The National Assembly has allocated 720 million riel, or about $180,000, to parliamentary leaders from the ruling and opposition parties following an agreement struck last week for each leader to receive nine paid advisers, assistants and a vehicle for their work.
“We have allocated more than 720 million riel for majority and minority parties at the National Assembly, effective from January this year,” said National Assembly spokesman Leng Peng Long.
He added that 300 million riel, or about $75,000, would be used to pay the 18 new advisers to the parliamentary leaders—CNRP Vice President Kem Sokha and Interior Minister Sar Kheng—with the remaining funds split between the parties in proportion to their seats in parliament.
“This budget is part of the National Assembly’s 2016 budget, but we don’t have budgets for the two cars so we will ask the government to pay for the two cars,” Mr. Peng Long said.
Yem Ponhearith, a spokesman for CNRP, said that although the allocation was fairly small, it could be used to fund party workshops and meetings with experts to study draft laws.
