Comprehensive Reforms to Cope with Corruption
As far as political platform of the Royal Government is concerned I would recommend you look into the materials at your disposal and tomorrow I will present the Rectangular Strategy – Phase II in which you will be shown what priorities are for the next five years… In this world nothing is perfect and everywhere there is, more or less, injustices, corruptions etc. In Cambodia some points have been subjects of deception or exaggeration. Having said so does not mean that I deny all negative aspects that have been challenging at all. It is in this meaning that we put out more comprehensive reform in good governance which is the backbone of the Rectangular Strategy which includes the fight against corruption, legal and judicial reform, public administration reform and reform of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, which will be the core of future development.
Food Safety Concern – CamControl
Cambodia has what we called CamControl, a permanent mechanism which not only prevents what happens once in a while, take for instance the concern on melamine tainted milk powder, but also to oversea food safety in general. With CamControl we also have more institutions with permanent duties to take action in relation to food, animal health, and other communicable diseases. What I want to elaborate here is that we do not deal with issue on an ad hoc basis but more on a permanent structure. That is why Cambodia is not being startled by what happened like the infected milk incident in China at all. In Cambodia, milk or food from whatever countries, China or other countries, will be regularly inspected by CamControl.
SRP Absent and HRP Asks for Oath-Taking Ceremony
Through Oknha Kith Meng again, after the oath-taking ceremony in the Royal Palace, HE Sam Rainsy has requested for my understanding because he has been criticized within his own party for being absent for the Cabinet approval. I told him that as a politician I understand his difficulty and more than that together with the Parties of Funcinpec and Norodom Ranaridh we have more power than we need or even over two-third majority. I think inner Sam Rainsy Party has got a grave concern. HE Kem Sokha also this morning proposed to me to arrange for his party’s elected members to take oath since they have missed. He proposed for the ceremony to take place this morning. I contacted the NA if we could find a way for them to take oath and the NA responded there is no way to do so at this moment.
I have discussed this issue with HE Sar Kheng, the Prime Minister, and we have come to a conclusion that after the Prochum Ben, some CPP members of parliament will resign and some newly elected members will be replacing them, by which time the Kem Sokha’s Huma Rights Party members could join in oath-taking ceremony. We cannot make it this morning. Hopefully HE Kem Sokha understands… It is indeed revealing that the alliance is at stake. HE Kem Sokha said already that his members could not come in time for the first National Assembly meeting because he was angry with the Sam Rainsy Party, and accused RP of acting in superior to his party and expects the HRP to run along./.
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