By Ek Tha
PHNOM PENH, 2 October 2013 – Cambodian
Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An exchanged views with EU Ambassador
Jean-Francois Cautain to Cambodia on Wednesday about the budget shortfall of
the national side of the Extraordinary Chamber within the Courts of Cambodia
(ECCC) as the court is moving towards the very important step of the final
statement in Case 002/1 this month and its written judgment next year.
Both sides also discussed about Cambodia’s post-political
election.
In the meeting at the Office of the Council of Ministers, His
Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An,
told the Ambassador that the Closing Statements in
Case 002/01 concerning the accused persons Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan will
take place from 16 to 31 October and the written judgment is expected to be
delivered by mid-June next year.
Although no financial contribution to the national side of
the ECCC is pledged by EU at this stage, Ambassador Jean-Francois Cautain
continues to work with the court in its process to render justice to the
victims of Democratic Kampuchea, known as the Khmer Rouge or the Killing Fields
Regime 17 April 1975 - 6 January 1979. An estimated 2 million Cambodians died
of executions, starvation, disease and forced labor.
The EU has contributed more than $9 million US to the court
of which more than $5 millions were previously made to the national side of the
court, with nearly $4 millions recently pledged to the international side.
Dr. Sok An said that the Cambodian Government has contributed
in cash and in kind about 10 per cent of the total budget amounting to $16.9
millions since the court was established in 2006.
Cambodia has to face the reality that it cannot further
increase this already significant contribution without jeopardizing the
country’s judicial reform program, as the funds for the ECCC already exceed the
commitment from the national budget for the country’s Supreme Court by 257% and
for the Appeals Court by 300%.
His Excellency Sok An explained to Ambassador Cautain in
details about the recent electoral process in Cambodia, ranging from the
registration of voters to the voting and counting stage which took place in
more than 19,000 polling stations witnessed by more than 40,000 local observers
and nearly 300 prominent international observers.
The process of vote counting and securing the ballot boxes
were also witnessed by all political party agents and observers, His Excellency
Dr. Sok An explained to the diplomat.
“The whole electoral process went smoothly,” said H.E. Sok
An. The ruling party of CPP received 68 out of the country’s total 123
parliamentarian seats. The opposition of CNRP obtained 55 seats.
But, the Deputy Prime Minister said that albeit the CNRP
continues to manipulate the election results, but this CNRP’s manipulation,
however, will never defeat the truth.”
The CNRP is lying to the public in asserting that formation
of the new National Assembly requires 120 MPs, while only 63 are required
according to the Constitution and the internal rules and procedures of the
National Assembly.
“That is why we have had to produce the White Paper to
explain the public.”
On Monday, His Excellency Dr. Sok An himself introduced the
“White Paper on the 2013 General Election for the 5th Mandate of the
National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia” to about 600 participants.
According to article 82 of amended Constitution in 2006, a
new Royal Government must be in place within 60 days after the election, and
not 3 or 4 months as argued by CNRP.
“The winning party in the 28 July 2013 election, the CPP, is
firmly and strictly respecting the rules and the Constitution and everything is
moving forward smoothly,” H.E Sok An said.
“We welcome the opposition, CNRP, to join us at the National
Assembly but so far they do not.”
End.