G ENERAL Secretary of the National Assembly Lieutenant General Tol Las announced
the National Assembly will debate and vote on a bill on the organization and
functioning of the Council of Ministers next week.
Las said the final
meetings in this session of the Assembly will be held from July 4-6. He also
described the agenda for the final meetings of this session to the Post, and
announced that National Assembly committee hearings on the Royal Government's
Draft Immigration Law will be completed on July 6.
Las said: "The second
session of the National Assembly will end on July 7, but three extraordinary
sessions are planned for the three month recess period which
follows."
The National Assembly meets in three month sessions followed by
three month recesses. The current session is Cambodia's second since the
acceptance of the Constitution on Sep 21 last year.
The last meeting of
the Assembly was held in late May, and the Urbanization Law was passed. This is
the only law the Assembly has passed in its current session which began on May
7.
The agenda for the three day session at the beginning of July includes
two standing items and two new items. The latter will require the approval of
the members before they can be considered.
Las said: "A move to declare
the Khmer Rouge outlaws is not on the agenda, but, in my opinion, there is a
strong move in that direction. It is possible that a motion to do so will come
from a member of the Assembly itself."
Old agenda items include a
government request for the approval of General Sin Sen and General Kieng Vang to
be elevated to Secretaries of State in the Ministry of Interior from their
current positions as Under Secretaries of State in the Ministry.
A
proclamation of those Assembly members who will replace members who have taken
up governorships and ambassadorships, and the seating of Prince Chakrapong and
Sin Song has not yet been accomplished. This agenda item remains unsettled since
this session's first meeting on April 7. A Stalemate on seating forced that
meeting to halt after only two hours.
New agenda items include
consideration of the Organization Law for the Council of Ministers and a request
to create a special committee to review and revise the existing internal rules
of the National Assembly.
Las said: "Our rules and regulations don't
spell out everything that is necessary to create a framework for our legislative
work. It doesn't spell out roles and responsibilities. The legislative procedure
is not very clear. We need to revise the internal rules."
Las said there
is no word on the draft press law or the investment law, both of which will have
to be assigned to the appropriate National Assembly commission before they are
considered by the full Assembly.
The immigration law arrived at the
National Assembly on June 15 and was assigned to the Commission of Interior and
Defense on June 17. The commission has held several hearings, inviting human
rights NGOs and UNHCR officials to speak. The Minister of Interior will attend
the last scheduled meeting of the commission on July 6.
Las said: "It is
possible that the immigration bill will be ready for consideration at that
point, without being returned to the Council of Ministers. It could then be
considered in the first extraordinary session of the National Assembly planned
for the third week in July.
Las said: "In addition to the July 18-22
session there are sessions planned for the third week of August and the third
week of September. Work in the commissions will continue, they will not recess
at all."
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