Party rejects Consultation Forum to avoid ‘mess’
HAVING previously expressed interest in joining the prime mi n i s t e r ’s “Co n s u l t a t i o n Forum”, senior officials from the Grassroots Democratic Party (GDP) and Our Motherland Party (OMP) have now rejected the chance to join the body, with one anxious to avoid “getting stuck in the mess”.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said membership of the forum was purely voluntary and “we do not regret [the decision] as it is their position”.
Fifteen polit i cal par t i es agreed with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) on August 21 to create the Consultation Forum as called for by Prime Minister Hun Sen, with the multiparty body aim- ing to monitor the implementation of laws at the national and sub-national levels.
At the time, four political parties – the League f or Democracy Party, GDP, Khmer Anti-Poverty Party and OMP – declined to join.
By the end of that month, the GDP and the OMP expressed interest in joining the forum, with Hun Sen asking them to send a letter of request. But they have since gone back on the decision.
OMP leader Chan Bun Horn told The Post on Monday: “The more we know about government affairs, the more trouble we will get into.”
In August, Hun Sen spoke of the forum as opening a “cult u re of d ia log ue” to solve nat iona l i ssues. He sa id it would give opportunities to ot her pol it ic a l pa r t ies t hat competed i n t he Ju l y 29 national elections but did not win a ny Nat iona l Assembly seats to provide feedback and monitor t he gover n ment’s performance.
Bun Horn told The Post on Monday that his party held a meeting recently and decided not to join the forum. But he said he welcomed the body if it led to more effective government reforms.
“We will not join because f i r s t l y, [ t he g ov e r nment] seemed to persuade us to join, but later on, the government asked us to file a request, which I will not do.
“It changed the conditions because I missed joining at the beginning. If they want me to join, I have to ask for permission to join them! The more we
we know about government af fairs, t he more trouble we will get into,” he said.
When asked whether his party will consider joining the Consultation Forum later, Bun Horn was pessimistic, saying: “At the moment, it is a complete mess, and I will not get involved in the mess.”
He said he can better fulfil his part y’s obligations outside t he forum, but he will monitor t he situation.
GDP leader Yang Saing Koma told The Post on Monday t hat his part y held a meeting on October 21 to formally decide not to join the forum.
“We have made a formal decision that we will not join t he consultation forum, but we welcome dia log ue wit h ot her politica l parties, especia lly the government, through other mechanisms,” he said
Though he said he believed in t he spirit of t he forum as part of his part y’s policy on nationa l unit y as la id out in its manifesto, he said the GDP has other tasks to attend to.
Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said t hat polit ica l parties have t he right whether or not to join the Consultation Forum.
He said the body’s membership was voluntar y, and politica l parties wishing to join have to make a request to t he prime minister.
Cambodian Youth Part y leader Pich Sros who is a member of the forum, said t hat t hough it has only ex isted for t wo months, the body had already produced some positive results, such as t he protection of Prek Treng beach in Preah Sihanouk prov ince and t he offering of la nd tit les to 59 fa milies in Siem Reap prov ince, among ot hers.