The Constitution of Cambodia, adopted in 1993 and turning 26 years today, is the oldest among the six Cambodian constitutions since 1947.
The remark was made by H.E. Im Chhun Lim, President of the Constitutional Council (CC), while presiding over a dissemination workshop on the CC's competence and constitution's amendments, held at the Royal School of Administration in Phnom Penh yesterday.
"Our Constitution of 1993 has so far undergone eight amendments. The first amendment was in 1994, the second in 1999, the third in 2001, the fourth in 2005, the fifth in 2006, the sixth in 2008, the seventh in 2014, and the eighth in 2018," said H.E. Hy Sophea, a Member of CC at the seminar.
The amendments are necessary to respond to the developments of the national society as well as to guarantee peace, national unity, stability, and social order, he explained, stressing that there are many requirements for an amendment to the Constitution and the amendment cannot be made too often as it will make the Constitution "soft" and it will also affect the solidity and stability of other laws.
The 17-chapter-and-160-article Constitution stipulates, "The initiative to review or to amend the Constitution shall be the prerogative of the King, the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the National Assembly at the suggestion of 1/4 of all the assembly members. Revision or amendments shall be enacted by a Constitutional law passed by the National Assembly with a 2/3 majority vote. Revisions or amendments shall be prohibited when the country is in a state of emergency [...]. Revision or amendment affecting the system of liberal and pluralistic democracy and the regime of Constitutional Monarchy shall be prohibited."
In 2004, he added, an additional law to the Constitution was adopted to ensure the normalisation of the national institutions.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press