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Change and continuity in decentralization reforms in Cambodia varied widely since the end of the Khmer Rouge period. During the immediate aftermath, local actors had substantial power and discretion over services and revenues as a result of constraints at the time. We assess Cambodia's formal decentralization reform and its outcomes for accountability and democracy after decentralized institutions and elected councils were created at the commune and district levels in 2002 and 2009, respectively. We explain the political significance of the reform from the perspective of the government and leaders of the ruling party and the extent to which decentralization fits in with the party's strategy for legitimacy. The outcomes of decentralization reforms for accountability and democracy were shallow even though local elections and participatory governance were institutionalized. The decentralized actors were constrained in their responsiveness and accountability to local citizens due to their lack of authority and autonomy over key service delivery functions and resources.
Keywords: Decentralization, local governance, accountability, politics of governance reforms, Cambodia.
1.Introduction
International donors have promoted a variety of decentralization reform programmes that have been implemented in many governments in developing countries around the world. In Cambodia, a decentralization programme was adopted as a core public sector reform. Since the 2002 commune election, decentralization reforms were introduced and largely financed by international donors as part of a broader objective to improve state accountability and deepen democracy in Cambodia (Manor 2008). However, reform has been shaped by conflicts at the national level rather than by demands from local-level actors. Although there have been radical decentralization initiatives in some respects, particularly at the commune level, decentralization reform has not awarded substantial authority and autonomy to local governments to enable them to be as responsive and accountable to local residents to the extent decentralization advocates hoped for.
This paper traces the evolution of Cambodia's sub-national authority since the end of the Khmer Rouge period. During the 1980s and before international intervention in Cambodia in the early 1990s, local actors were given substantial power and discretion over services and revenues as a result of constraints at the time. This paper assesses Cambodia's formal decentralization reform and its outcomes for accountability and democracy after new decentralized institutions and elected councils were officially created in 2002...