Opposition party lawmakers are awaiting a response to a request submitted three months ago summoning Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as the ministers of agriculture, finance, public works and transportation and tourism to appear before the National Assembly to answer their questions, opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said Monday.
Under the Constitution, any minister must appear before the Assembly when summoned by lawmakers, or answer the lawmakers’ questions in writing. The prime minister must respond to questions within seven days.
Noranarith Anandayath, cabinet chief to Assembly President Prince Norodom Ranariddh said Monday that the Assembly has not scheduled the ministers to be questioned by lawmakers because parliament is on vacation. He said that on Jan 3, the Assembly will set an agenda for the questioning.
Before forming the third mandate of government in July, Hun Sen vowed to appear personally before the Assembly once a week, but he has failed to do so, Son Chhay said. “I think Prime Minister Hun Sen has been irresponsible with his promise.”
Hun Sen’s adviser Om Yentieng said Monday that the prime minister will not forget his promise to stand before the Assembly if a formal agenda is made. He said that Hun Sen has refused in the past because he was very busy with government work and his personal affairs.
Son Chhay said that Minister of Finance Keat Chhon has already told him that he will appear instead of the prime minister himself.
Son Chhay said that he and his colleagues want to question the ministers about land concessions, the whereabouts of fees collected from tourists, new road tolls imposed by AZ Investment Ltd on National Route 4, and to ask why international aid was apparently decreased by donors this year.
