Rong Chhun calls out to the elected representatives regarding the size of the Cambodian Government

Cambodge Soir

18-09-2008

In an open letter dated from 18 September, the President of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA) asks for the attention of the 123 new elected representatives concerning the high number of officials in the future government.

In this letter, Ron Chhun expresses his doubts on the necessity to create more new positions for high ranking officials. According to him, the new government will indeed be composed of a Prime Minister, 9 Deputy Prime Ministers, 16 Ministers of State, 26 Ministers, 172 Secretaries of State and 168 Deputy Secretaries of State. In total, 392 people would thus encompass the executive power, compared to 334 in 2004, a number which leaves Ron Chhung skeptical. “No country in the world has a government with a head bigger than the body”, he writes, and asks the new deputies to take this parameter into consideration before giving their agreement.

He emphasises that this increase isn’t at all a sign of profound reforms, but to the contrary, a means to defend the existing interests. He then draws a parallel between the ordinary government officials, teachers, police or military, whose salaries increase slower than the cost of living since 1993. According to the trade union worker it would be preferable to limit the number of high ranking positions and more useful to redistribute this part of the budget amongst the ordinary civil servants.