SRP Says CPP Is Undermining Its New Chiefs
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Banteay Meanchey's CPP provincial governor on Monday ordered new elections for village chief in four Poipet commune villages where Sam Rainsy Party members were elected to the positions earlier this month, becoming the party's first village chiefs in the province.
The order from Governor On Sum came as an SRP commune chief in Ratanakkiri province accused local CPP officials of ignoring two of the province's recently elected village chiefs—also among the first SRP chiefs in their province—and instead continuing to work with their CPP predecessors. The SRP village chiefs in Ratanakkiri were elected June 18.
The SRP has accused CPP officials of refusing to recognize legitimately elected SRP village chiefs, adding that the cases bode poorly for Cambodia's decentralization process.
"I would like to inform the Poipet commune chief that a reelection is needed...because there were irregularities in the first election," On Sum wrote to commune chief Hai Nam Heng regarding the June 21 elections in Poipet. "Please organize the second election to be effective, transparent and just."
Meas Sarith, SRP first deputy chief of Poipet, said there were no problems with the elections in Preykop, O’Neang, O'Russei and Kbal Spean villages.
"It was an excuse. They wanted to have all the villages," he said of the CPP. "They are afraid of the opposition party having village chiefs."
On Sum said by telephone that he wrote the letter after CPP officials in Poipet complained that the four SRP chiefs are not from the villages they represent but from elsewhere within the commune. He said there were also problems with the ballots, in that villagers signed boxes on the ballots rather than ticking them.
The call for a reelection is not part of a CPP strategy, he said. "The CPP doesn’t want to have villages. [Democratic] parties must respect the election result" he said.
Speaking from Ratanakkiri's O Yadaw district, Som Thorn commune chief Poy Lorn, an SRP official, said that CPP commune officials were refusing to recognize two new village chiefs in his commune. The villages in question are Somkul and Somkaneng, he said.
"The CPP wanted to have all the village chief positions," he said. He also claimed that district governor Heng Bun Thann has offered to reinstate him as commune chief following the 2007 commune elections if he defects from the SRP.
Heng Bun Thann hung up the phone when asked about Poy Lorn's allegation. Ratanakkiri provincial Governor Moung Poy said he was unaware of the dispute, but added that the CPP will recognize SRP village chiefs if they are elected.
SRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang accused the CPP of interfering in Cambodia's decentralization process. He also alleged that the CPP has been bribing commune councilors, who elect the village chiefs, to ensure that the majority of village chiefs remain CPP. Village chief elections began in May.
Eng Chhay Eang added that the SRP expects to win a little more than 100 of the 13,694 village chief positions across the country.
Government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the CPP was not trying to undermine newly-elected SRP village chiefs. He also said that officials in Banteay Meanchey and Ratanakkiri would have to work out their problems by themselves, and that the central government should not get involved.
The CPP is confident it will win 90 percent of the village chief positions, and has not bought votes from commune councilors, he said.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said the CPP uses village chiefs to rally voters and disseminate party policy, and is therefore keen to control them. "Village chiefs are CPP agents," he said.
The order from Governor On Sum came as an SRP commune chief in Ratanakkiri province accused local CPP officials of ignoring two of the province's recently elected village chiefs—also among the first SRP chiefs in their province—and instead continuing to work with their CPP predecessors. The SRP village chiefs in Ratanakkiri were elected June 18.
The SRP has accused CPP officials of refusing to recognize legitimately elected SRP village chiefs, adding that the cases bode poorly for Cambodia's decentralization process.
"I would like to inform the Poipet commune chief that a reelection is needed...because there were irregularities in the first election," On Sum wrote to commune chief Hai Nam Heng regarding the June 21 elections in Poipet. "Please organize the second election to be effective, transparent and just."
Meas Sarith, SRP first deputy chief of Poipet, said there were no problems with the elections in Preykop, O’Neang, O'Russei and Kbal Spean villages.
"It was an excuse. They wanted to have all the villages," he said of the CPP. "They are afraid of the opposition party having village chiefs."
On Sum said by telephone that he wrote the letter after CPP officials in Poipet complained that the four SRP chiefs are not from the villages they represent but from elsewhere within the commune. He said there were also problems with the ballots, in that villagers signed boxes on the ballots rather than ticking them.
The call for a reelection is not part of a CPP strategy, he said. "The CPP doesn’t want to have villages. [Democratic] parties must respect the election result" he said.
Speaking from Ratanakkiri's O Yadaw district, Som Thorn commune chief Poy Lorn, an SRP official, said that CPP commune officials were refusing to recognize two new village chiefs in his commune. The villages in question are Somkul and Somkaneng, he said.
"The CPP wanted to have all the village chief positions," he said. He also claimed that district governor Heng Bun Thann has offered to reinstate him as commune chief following the 2007 commune elections if he defects from the SRP.
Heng Bun Thann hung up the phone when asked about Poy Lorn's allegation. Ratanakkiri provincial Governor Moung Poy said he was unaware of the dispute, but added that the CPP will recognize SRP village chiefs if they are elected.
SRP lawmaker Eng Chhay Eang accused the CPP of interfering in Cambodia's decentralization process. He also alleged that the CPP has been bribing commune councilors, who elect the village chiefs, to ensure that the majority of village chiefs remain CPP. Village chief elections began in May.
Eng Chhay Eang added that the SRP expects to win a little more than 100 of the 13,694 village chief positions across the country.
Government spokesman and Information Minister Khieu Kanharith said the CPP was not trying to undermine newly-elected SRP village chiefs. He also said that officials in Banteay Meanchey and Ratanakkiri would have to work out their problems by themselves, and that the central government should not get involved.
The CPP is confident it will win 90 percent of the village chief positions, and has not bought votes from commune councilors, he said.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said the CPP uses village chiefs to rally voters and disseminate party policy, and is therefore keen to control them. "Village chiefs are CPP agents," he said.
2 comments:
I told you, SRP will not win the election! next month some of the SRP village chiefs will be death by commeeting sourcide, by take their eyes out and skine their own face.
UN plase help reforme Cambodia Royal Police, We need international police in cambodia until UN can help us recruite and train a new one, if you want Cambodia to have a real democracy.
It game for you, guys????????????
11:20 pm I hear you. Cambodia Royal Police must be reformed! These Cambodian Royal Police are not truely a police force but a military personel in disguise. Many of these people in the Cambodian Royal Police can be traced back to have connection with military!
If these Cambodian Royal Police force continue to act like military personel by using brute force in dealing with a simple civil matter and they are asking for trouble!
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