Phnom Penh: The Council of Ministers has approved a draft amendment to the constitution, mandating only Khmer Nationality for the kingdom’s top leaders. The Plenary session was chaired by Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Peace Palace on Friday morning, and approved the draft text relating to the nationalities of those holding the kingdom’s four top positions, namely, the President of the Senate, the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister and the President of the Constitutional Council. The move was made swiftly after incorrect claims that the Prime Minister held a Cypriot passport.
The draft amendments will now be forwarded to the National Assembly, where a two-thirds majority will be needed to change the constitution. Friday’s plenary session dealt with four main points - the draft constitutional amendment for Articles 19, 42, 106, 119 and 13, as well as Article 3. Second was the approval of the draft law on public-private partnerships, followed by the Three-Year Rolling Public Investment Program for 2022-2025, and lastly, the agreement between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United Nations regarding the trial for crimes committed during the period of the Democratic Kampuchea.
Government spokesman, Phay Siphan, says the changes are all aimed at ensuring the normal functioning of national institutions. He has also clarified that regarding the constitutional amendment, all Members of Parliament, Senators, the Prime Minister and members of the Constitutional Council must be Cambodian citizens by birth. This also includes the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and all members of the National Election Committee.
Prime Minister Hun Sen initiated the move on Wednesday after a report in the British newspaper “The Guardian” incorrectly listed him as one of thousands of people who had been given a Cypriot passport. The Cambodian Government hopes to receive a response from Cyprus soon, formally confirming that Prime Minister Hun Sen does not own a Cypriot passport. The report in the “The Guardian” has already been edited accordingly, after a backlash from the kingdom.
