Cambodian ruling party faces test over next 5 years
Cambodian political analysts said Prime Minister Hun Sen needs to make “serious and deep reforms” over the next five years to restore his popularity after his party survived with a slim majority in July’s disputed general election. … Sok Touch, deputy director of the Royal Academy of Cambodia’s International Relations Institute, attributed the falling popularity of Hun Sen and his party to cronyism, rampant corruption, forced evictions, illegal immigration and lack of an independent judicial system. … Another important reason that the CPP had lost many supporters during the past five years is that although the country has seen a sustainable annual economic growth of around 7 percent, many poor people have not been benefited by this growth. “The annual growth is high, but the beneficiaries of the growth are those who have high resources, not include the poor people,” Sok Touch said. … “Structural power constraints, factionalism, and nepotism have been limiting Hun Sen’s effective reform efforts,” he [Asia Pacific Studies lecturer at the University of Leeds Chheang Vannarith] told Xinhua. “Judicial reform is the most urgent, and the court has to be independent,” he said, adding that the parliament needs to challenge and closely follow up policy implementation by the executives. Moreover, he said, the Anti-Corruption Unit needs to operate independently so that it can effectively address the chronic and widespread corruption in the country. “Public trust and confidence in Hun Sen will be restored if his deep reforms deliver positive results,” Vannarith said. … In Hun Sen’s new cabinet approved by the parliament in September, many members of the previous cabinet retained their posts, except the ministers of finance, education, agriculture, environment, industry, and telecommunications. … Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said the government is committed to fighting against corruption, enhancing social justice and good governance, and reducing poverty to improve the living conditions of the Cambodian people. “The government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, has a clear roadmap towards reforming these issues. I believe that fruitful results from the reforms will gradually deliver in the coming years,” he said.
Global Times
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/829846.shtml#.Up_bWNIW2ls
