• Society

Hopes Set on the National Assembly to Truly Work for Cambodia’s People

• By Teng Yalirozy
• November 5, 2023 7:30 PM

PHNOM PENH — As the National Assembly has been in session since Aug. 21, during its 7th mandate, a social analyst hopes that the parliamentarians who were elected a few months ago will really represent the Cambodian voters who count on them, and intend to serve them well.

“This work is easier said than done,” said National Assembly President Khoun Sudary who presided over the “Orientation Programme for New Members of Parliament” on Nov. 3.

“The two parties that gained seats must represent the people and put the national interest before everything,” she told parliamentarians during the orientation programme.

The first woman to ever hold the position, she officially took over in August 2023 from Heng Samrin who had been president since 2006.

Eighteen parties competed in the national election of July 2023, but only two won seats in parliament with the Cambodian People’s Party getting 120 seats, and FUNCINPEC​​ winning five.

Pa Chanroeun, president of the Cambodian Institute for Democracy, said that parliaments in the previous mandates were idle when it came to solving problems and putting people's wellbeing first as they claimed.

“It’s too early to make an assessment now as the new government has just taken over for about three months,” he said. “However, three months have gone by, and no significant actions have been seen from the National Assembly.

“As a Cambodian citizen who is also working toward democracy and society, I request that the new legislature in parliament be active and meet with the people as much they did when they were campaigning for the ballots,” Chanroeun said.

For a healthy democracy, he said, parliamentarians should be active about taking note of people’s concerns, discussing solutions, compiling information and, if necessary, amending certain laws.

Parliaments in developed and democratic countries open their doors to people to come in and spill out their problems, Chanroeun said. Discussions are an open forum for everyone where parliamentarians work to find answers to the questions, he said.

Speaking of members of parliament keeping track of situations, Chanroeun said that some of them had said not being aware of the NagaWorld labor conflict and protest that has lasted for months.

Leng Peng Long, secretary general of the National Assembly, could not be reached for comments.

The National Assembly has been constantly criticized for its inactiveness in dealing with people’s hardship. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel) criticized that only 10 out of the 125 parliament members in the 6th mandate made donations and that parliamentarians had not addressed the situation in session.

Hopes for change remain, however, and are placed on the new members that they will address issues people face.

Khuon Sudary urged parliamentarians to focus on three core works: legislation or law-making, representation and oversight. She also stressed that parliamentary diplomacy must catch up with the global trends and the uncertainty of world geopolitics.

“In this 7th legislature, we must strengthen our abilities and work to reach our goals,” she said.

A democratic parliament embodies five core values: representation, openness and transparency, accessibility, accountability, and effectiveness.