(Oddar Meanchey): Cambodian Senate President, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, called on all senators to maintain a regular presence with grassroots electoral bodies in order to better understand the needs and aspirations of their constituents.

Samdech Techo spoke on Thursday (Jun. 26) during his visit and working session with Cambodian army commander stationed in Samraong City, Oddar Meanchey Province. He also met for a friendly discussion with 248 members of commune and district councils from across Oddar Meanchey Province.

During the occasion, Samdech Techo urged senators not to remain idle in Phnom Penh without showing up at the grassroots level. He stated, “I want all senators to regularly engage with the electoral bodies at the commune and sangkat levels. Do not just sleep and collect a salary in Phnom Penh after being elected by these councils. Once elected, some never meet the council members who voted for them throughout their mandate.”

According to the Senate President, his objective is to encourage senators to interact directly with commune and sangkat councils, because visiting the provinces essentially means reaching the villages and directly meeting the people. Samdech Techo stressed that this must be done in an accountable manner.

On the occasion, Samdech Techo added that a new age cap of under 74 years will be set for eligibility as a senator. In this mandate, if any senator neglects their duties, the only solution is to step down and make room for more active replacements.

Looking ahead, Samdech Techo Hun Sen announced plans to facilitate future direct interaction between senators and grassroots communities. This will include reform discussions with electoral centres. Given that there are currently eight provinces—such as Oddar Meanchey, Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, and Pailin—with extensive geographic coverage, Samdech indicated that in most cases, National Assembly electoral centres will also be used for Senate elections.
=FRESH NEWS