Monday, September 26, 2016

Sub-Decree Approval Rules Amended

KHMER TIMES
MAY TITTHARA

Sub-decrees no longer have to pass through the entire cabinet to be put into action. KT/Ven Rathavong

From now on, only certain sub-decrees will need to be pored over by the cabinet before they are signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, the premier told a session of the cabinet on Friday morning, although failing to specify what the selection criteria would be.

Mr. Hun Sen told the cabinet that from now on, in order to save time, some sub-decrees would simply require the signature of the minister from whichever ministry was proposing the sub-decree, and then his own signature.

Council of Ministers spokesperson Phay Siphan was equally in the dark over which sub-decrees the prime minister’s announcement concerned.

According to article 123 of the Constitution, the cabinet must meet weekly to review or discuss new sub-decrees or draft laws, with all plenary sessions legally having to be chaired by the prime minister, or a deputy prime minister allocated by him. The minutes from each session must be sent to King Norodom Sihamoni.

Sub-decrees concern government decisions and are used to introduce regulations concerning the implementation of new laws or processes that are outside the parameters of the National Assembly, the senate and the courts.

A separate “individual sub-decree” is used to appoint or terminate the positions of civil servants and decide on awards given to government donors.

All sub-decrees must be signed by the prime minister.

Am Sam Ath, a senior coordinator at rights group Licadho, voiced his concern over the decision, stressing that as sub-decrees are issued by the government, they should be passed by the cabinet, as all other government decisions.

“If the sub-decree will be issued without passing the meeting, it’s not good because it will have been passed without the suggestions and questions of the cabinet.”

No comments: