The Constitutional Council of Cambodia unanimously approved yesterday a proposal for the Senate’s internal regulation amendment, submitted by Senate President Hun Sen.
The Senate approved a proposal last Tuesday to amend its internal regulations to address its roles and fill gaps in its functioning as a legislative body. Mr Hun Sen noted that this amendment process is similar to the 2022 amendment to the Constitution, which resolved a major governance gap in the country.
According to a press release from the Senate’s General Secretariat, the amendment to the internal regulations is based on the legislative principle of preparing legal regulations that respond appropriately to the Senate’s role as an organisation with legislative power.
The proposed amendment to the internal regulations consists of 17 chapters divided into 89 articles detailing “the procedures of the sessions and other activities of the Senate, as well as the structure and mechanisms of the Senate and some internal rules.”
After the approval from the Senate, the motion was then submitted to the Constitutional Council for agreement.
The decision was made yesterday during a plenary session presided over by Im Chhun Lim, President of the Constitutional Council.
“As a result of the meeting, the Constitutional Council unanimously decided that the Senate’s internal regulations, approved on January 14, 2025, during the extraordinary session of the Fifth Legislature, are in conformity with the Constitution,” said a press release issued yesterday by The General Secretariat of the Constitutional Council.
The final step for the proposal to be put into action is the submission for King Norodom Sihamoni for his approval.
Senator Sok Eysan of the Cambodian People’s Party highlighted the importance of the recent amendments to the Senate’s internal regulations. He explained that while the Senate has operated under its own rules for over two decades, certain gaps became evident, prompting senators to propose revisions aimed at establishing clearer and more effective procedures.
The amendments address previously overlooked issues, such as the process for appointing officials to oversee Senate elections and the timeline for the Senate’s inaugural meeting following elections.
Under the revised regulations, procedures now cover the period from the National Election Committee’s announcement of Senate election results to the Senate’s first official session. The regulations also detail the leadership election process, including the selection of the President, First Vice-President, and Second Vice-President, as well as secret ballot elections for the formation of the Senate’s 10 expert committees.
Eysan described the changes as a comprehensive and detailed reform of the Senate’s internal rules, initiated under the leadership of Mr Hun Sen and fully aligned with Constitutional provisions.
He noted that the Senate Justice and Legislation Committee conducted thorough work on the amendments before submitting them to the inter-committee and the Senate Standing Committee for review.
