All 82 law makers, who turned up in the controversial debates of the draft which has been dragged by the government over the last 15 years since it was proposed, adopted the law under mounts of criticism from U.N., oppositions and right activists said that the law is lack of transparency.
Spokesman Yim Sovann, of the Kingdom’s biggest opposition party Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), said the law makers of the party boycotted the second day debate the draft law on Thursday when it was approved.
“We, the opposition, is regretful with the National Assembly’s move today given our requests of amending the law was not taken into considerations,” Sovann told DAP by phone.
He said his party sought for a clear definition of the corruption term and called for an independence of national anti-corruption commission and the anti-corruption unit—with almost all the members of these two groups will be appointed and financed by the government.
Opposition demanded the government’s officials’ assets be disclosed to the public, but was turned down by the government’s Deputy Prime Minister Sok An who said that maintaining secrecy was needed so that to ensure people will come forward to declare their assets.
The United Nations team in Cambodia (UNTC) voiced concern over the lacks of transparency in the law as the government released the draft to the public in only days before debating took place.
“The draft Anti-Corruption law should undergo a transparent and participatory consultation process to ensure that it is consistent with international standards as required by the Constitution and contain sufficient safeguards to protect the rights and duties of Cambodian people who will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this law.”
UNTC, however, said there is still room for improving of the law as the Cambodian Senate will have to debate it after National Assembly’s approval.
“The UNTC also hopes and encourages... the Senate to debate the law, with the possibility to amend the draft if and where considered relevant,” said UNTC in the release.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday that the law can be “amended” by the opposition if they will be in power in the next general election in 2013.
Meanwhile a U.S.-funded Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) said the law is lack of political independence as the public participation was excluded from providing the inputs to the law.
“In the opinion of the CCHR, the failure of the drafters to provide for an independent and autonomous anti-corruption agency is likely to undermine the potential of the Law to confront endemic corruption in the Kingdom of Cambodia,” said CCHR statement, which was sent to the President of National Assembly.
In May, 2009 U.S. ambassador Carol A. Rodley said at Clean Hands Concert in Phnom Penh that
Corruption is a problem that affects every single person in Cambodia.
“According to various studies, corruption costs Cambodia up to $500 million per year in terms of forgone state revenue that could otherwise be spent on public services in education and health care and jobs for Cambodian youth,” said Rodley.
She also said that $500 million is equivalent to the cost of constructing 20,000 six-room school buildings or the ability to pay every civil servant in Cambodia an additional $260 per month.
Cambodian officials rejected Rodley’s comment as unsubstantiated.
But the Berlin-based Transparency International (TI), the global coalition against corruption which surveyed nearly 200 countries, has said in its Corruption Index (CPI) ranked Cambodia as one of the worst corrupt country in the world.
