Five political parties’ parliamentary members in fourth mandate will be playing important role to push for the adoption of the long-awaiting anti-corruption law, which failed to be passed from mandate to mandate. International donors, international and local non-governmental organizations, along with common Cambodians were waiting to see the adopted corruption law.
The new government will be formed at the end of September 2008, with five parties wining National Assembly seats. Among those parties, they pledge to pass the anti-corruption law at least first 6 months after forming new government while conducting the election campaign if its party won 2008 election. Nowadays, it is seen that all parties which made promise in front of voters won seats in Assembly.
According to the Press Release by Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Against Corruption (CsCSOAC) dated on June 25, ten of eleven political parties registered to compete in 2008 general election declared that if they win election, they would pass anti-corruption law within the first six-month of the new government , with law meeting international standard.
Only the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) did not respond to the letter of CoCSOAC by declaring that it would pass the law if it won election until by the deadline of
Even though, in the interview between The Cambodia Daily with CPP’s lawmaker, Cheam Yeap, he said that if the CPP won election in fourth mandate in 2008, the anti-corruption will be adopted, adding that the Royal Government has already finished the criminal code.
In the interview, he said that “we recognize that there really is corruption, and so far we may not have an anti-corruption law, but we have other laws that are implemented against offenders. We have the criminal code from 1956; we have law decree No 01 from 1980; we have law No 02 from 1991; we have the Untac interim criminal code; these laws can punish all criminals who commit corruption.â€
However, the civil society also observed that the present draft anti-corruption law has not yet met international standards to which the Government agreed with the donors during the Consultative Group meeting in December 2004. And the civil society also urges the government and Assembly to review some points such as: Definition of Corruption; The independence of the Anti-corruption body, particularly The Secretary General’s executive power; Asset declaration; and Whistleblower/ witness protection.
Until now, the Cambodians wait and see whether the new government will play critical role in passing the long-awaited anti-corruption law.
I have no optimistic over anti-corruption law. If this laws pass, so who get to crack down first? Cambodian people will become the next victim by law.