By John Maloy and Pin Sisovann
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
It was a common sentiment on the streets of Phnom Penh on Sunday.
"I support the Bush administration because they spread democracy to other countries," said former deminer Bou Sakhorn.
US voters apparently don't agree, having handed a crushing defeat at the polls last week to US President George W Bush's Republican Party by handing both houses of the legislature—the House of Representatives and the Senate—to the opposition Democratic Party.
In Phnom Penh, support remains for a man and a party that several Cambodians said they view as bearers of democracy to the developing world. But few observers said they see many changes to US policies in Cambodia coming from the Nov 7 shift in Washington politics.
And even fewer said they see a Cambodia free enough to allow the ruling party to be voted from power any time in the foreseeable future.
Bou Sakhorn, who now works as a van driver, said that he knew little of the elections in the US, but added that he and all his friends were supporters of Bush and the controversial, US-led war in Iraq.
"I want Bush to look into every country lacking democracy, especially Cambodia," the 36-year-old said.
Seated upon her motorbike outside the Buddhist Institute, student Sen Sony, 22, said that she admired the strength that Bush showed the world.
"Bush is good. If anybody would invade him, he'd invade back," she said.
The Republican Party's loss of control of the legislature comes after 12 years of dominance, longer than the ruling CPP has held a majority in the Cambodian National Assembly, which is similar to the US House of Representatives. The CPP did not get the majority of seats in parliament until 1998.
But few on the street felt that Cambodia was sufficiently democratic to allow voters to replace the ruling party.
"It’s good to have a balance of power between the parties," said So Kong Kea, a 27-year-old monk. "But in Cambodia the power rests solely with the prime minister."
Sen Sony said that Cambodians lacked basic rights and despaired of the political scene changing soon because educated people often cant get into politics without patronage.
Cambodia is "only a little democracy," she said.
Chea Vannath, former president of the Center for Social Development, said Cambodians' support of the Bush administration's bellicose policies in Iraq and Afghanistan was not unexpected.
"Cambodians still solve their problems by means of force," she said. "That's why Cambodians don't see peace as the way to solve problems—it reflects our own selves."
But she also said that Cambodia's relationship with the US is based more on its own performance in areas like human trafficking and terrorism than whoever is in charge in Washington.
US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle declined to comment on whether the vote in the US would have any effect on US policy in Cambodia.
Firebrand Republican US Senator Mitch McConnell was once known in Phnom Penh for his verbal attacks on the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, but his criticism has fallen quiet in recent years.
Heng Samrin, National Assembly president and CPP honorary president, said it is too soon to say how the US-Cambodia relationship will play out after the change in Washington. But he doesn't expect significant changes.
"I expect our relationship will remain good, or get even better," he said.
Heng Samrin also agreed that relationship—and US aid dollars —were more dependent on Cambodia's actions in fields of US interest than in party politics in the US.
"US aid to Cambodia is not really related to the Democratic or Republican Party but what develops in Cambodia," he said.
SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann also agreed that little change would come of the midterm election.
"I think that every party in the US understands the Cambodian situation," he said.
But he added that a US-style democracy is not something that Cambodians will be enjoying anytime soon.
Heng Samrin disputed that claim.
"We have a liberal, multiparty system," he said.
Chea Vannath said that political change in Cambodia might be possible years from now, but mat at the present time it was difficult for newer parties to challenge the CPP’s many years of supremacy.
"In the long term, maybe, but in the short term, not yet—unless there is a major problem in the ruling party itself," she said.
"I support the Bush administration because they spread democracy to other countries," said former deminer Bou Sakhorn.
US voters apparently don't agree, having handed a crushing defeat at the polls last week to US President George W Bush's Republican Party by handing both houses of the legislature—the House of Representatives and the Senate—to the opposition Democratic Party.
In Phnom Penh, support remains for a man and a party that several Cambodians said they view as bearers of democracy to the developing world. But few observers said they see many changes to US policies in Cambodia coming from the Nov 7 shift in Washington politics.
And even fewer said they see a Cambodia free enough to allow the ruling party to be voted from power any time in the foreseeable future.
Bou Sakhorn, who now works as a van driver, said that he knew little of the elections in the US, but added that he and all his friends were supporters of Bush and the controversial, US-led war in Iraq.
"I want Bush to look into every country lacking democracy, especially Cambodia," the 36-year-old said.
Seated upon her motorbike outside the Buddhist Institute, student Sen Sony, 22, said that she admired the strength that Bush showed the world.
"Bush is good. If anybody would invade him, he'd invade back," she said.
The Republican Party's loss of control of the legislature comes after 12 years of dominance, longer than the ruling CPP has held a majority in the Cambodian National Assembly, which is similar to the US House of Representatives. The CPP did not get the majority of seats in parliament until 1998.
But few on the street felt that Cambodia was sufficiently democratic to allow voters to replace the ruling party.
