and we have not got the result yet," said Ek Sam Ol, chairman of the Legislation and Justice Committee of the assembly.

The result will be known in March, he said, adding that he had no comments over whether the assembly should be enlarged or not.

King Norodom Sihanouk [KI-Media: Sihamoni?] signed a royal decree on January 26 to create the new committee to conduct such study and research in preparation for the general election in 2008, he said.

The committee includes one member from each major party in the assembly, two members from the Ministry of Interior, and one from the Statistics Department of the Ministry of Planning, said Ol, member of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

Meanwhile, Nov Sowathearo, spokesman of the co-ruling Funcinpec Party, can not be reached for comment.

In addition, Sam Rainsy, president of Sam Rainsy Party, said recently that Cambodia should increase the number of seats of the top legislative body by 10 because the kingdom's population has risen to about 14 million.

Currently, the National Assembly has 123 seats for lawmakers. Among them, 73 are from CPP, 26 from Funcinpec, and 24 from the Sam Rainsy Party.

Source: Xinhua

Commission will decide on increasing the number of MPs

Tuesday, February 21, 2007

By KS
Cambodge Soir
Translated from French by Luc Sâr

King Sihamoni signed on January 26 a kret [decree] forming a commission which will be in charge of determining whether the number of MP seats should be increased at the National Assembly. Sam Rainsy, opposition leader, defended this idea based on the fact that the country should have more MPs to reflect the population growth, and to lend a voice for Cambodians living overseas. Sam Rainsy proposed to create 10 additional seats, a position which the SRP still maintains now. “We continue to demand for an increase of number of seats at the National Assembly,” Mu Sochua, SRP Secretary-general, confirmed yesterday. Prime Minister Hun Sen said that he categorically opposes such initiative, and that he wants to maintain the current number of 123 seats.

Khieu Kanharith, CPP spokesman, said yesterday that he does not want to provide any comment on this issue until the new commission starts its work. The kret, which was made public yesterday, indicated that the commission will consist of 6 members from the 3 political parties elected (CPP, SRP, and Funcinpec), and that it will be led by CPP MP Ek Sam Ol.