A/HRC/24/36 62. Much of the political mindset seems to be trapped in the past. For democracy to function properly in Cambodia and for the democratic culture to take root in society, those holding public positions must be willing to acknowledge shortcomings, for only then can solutions be found that are acceptable to all. This realization does not yet seem to be prevalent in contemporary Cambodian society. As the Special Rapporteur has stated elsewhere,6 criticism is not a crime but an exercise of freedom of conscience, an act of intelligence. These are inherent attributes of democracy. Their absence is one of the reasons why Cambodia falls short of the full liberal democracy envisaged in the Constitution of the country. It is important for the international community to continue assisting Cambodia on the road to democracy. The manner in which the Special Rapporteur has sought to implement his United Nations mandate in the country is part of that endeavour. He regrets the unhelpful raw remarks made against him that degenerated to the personal level in the aftermath of the publication of his reports on electoral reform and on land concessions and the orchestrated protests against his human rights work in the country during his mission in May 2013. However, the Special Rapporteur remains firm in his belief that Cambodia continues to require assistance in the form of his mandate, particularly in the light of the many expressions of support for his work from the general public that followed the latter protests. 63. There still seems to be a lack of proper comprehension of the nature of the work and mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur for the country. However, the mission to the country in May 2013 was helpful in bringing the dialogue between the Special Rapporteur and the Government back on track and the Special Rapporteur thanks the Government for the cooperation that he received. He looks forward to continuing to work with the Government and all other stakeholders in Cambodia for the greater good of the country. 64. To conclude, Cambodia has come a long way, but the Special Rapporteur is of the view that there is still some way to go in promoting and protecting human rights, strengthening good governance, and enhancing the independence and capacity of State institutions responsible for upholding people’s rights. Accordingly, the Special Rapporteur calls on the Government of Cambodia to keep moving forward on the implementation of his recommendations regarding the judiciary, Parliament, electoral reform and economic and other land concessions. He stands ready to assist with remaining challenges. VIII. Recommendations 65. The Government should commit to a clear time frame to implement the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations, identifying areas of difficulty wherever relevant. 66. The Government should accelerate the implementation of its promised reform agenda of State institutions responsible for upholding people’s rights, including enacting the three fundamental laws concerning enhancing the independence and capacity of the judiciary. 67. Regardless of the results of the elections to the National Assembly, due to take place on 28 July 2013, appropriate measures should be taken to enhance the independence and capacity of the National Election Committee to enable it to 6 18 Press statement of the present Special Rapporteur released in Phnom Penh at the end of his human rights fact-finding mission to Cambodia on 24 February 2011.