DECENTRALIZATION IN CAMBODIA: Its Difficult Steps toward Democracy (original) (raw)

Decentralization reform for unified administration in Cambodia

Journal of Public Administration Chiang Rai Rajabhat University, 2024

This paper examines the imperative of restructuring the governance framework at the Subnational Administration (SNA) level in Cambodia to enhance responsibility and operational coordination. The purpose of study advocates for a unified administrative structure, driven by the delegation of functions and resources through deconcentration and decentralization by the central government. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive approach, the research draws on observation and literature review to analyze the current governance practices. The findings highlight that the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has been actively promoting democratic development via decentralization, implementing organic laws for administrative reforms across different levels. The anticipated benefits of this restructuring include improved public service delivery, heightened accountability, better governance, enhanced fiscal decentralization, empowered local authorities, increased community participation, capacity building, and

COMMUNE COUNCILS IN CAMBODIA: A National Survey on their Functions and Performance, with a Special Focus on Conflict Resolution

2005

Through grants of technical assistance, The Asia Foundation supports Cambodian non-governmental organizations to push for progress on elections, local governance, human rights, the status of women, and economic reform, five areas central to democracy and broad-based development in Cambodia. The Asia Foundation in Cambodia is also working with private sector business associations. The Foundation supports a wide range of programs to mobilize the political will and build the institutional and human resource capacity necessary to address these issues, through research, training, policy advocacy, and increased citizen access to information.

Fiscal decentralisation and good governance: convergence or divergence? The experience of commune councils in Cambodia

The Asian Pacific journal of public administration, 2018

It has been 17 years since fiscal decentralisation reform was endorsed by the Cambodian government, with subsequent developments indicating the nature and extent of reform achievements. This article explores the developments with reference to the experience of communes as the lowest level of subnational government in the country. The focus is on functional assignments, revenue assignments and intergovernmental transfers as distinctive components of fiscal decentralisation, coupled with an assessment of pertinent good governance expectations. The developments have been limited in most respects, thus highlighting the need for ongoing reform of genuine benefit to local communities.

Cambodian Democratization and its challenges

This paper intends to address the political situation in Cambodia. It focuses on the democratization process and its challenges. It examines the political willingness of leaders, knowledge of people as well as corruption, and the problem of separation of power and democratic institutions. The paper utilizes the delegative democracy approach to explain the difficulties faced by Cambodia in its democratization process. With respect to this, the paper also explains how democracy influences the political situation of the country and the living conditions of Cambodian people. In order to promote democracy, the paper demonstrates that people participation and social media could play a very important role to improve democracy in Cambodia. Keywords: Cambodia, Democracy, Democratization, Delegative- Democracy, and Political Situation