NEWSLE TTER KAS CAMBODIA OFFICE The following articles are a composition of the 55th EDITION August 2014 past month’s (08.08.2014–31.08.2014) local news in Cambodia. Martina Mayr Minor Parties concerned about the National Election Committee During talks in July 2014 between the CPP and CNRP, which eventually Content led to the end of a 10-month political deadlock, the two parties agreed on electoral reforms. Accordingly, the National Election Committee (NEC) will Minor Parties concerned consist of 9 members; 4 members each from the leading CPP and the about the National Election main opposition party (CNRP), while one NEC member is to be agreed Committee upon by both parties. Leadership vote in the Na- Minor parties without parliamentary seats and NGOs have now ques- tional Assembly; Kem So- tioned the election reform, suggesting too much party involvement within kha to take seat a Committee supposedly politically neutral. The NEC has long been criti- cized to lack impartiality, being dominated by the CPP. The expressed concerns by the civil society and minor political parties imply that CNRP’s Votes for Commission efforts towards an apolitical electoral system have now led to “two parties heads did not go as in control of running elections” and question whether “such an arrange- planned ment […] could lead to free elections”. Further reading: Minor Parties Question Two-Party Control of Election Committee By Hul Reaksmey The Cambodian Daily, Friday, August 15th 2014 Leadership vote in the National Assembly; Kem Sokha to take seat CNRP Vice-President Kem Sokha has taken his seat as First Vice- President in the National Assembly on 26th August 2014. Accordingly, previous First Vice-President Nguon Ngel from the CPP stepped down and assumed the position as Second Vice-President of the National Assembly. The nominations took place in response to a meeting between the CNRP and the CPP in the end of July 2014, during which the CNRP agreed to end its boycott of the National Assembly in return for national reforms. In Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V. 2 NEWSLETTER accordance with the agreement, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen KAS CAMBODIA OFFICE pledged that all 68 CPP lawmakers would vote for a CNRP candidate as 55th EDITION | August 2014 First Vice-President of the National Assembly. Eventually 116 lawmakers voted for Kem Sokha, with four www.kas.de voices against him, two abstain- www.kas.de/kambodscha ing and one member being ab- sent. CNRP President Sam Rainsy took his position as ‘ordinary’ Na- tional Assembly member, intend- ing to advice and guide his col- leagues. The Cambodia Daily Further reading: Leadership elections set: CNRP’s Sam Rainsy to forgo a parliamentary ti- tle to ‘advice’ By Kevin Ponniah The Phnom Penh Post, Tuesday, August 26th 2014 New Assembly Leadership sits following CPP theatrics By Hul Reaksmey The Cambodia Daily, Wednesday, August 27th 2014 Parties play political chairs By Meas Sokchea The Phnom Penh Post, Wednesday, August 27th 2014 Votes for Commission heads did not go as planned On August 28th lawmakers of the National Assembly gathered to vote for the heads of 7 remaining parliamentary commissions. According to the political agreement between the CNRP and the CPP from July 22nd 2014, each party will have the majority control over 5 of the 10 commissions and will be able to appoint their members freely. Nevertheless, the sup- port of at least 62 of the 123 members of the National Assembly would still be necessary. On the previous day, CNRP member Eng Chhay Eang had already been voted in as head of the human rights commission, while CNRP lawmaker Pol Ham had been elected to lead the investment, planning and agricul- ture commission. The decision of the head of the banking and finance Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V. 3 NEWSLETTER commission had fallen onto KAS CAMBODIA OFFICE CPP’s Cheam Yeap, with the 55th EDITION | August 2014 Opposition’s Whip Son Chhay as deputy head. www.kas.de Despite Prime Minister Hun www.kas.de/kambodscha Sen’s guarantee that all 68 CPP lawmakers would vote for the candidates of the opposition, two CNRP can- The Phnom Penh Post didates lost their ballots: Mu Sochua and Yim Sovann, who were nominated as chairpersons for the social affairs commission and the anti-corruption commission respectively. The CNRP selected al- ternative members, Ke Sovannaroth and Ho Vann, who were then fa- vored by the majority. Although lawmakers are free to independently vote according to Cambodian law, the loss of the two CNRP candidates came as a surprise. The election of the head of the education commission, Yem Ponharith of the CNRP, as well as the ballots for the parliamentary commission heads to be led by the CPP occurred without unexpected incidences. Further reading: CPP blocks opposition commission selections By Hul Reaksmey The Cambodia Daily, Thursday, August 28th 2014 Let the snubbling begin By Meas Sokchea The Phnom Penh Post, Thursday, August 28th 2014 New Assembly Leadership sits following CPP theatrics By Hul Reaksmey th The Cambodia Daily, Wednesday, August 27 2014 Parties play political chairs KONRAD-ADENAUER-STIFTUNG CAMBODIA OFFICE By Meas Sokchea The Phnom Penh Post, Wednesday, August 27th 2014 House No. 4, Street 462 Khan Charmkar Mon P.O. Box 944 Phnom Penh Cambodia Tel. +855 (0)23 99 68 61 Fax +855 (0)23 21 33 64 [email protected] .