Cambodian parliament makes NEC constitutionally independent
The Cambodia Herald / Xinhua | 1 Oct. 2014
PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) -- The National Assembly of
Cambodia on Wednesday amended the Constitution to make the National
Election Committee (NEC) a constitutionally mandated and independent
body.
About 120 of the 123 lawmakers, who attended the session, unanimously adopted the amendment to the Constitution.
The
inclusion of the NEC into the Constitution came after the July 22
agreement between Prime Minister Hun Sen and Sam Rainsy, President of
the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), who agreed to end
the opposition's 10-month boycott of the parliament in exchange for an
overhaul of the electoral system and a power sharing within parliament.
"I
have strong confidence that this amendment to the Constitution will
help NEC to work independently to ensure free and fair elections and it
will help prevent political crisis after elections in the future," CNRP
lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang, chairman of the assembly's commission on human
rights, complaints, and investigation, said at the assembly floor.
"It will make the NEC implement its obligations independently and neutrally to ensure free and fair elections," he said.
Under
the amended Constitution, the NEC will have independent budget for its
operations, he said, adding that the body will have the composition of
nine members--four will be chosen by the ruling party, four by parties
having seats in parliament, and one by the approval from all parties
holding seats in the parliament.
The term for the NEC members is five years.
The
opposition CNRP's 55 lawmakers just ended their 10-month boycott of the
parliament over last year's disputed election results in August after
Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed to the CNRP' s proposals for the reform of
the NEC and a power sharing in the parliament.
During the
boycott, the opposition had led many demonstrations and some of them had
turned violence, leaving people dead and injured.
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