"It’s good to have a balance of power between the parties," said So Kong Kea, a 27-year-old monk. "But in Cambodia the power rests solely with the prime minister."
Sen Sony said that Cambodians lacked basic rights and despaired of the political scene changing soon because educated people often cant get into politics without patronage.
Cambodia is "only a little democracy," she said.
Chea Vannath, former president of the Center for Social Development, said Cambodians' support of the Bush administration's bellicose policies in Iraq and Afghanistan was not unexpected.
"Cambodians still solve their problems by means of force," she said. "That's why Cambodians don't see peace as the way to solve problems—it reflects our own selves."
But she also said that Cambodia's relationship with the US is based more on its own performance in areas like human trafficking and terrorism than whoever is in charge in Washington.
US Embassy spokesman Jeff Daigle declined to comment on whether the vote in the US would have any effect on US policy in Cambodia.
Firebrand Republican US Senator Mitch McConnell was once known in Phnom Penh for his verbal attacks on the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, but his criticism has fallen quiet in recent years.
Heng Samrin, National Assembly president and CPP honorary president, said it is too soon to say how the US-Cambodia relationship will play out after the change in Washington. But he doesn't expect significant changes.
"I expect our relationship will remain good, or get even better," he said.
Heng Samrin also agreed that relationship—and US aid dollars —were more dependent on Cambodia's actions in fields of US interest than in party politics in the US.
"US aid to Cambodia is not really related to the Democratic or Republican Party but what develops in Cambodia," he said.
SRP lawmaker Yim Sovann also agreed that little change would come of the midterm election.
"I think that every party in the US understands the Cambodian situation," he said.
But he added that a US-style democracy is not something that Cambodians will be enjoying anytime soon.
Heng Samrin disputed that claim.
"We have a liberal, multiparty system," he said.
Chea Vannath said that political change in Cambodia might be possible years from now, but mat at the present time it was difficult for newer parties to challenge the CPP’s many years of supremacy.
"In the long term, maybe, but in the short term, not yet—unless there is a major problem in the ruling party itself," she said.
5 comments:
I believed that Bush administration has put Cambodia democracy backward as they( Bush administration) doesn't care about suppression in Cambodia by Hun Sen. The Hun Sen gang has exploited international fight again terrorism of the US to suppresse Cambodia and has destroyed all Cambodia National Institution from National Institution into Hun Sen tools. In every Institution, Hun Sen can bully, can use for his own interest. THey included The Palace, The National Assembly, THe Senate, The army and the Police etc.... In every Institution, there is no neutral decision, No credible resolution and no reliable support to the laws of the country.
Since Mr Bush has been elected the President of USA, All Cambodian National Institutions have completely death because they are not:
-Neutral
-Credible
-Reliable.
They are becoming the tools of the ruling leadership.
AH PLEOUE SHIT OF UNCLE SAM!
JUST LEARN TO LIVE IN A CIVILIZED
COUNTRY OF YOUR MASTER. DO NOT SPEAK LIKE ANIMALS... THSI IS THE REASON WHY YOU ARE SECOND CLASS CITIZEN? THEY CONSIDER YOU LIKE ANIMALS BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY EDUCATION OR DEGREES... LORD BUDDHA PITY YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO BE CALLED
KHMER YANKEE...
YOUR OWN SHADOW...
Vichet said...
Hey hey !!! I really hate to read this guy writing. He seems crazy!!!!
I think the next person to be hanged is SADAM HUN SEN... in Cambodia...
6:20 PM
Anonymous said...
AH PLEOU SLAVE OF UNCLE SAM.. WE ARE RIGHT ABOUT YOUR UNEDUCATED MANNER... SO STAY IN YOUR CAGE OF SHIT... YOU DESERVE IT
IT'S YOUR DESTINY...
you are right... How can someone who pretend to be the champion of democracy, can look down his own motherland???? ...
They are worse than uncle sam's shit...
shame to you .. all second class citizen of foreigners and better you go back to your cage and shut up your mouth for ever...
a nationalist... proud to be cambodian living in his own country.
To 1:55pm
I think your observation is correct. An international terrorism seemed to cover almost everything that The Bush's
administration could have done better to help Cambodia.
That quick decision to draw the boder line between us and The Viet without strong consent from everybody is one of them. I just didn't think it was the right thing to do. Especially when we know...you know whose party is so smart. They are a joker.
I have voted most for The Democratic party's Candidates. They seem better in many things inside and out side of the US and I'm very happy they won.
Like many Khmer in Cambodia, I was disappointed that the Bush's administration lost to the Left (Dems). However, I realize that we do need to see new blood in the congress. Let's give Dems a chance (hope they do not blew it.) In history, only the GOP works hard to spread democracy to the world, not the donkey (Dems.) Please prove me wrong or you will lose in 2008, Nancy Pelosi.
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