THE DRAFT of a long-awaited Anti-Corruption Law is facing serious modification at

the hands of a parliamentary committee.

According to SRP MP Son Chhay, who has overseen the formulation of the law since

its inception in 1994, the parliamentary committee overseeing the passage of the

bill The Draft Anti-Corruption Law is intent on eliminating the "penalties"

provision of the law.

"I met a strong argument of from the [parliamentary] committee that the penalty

provision [of the law] must be removed," Chhay said of the June 11 committee

meeting.

"From our perspective, the removal of the penalty provision of the law renders

the law meaningless, giving the Anti-Corruption Board no power except to report [official

corruption]...I said 'Why not just let the newspapers publicize corruption?'."

This is not the first time the parliamentary committee overseeing the draft law has

eliminated key provisions of the law. Earlier this year, a section of the law detailing

an exact definition of corruption was also removed.

Chhay is pessimistic about what the parliamentary commit-tee's decision signifies

in terms of government resolve to seriously tackle corruption.

"This has caused us to doubt the sincerity of the government in addressing the

problem of corruption."

See pages 6 and 7 for details about the draft Anti-Corruption Law.