The Mirror, Vol. 11, No. 533
“Phnom Penh: Samdech Akak Moha Senapadei Dekchor Hun Sen and Mr. Sam Rainsy, the president of the opposition party, had a verbal clash over the proposed restriction to a single-term for a prime minister. As for Samdech Dekchor, he thinks that to limit the term for a prime minister to only one term will just make that prime minister strongly corrupt. However, Mr. Sam Rainsy thinks that to let a prime minister take over power for only one term is to make the prime minister fully focused on the work for the sake of the nation.
“Samdech Hun Sen said so at the opening ceremony of a conference on ‘Investment, Commerce, and Infrastructure in Cambodia 2007’ on the morning of 7 November 2007 at the Inter-Continental Hotel. Samdech referred to the criticism by a number of politicians who ask for a restriction to a single-term for a prime minister, and some said that Mr. Hun Sen should not have mentioned his young age to talk about retirement. Samdech Hun Sen added, ‘If they are afraid of Hun Sen, they should frankly say that if Mr. Hun Sen stands as a candidate I could not be elected.’
“Samdech Hun Sen said that the process of elections is most democratic; so there is no need to talk about the term at all. Samdech Hun Sen continued that he has been prime minister for almost five terms, not three, and talking about the period of holding power, it is so far 28 years.
“Samdech Hun Sen went on to say, ‘Such a restriction to one term is said to avoid corruption and dictatorship, but only one term would make anybody to quickly grab whatever is possible, because they would hold power only for one term. Only someone who stays longer will behave carefully, because they need political stability and they need support.’
“On the other hand, Mr. Sam Rainsy, the president of the opposition party, thinks differently. He said on the afternoon of 6 November that the restriction to a single term for a prime minister is for the top leader to fully serve the nation and not think about how to continue for another term. He also rejected the idea that holding the prime minister’s position for only one term will make that person to think only about being corrupt, because they have only a short period to hold power. He said if they would act like that, history will judge them, as all elected prime ministers would be known by their appropriate characteristics.
“Moreover, Mr. Sam Rainsy said that he sees that in some developed neighboring countries, such as the Philippines and South Korea, the presidents take power for only one term.
“The Sam Rainsy Party has finished a draft law which intends to limit the term for a prime minister to only one single term. Mr. Son Chhay, the head of the parliamentary group of the Sam Rainsy Party parliamentarians, said that the draft law is just an amendment to the new Article 119 of the Constitution. He plans to submit the draft law to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly this week.
“Although the Sam Rainsy Party has finished the proposed draft law, it is not likely to be successful, considering the many seats of the Cambodian People’s Party in the National Assembly. The Sam Rainsy Party has only 24 seats while the Cambodian People’s Party has 73, and Funcinpec has 26 of the total 123 seats in the National Assembly.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4431, 8.11.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1447, 8.11.2007
- Head of Royal Government of Cambodia Urges that a National Airline Should Be Created Soon
- Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen Responds to the Restriction Proposed by the Opposition Party for One Prime Ministerial Term Only
- There Are 1,815 Arrest Warrants Where Police Have Not Yet Arrested Culprits [Phnom Penh]
- Man Rapes Married Woman Twice; He Was Sued and Jailed When Her Husband Returned Home [Pailin]
- Eight Modern Chinese Made Ships Arrive in Cambodia
- 90 People Die in [suicide] Attack on Delegation of Afghan Assembly [Afghanistan]
Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.1, #53, 8.11.2007
- Yuon [Vietnam] Tries [former] Monk Tim Sakhan Today [who has been defrocked on accusation of having perpetrated an offense against the Buddhist law, because he is accused to have destroyed the harmony between Vietnam and Cambodia, now jailed in Vietnam]
- Sam Rainsy Party Pushes National Election Committee to Delete More Foreigners’ Names from Voters’ Lists in Provinces and Towns
- A Leader with a National Conscience Does Not Stay in Power Like the Current Prime Minister Does
- Civil Society Organizations Say in a Period of Less Than One Year, 121 Citizens Have Been Detained in Land Disputes [countrywide]
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #6187, 8.11.2007
- Research [by Institute for Civic Education] Says Cambodian People’s Party Will Still Lead in 2008 [election]
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3306, 8.11.2007
- Sam Rainsy: If International Observers Come on Day of Elections only, They Are to Rubber Stamp for the Cambodian People’s Party to Hold Power
- Samdech Euv [the Father King] Mocks at Appointment of Funcinpec Prime Ministerial Candidate Calling It Funny
- Hun Sen Concerned about Draft Law on Restriction of Prime Ministerial Term
- Neighboring Countries Still Insolently Encroach on Khmer Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity
- 50% of Khmer Children Do Not Finish Primary School, but Khmer High Ranking Officials Are Just Busy Boasting about Doctor’s Degrees without Entering a School [mocking]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.15, #4431, 8.11.2007
- Samdech Dekchor Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy Have Verbal Clash over Prime Ministerial Term
- Samdech Dekchor: ‘I Will Withdraw the Right of Negotiations [for the creation of a national airline] form Mr. Sok An’ [the Prime Minister will negotiate himself]
- $18,800 Spent [by South Korean government] on Korean Volunteer Students’ Charity Activities in Cambodia to Strengthen Relations between the Two Countries
- 10 Killed and 27 Wounded in [fighting] in Southern Thailand
Sith Sereipheap, Vol.12, #1079, 8-9.11.2007
- 2,500 Citizens Participated in the Inauguration of Human Rights Party Headquarters in Banteay Meanchey [on 3 November]
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #546, 8.11.2007
- Survey by Institute for Civic Education Says Cambodian People’s Party Will Get 61 Seats, Sam Rainsy Party 42, and the Rest of 20 Seats Are Uncertain
- Hun Sen Gets Angry with Tioulong Saumura [parliamentarian from Phnom Penh and wife of Sam Rainsy, president of the Sam Rainsy Party] Who Wants Cambodia to Have a Prime Ministerial Term Restriction to One Term Only
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