PHNOM PENH, 22 Feb. 2012 – His Excellency Deputy
Prime Minister Dr. Sok An on Wednesday updated Mr. Jean Francois Cautain, the
European Ambassador to Cambodia, on Cambodia’s many achievements over the last
three mandates.
Mr.
Cautain asked the Deputy Prime Minister about reforms including public
administration, decentralisation and deconcentration (D & D), judiciary,
civil service and the Extraordinary Chambers within the Courts of Cambodia
(ECCC).
Dr. Sok An said that the Royal Government has achieved
important reforms over the last three mandates. “If we reform, we have a chance
to survive; if not, we would die politically.”
The Deputy Prime Minister explained that the
government has been taking every step seriously and carefully since day one.
For example, national expenditure should be well coordinated with national
revenue to ensure macroeconomic stability and low inflation.
“We want to offer higher salaries to civil servants,
but that should be considered together with national revenue”, said the Deputy
Prime Minister. “We are increasing salaries for our civil servants, but we have
to do it step by step. If we hire more civil servants, we cannot increase their
salaries.”
His Excellency Dr. Sok An, on the issue of D & D,
said that the government is implementing it and it has been going well.
He said that Cambodia has all relevant laws for legal
institutions to carry out their jobs.
The country’s legislature adopted 149 laws during the
previous term of the government, which ranked ahead of other countries in the
region, he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said that the government has
established a number of institutions with qualified candidates are recruited to
attend. Cambodia has established six schools, including schools for magistrates
and public notary, as well as providing legal training for judges, prosecutors
and lawyers as part of the government’s effort to improve the judicial system.
“I can say that we have had a big success in judicial
reform”, said Dr. Sok An, who is also Minister in Charge of the Office of the
Council of Ministers.
The EU Ambassador said that bilateral relations with
Cambodia have been going very well. EU policy now is not only to provide
assistance but also to open its doors wider for bilateral trade with ASEAN
under the Everything But Arms duty-free and quota-free scheme.
Cambodia’s exports to the EU increased 30 percent last
year, said Mr. Cautain. He praised Cambodia for its development over past years
and congratulated Cambodia for chairing ASEAN this year.
Mr. Cautain welcomed Cambodia’s decision to create a
government-NGO forum, which will play a vital role in the social development of
the country.
Mr. Cautain, who first set foot in Cambodia in the
early 1990s, recalled that on that visit he was afraid to go out of Phnom Penh
because of security concerns. “It is not the case now. The situation is very
interesting now.”
Dr. Sok An noted that the ECCC, where more than 20 nationalities
are working together, have been operating smoothly thanks in part to the
contribution of the administrative office.
Cambodia is looking to introduce a new curriculum on
administration for national courts since it plays a vital role in local court
management.
Dr. Sok An, who is also Chairman of the Royal
Government’s Khmer Rouge Trial Task Force, said that the ECCC has achieved five
world records.
Those are: the speed of adopting its internal rules
and conducting the first trial, its relatively low cost, the absence of any
fugitives, the extent of public support and the involvement of victims in the
judicial process.
The ECCC is now setting a sixth record because it is
dealing with a more important case than other tribunals funded by the United
Nations, referring to the four suspects, who are the most responsible leaders,
now being tried.
Dr. Sok An said that a seventh record is the court’s
legacy, which means its achievements should be archived and placed in a
research centre, where national and international researchers can access its
records in the future.