SRP lawmaker drafts his own antigraft law

via CAAI News Media

Friday, 12 February 2010 15:02 Meas Sokchea

AN opposition lawmaker said Thursday that he was drafting an alternate version of the Anticorruption Law, as the National Assembly continues to await a copy of the draft that was approved by the Council of Ministers in December.

Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay said he decided to draft his own version of the law partially in response to the fact that the Council of Ministers had kept the approved version under wraps.

“We have learned that the government has already produced a draft Anticorruption Law and that the Council of Ministers adopted it, but it has been more than two months, and we still do not know where it is,” he said.

Senior government officials said towards the end of last year that the draft Anticorruption Law would not be debated by the National Assembly until at least April.

But opposition party and civil society representatives say they want the law handed over to the National Assembly for debate and public scrutiny as soon as possible.

Cheam Yeap, a senior lawmaker for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said parliamentarians had not received a draft as of Wednesday.

“We have not received it yet. I am a member of the assembly’s permanent committee, and I have not received it yet. When we receive it, we will hold a session,” he said.

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said he did not know exactly when the draft law would be forwarded on for debate.