Army, Judges Urged To Cut Political Ties İn Cambodia

Fresh calls were made Friday for military and judicial officials to cut ties to political parties after the ruling Cambodian People's Party appointed 80 senior army and legal figures to its central committee, local media reported.



Representatives from 17 electoral reform and civil rights groups co-signed a letter claiming the appointments violate the constitution and undermine the independence of both institutions.



In recent years, concerns have repeatedly surfaced that senior state officials have abused their power on behalf of the Cambodian People's Party, known as the CPP.



The court system has also been accused of lacking independence, with judges and prosecutors said to be beholden to the CPP, which has been in power since the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979.



One example is Supreme Court President Dith Munty, who is a member of the party's standing committee, which is tasked with organizing day-to-day operations.



Others with similar ties to the CPP include the commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and two deputy commanders and the president of the constitutional council.



The CPP's central committee, which was doubled in size at a party congress on Feb. 1, is responsible for voting on party policies.



"For the national interest, the rule of law and proper justice, political parties shall withdraw court officials, royal armed forces and national police from the ranks of the political party," Thun Saray, president of rights group Adhoc, said in a statement.



"Cambodia's security forces and its judiciary must be professional and non-partisan. Voters must be aware of [the] issue of the inclusion of court officials, armed forces and the national police that serve the political party interests."



Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, accused the Election Reform Alliance, which issued the letter, of trying to "cheat the people."



He added: "They did it to offend the government. They want to say it's against the constitution, so why don't they challenge the constitutional body. They are misleading the public."



www.aa.com.tr/en - Phnum Penh