PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Sen sent a message to the man who said the Prime Minister does not know how to do politics, telling him to take a look at himself. The Prime Minister asserted that he actually used this man to amend the Constitution in 2006, changing it from previously requiring a two-thirds majority vote from the National Assembly, to requiring 50 percent plus one votes instead.

In 2006, opposition leader Sam Rainsy asked the National Assembly to amend the constitution to change the formation of the government from requiring a two-thirds majority vote from the National Assembly, to just a 50 percent plus one vote instead.

Prime Minister Hun Sen revealed that this amendment was actually made as a result of his own green light. The Prime Minister stated this during his speech at the Royal University of Phnom Penh on Friday morning, where he received an honorary doctorate degree in development.

“These days, he says that I am stupid, but if I am the stupid one, I would not have been the Prime Minister for more than 43 years," said Prime Minister Hun Sen.

"Pol Pot has fallen but Hun Sen has been in power for more than 40 years. And what are the type of people that Hun Sen can use? I used your (Sam Rainsy’s) head to help amend the constitution, and what of it? If Hun Sen did not use you, would you dare to ask [parliament to amend the law]?”

Due to a stalemate in the formation of the Royal Government, members of the National Assembly from both the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the Sam Rainsy Party joined together in 2006 to amend the constitution so that forming a government would no longer require a two-thirds majority vote, and would instead require a vote of 50 percent plus one. Once the amendment was approved and put in place, it became so that the party that is able to win 50 percent plus one votes from the National Assembly is able to then form the government without opposition.

^{PHOTO:  EAC NEWS}