Anti-Corruption Law Far Off: Lawmaker

Yem Ponhearith, a member of parliament from the Human Rights Party.

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
09 June 2009

Cambodia likely will be waiting a long time for an anti-corruption law to be passed, with the next move up to the government, an opposition parliamentarian told “Hello VOA” Monday.

Yem Ponhearith, a lawmaker for the Human Rights Party, which has three seats in the National Assembly, told “Hello VOA” in an interview in Washington that anti-corruption legislation has been in the making for more than a decade and there were no signs it had support now.

Donors have pushed hard for anti-corruption reform, while Cambodia is viewed as one of the most corrupt countries in Asia.

The government recently lashed out against statements by US Ambassador Carol Rodley, who estimated the country loses $500 million per year to corruption.

“The most important matter is to make sure the law can be out for implementation, and the question of effective implementation or not that is another issue,” Yem Ponhearith said. “The law should be passed and promulgated first.”

Responsibility for the law was currently in the hands of the administrative government and not the National Assembly, he said.

Opposition reshuffles leadership

Monday, 01 September 2008
Written by Meas Sokchea The Phnom Penh Post

Shift not related to National Assembly boycott, officials say
OPPOSITION party officials say a recent shake-up among top leaders is not due to divisions over their potential boycott of this month's National Assembly meeting to announce a new government.

The Sam Rainsy Party and the Human Rights Party have announced they will boycott the meeting, scheduled for September 24, over allegations of election fraud by the ruling Cambodian People's Party in last month's polls.

Nhek Vannara, deputy secretary general of the HRP, said the appointment of Yem Ponhearith in mid-August as the party's new secretary general was made because his background better conformed to the needs of the party.

Former HRP secretary general Ou Chanrath will become vice chairman of the party's discipline committee.

"We made this change not because of any problems in the party," Nhek Vannara said. "It is also not related to any potential boycott of the National Assembly."

The Norodom Ranariddh Party announced that spokesman Muth Chantha will be replaced by Deputy Secretary General Suth Dina.

Suth Dina said he had no idea why the change was made and only recently heard about it from other party members.

"A letter announcing the change was sent to Prince Ranariddh last week, but I haven't seen a copy of it," Suth Dina said.

Former spokesman Muth Chantha told the Post on Sunday he did not know about the change either and could not speculate about the reason for it.

Meanwhile, SRP member Eng Chhay Eang resigned his position as secretary general.

Mu Sochua, SRP deputy secretary general, told the Post on Sunday that Eng Chhay Eang had previously informed the party of his decision but had not made it official until that day.

"I respect his decision because he made it for the benefit of the party," Mu Sochua said, though she could not elaborate on the reasons for his resignation.