Mock parliamentary session gives youth a taste of democracy at work

The murmur among lawmakers quickly subsided as the chairperson took up his seat in the assembly hall. On the agenda was a draft legislation to set gender quotas in public office. A secretary announced the quorum, and the chairperson set the debate in motion.

This was no ordinary day in parliament. Rather than the elected representatives, the session was conducted by a group of Cambodian university students. Acting as house speaker, lawmakers and secretaries, the 73 youth from Phnom Penh and Kandal conducted a mock parliamentary session during a UNDP-supported outreach activity that aimed to offer them a taste of democracy at work.

“From the role play today, I clearly understand how a parliamentary meeting is opened, know the role the parliament president performs and learn what a law making process is like,” said 27-year-old Koy Seiha, who played the role of president of the Cambodian lower house, known as the National Assembly.

Like many Cambodians, Seiha, who is a member of the Youth Council of Cambodia, a non-governmental organization which helped to organize the visit, had never before set foot inside the National Assembly palace.

The lawmaking role play was the first outreach activity specifically targeting older youth (as opposed to high school students), under the UNDP-supported Technical Coordination Secretariat of the Cambodian Senate and National Assembly. The activity aims to enhance democratic space and voice in the country through organizing parliamentary visits for young people. The project plans to conduct parliamentary visit for youth in their 20s three times a year in addition to four times a year for high school students from rural areas.

Cambodia has a young population; some 30 percent of the country’s 13.4 million are between 15-30 years old. This dynamic age group is full of potential but they face complex challenges, from access to education to finding decent employment. The aim of the parliamentary outreach activities is to help young Cambodians to gain a better understanding of democratic institutions, as well as to encourage them to consider such leadership roles for their future.

“It also shows them that the National Assembly does not just belong to the lawmakers nor to the government but to the public,” said Nhem Thavy, a lawmaker serving on the Commission on Human Rights, Reception of Complaints, and Investigation of the National Assembly.

Koy Seiha, a university student, received a majority of votes to act as president of the National Assembly. The remaining students were divided into two groups of lawmakers. They discussed whether a law on gender quota is necessary and should be introduced in Cambodia to improve gender equality. In playing his role, Koy Seiha reminded his fellow lawmakers to stay on topic and of the time length allotted for each of them to express their view about the proposed legislation.

Proponents of the bill attempted to persuade the other side into supporting their call for establishing gender quota in public office as a way to close gender gap. Ultimately, the vote was 36 against 33, dampening the hopes of the bill’s proponents. But the participants said the exercise was worthwhile and helped to deepen their knowledge on how democracy works.

Unlike others in the group, Vat Kimly, 22, is a Buddhist monk. He is also an active member of the YCC. To him, the event had a special meaning. A few years ago he came to study at a nearby Buddhist centre from where he often spent time watching the roof of the National Assembly palace. He had hoped to visit its interior and meet with some lawmakers face to face one day.

“I am very happy to have come inside this parliament building, which I had wished to see. I had never thought that I would have such an opportunity,” he said.

For Koy Seiha, the role as speaker of the house was short-lived. But he said it inspired him to cherish a dream of becoming a member of parliament in the future.