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.
