USAID Launched New Grassroot Public Forums "My Open Commune"

Tin Sokhavuth

Madame Polly Dunford, USAID Cambodia Mission Director (center) during the launching ceremony taking place at the Ministry of Interior. Photo supplied

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Cambodia, led by Madame Polly Dunford, USAID Cambodia Mission Director, and H.E. Sak Setha, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Interior, launched a series of public forums known as "My Open Commune" at the headquarter of the Ministry of Interior on Wednesday.

"The forums are designed to increase the ranks of informed and engaged citizens and encourage constructive exchanges between citizens and their local officials." USAID Cambodia wrote on their Facebook page.

In her speech at the launching ceremony, Madame Dunford outlined that in the next couple of years, these series of public forums will reach 180 communes in six provinces - Kampong Chnang, Battambang, Banteay Mean Chey, Siem Reap, Kampong Thom, and Kampong Cham. On the other hand, My Open Commune forums will also be broadcasted on radio, social media and other means of communication.

According to Madame Dunford, these forums will help to strengthen democracy and good governance in Cambodia. Obviously, the forums could help villagers to establish open dialogues with their local government in order to echo their voice concerning their daily lives.

"As part of the roadmap towards strengthening democracy and good governance, elected officials at all levels need more opportunities to regularly engage with their constituents and to have open discussions on the pressing issues that affect daily lives." Madame Dunford said in her speech.

She also said that this kind of interaction between local government and villagers will result in a greater accountability and transparency that are the core value of liberal democracy.

"Throughout the life of the Cambodia Democratic Reforms project, the U.S. government hopes to connect as many citizens as possible with their local elected officials, particularly as the country prepares for 2017 local and 2018 national elections." Madame Dunford added.

As for Madame Dunford, without the efforts from the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), especially the Ministry of Interior, this kind of decentralization de-concentration reform will not be possible.

As the world is witnessing a political change in the US, Madame Dunford said that American citizens still be able to express their opinions in "a constructive and peaceful matter to their public officials." This fact proves that in any circumstance, the democracy in America becomes stronger and stronger.

Mrs. Prak Sokhany, executive director of the Cambodian Civil Society Partnership (CCSP), one of the NGOs in charge of the implementation of the "My Open Commune" project, told reporters that to implement this project, USAID will provide $80,000 for funding.

With the help from the European Community, especially France, the RGC has been setting up a policy to decentralize its central power. The main goal of this reform is to yield some decision-making power to local government.

While the policy of decentralization seems to be successful in South Korea, the ADB pointed out that in Cambodia the regulatory framework of this decentralized system still lacks the definition of roles and responsibilities of the local administrations.

Since 2008, the RGC has made efforts to reform public service delivery by centering on three main points: (i) public financial management reforms, (ii) decentralization and de-concentration reforms, and (iii) public administration reforms. The critical goal of the RGC to improve public service delivery in all levels of government is to improve the efficiency and transparency of the public financial management systems.

As for the ADB, the reform of the public administration could lead to a better development and/or expansion of the private sector; the corrupt and inefficient practices could be also eliminated. If successful, this reform will help to reduce poverty by increasing local economic development that, in turn, will create jobs for local people.

In sum, the ADB added that although the public service delivery reform in Cambodia has been slow, but steady, some “progress has been achieved in decentralization and de-concentration reform.”