Friday, 5 September 2008

No Need for Package Administration: Analyst

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
04 September 2008

Khmer audio aired 04 September 2008 (1.13 MB) - Download (MP3)
Khmer audio aired 04 September 2008 (1.13 MB) - Listen (MP3)

A plan by the Cambodian People's Party to seek package approval of the executive branch following the formation of the National Assembly later this month is not necessary, a political analyst said Wednesday.

In 2004, the CPP broke a deadlock that had lasted nearly a year after the national election by implementing a controversial constitutional amendment allowing package voting. The package vote led to the mass appointment of government ministers, circumventing one-by-one approval for each.

"This time the circumstances are normal and there is no need to use the [amendment]," said Lao Monghay, a researcher for the Asian Human Rights Commission.

The package approval should be sought when "severe obstacles" exist in the formation of the administration, he said. If not, there can be internal problems within the winning party.

The CPP's win of 90 parliamentary seats, officially announced earlier this week, means the party can form a government on its own. However, party officials say they plan to share some lower ministerial positions with their old coalition partner, Funcinpec.

CPP lawmaker Cheam Yiep confirmed Wednesday the party would move for package approval of the administration.

The package vote will "speed up the process" in creating the new government, he said, denying internal problems within the party was the cause.

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