The Constitutional Council yesterday hit out at
those who criticise constitutional amendments and interpretation without
checking the facts.
Speaking at an event yesterday to mark the 27th
anniversary of the Constitution which falls today, Constitutional Council
President Im Chhun Lim said there have been disagreements between theorists and
practitioners from national and international circles regarding multi-party
liberal democracy practice, fundamental freedom promotion, three powers of
separation, rule of law practice and constitutional amendments and
interpretation.
“Due to the disagreement over problems and the
solution, this has led to vague understanding of the achievements over the past
27 years of the application of the Constitution in the Kingdom,” he said.
“The issues should not be overlooked or denied,
but should be discussed and resolved together based on justice, the truth and
positivity,” Chhun Lim added.
Evaluation of the Constitution’s application
based on one-sided criteria of western concepts will bring injustice to
practitioners who have strived to accomplish many great achievements of the
nation, he said
“In order to measure the Constitution’s
application to be fair and equitable, it is necessary to weigh the western
concept and also to consider the traditional characteristics of Cambodia,”
Chhun Lim added. “Then we can be optimistic and rich in compassion to evaluate
the Constitution’s application.”
The inclusion of modern constitutional values
and concepts and Khmerism values into the 1993 Constitution has created a
pluralistic, multi-faceted concept, he said
“Practicing such a concept will inevitably
encounter a number of disruptions and challenges, such as post-election
political crises, which create questions over legal issues and appropriate and
necessary solutions,” Chhun Lim said.
Constitutional Council deputy secretary-general
Prom Vicheth Akara told journalists during the event that since the 1993
Constitution’s declaration, the people have been living in peace and safety.
Their freedoms have also been constitutionally protected.
“The Constitutional Council hopes that the
people will continue to respect and carry out the constitution,” he said.
“Only the Constitutional Council is legally and
officially authorisd to interpret the constitution,” Akara said. “Any
interpretation of the constitution besides the Constitutional Council are just
the expression of personal opinions by individuals.”
He said all the constitutional amendments over
the past was to ensure social safety and security.
People Centre for Development and Peace
President Yong Kim Eng told Khmer Times yesterday that the constitutional
amendments mostly were made to follow political tendency rather than
socio-economic development.
He said some freedom protections, privacy
rights and legal ownership rights have not been applied yet.
Kim Eng said ensuring equal rights before a
court is still a problem as some people are suffering from injustice because of
the judicial system.
“Rights to participate in political activities
are still restricted. Some political participation is interrupted. Political
party participation is not equally applied,” he said. “However, freedom of
choice to make a living of the people is applied.”