Original reports from Phnom Penh
04/04/2007
[Editor's note: For full audio to VOA Khmer's coverage of this story, scroll throughout. (Real Media Player required)]
Prime Minister Hun Sen called for national unity Wednesday, following a relatively peaceful vote Sunday that nevertheless left some losing candidates unhappy.
The elections should bring people together, not tear them apart, Hun Sen said, as the opposition alleged some voters were cowed into staying home on Election Day.
"Do not make the election into a division in the villages," Hun Sen said at the inauguration of a road project in Sihanoukville. "The election is not the division of nationality, the nation, and the communes. The election is intended for unification, development, and peace."
Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party swept the commune council elections in unofficial tallies. Full results will be released April 24.
The prime minister called on incumbent council members to maintain post-election security, so that Cambodians can enjoy a good New Year, and he asked the newly elected to "please work hard, no matter what party you represent."
The CPP won as many as 98 percent of the commune chief seats, officials estimate.
Muth Chantha, spokesman for the new Norodom Ranariddh Party, which won no chief positions, said local politics following the election would mean CPP members should cooperate with others.
"The CPP commune members do not cooperate with other party commune members," he said. "They only work with their own clerks."
To listen to Chun Sakada report in Khmer, click here.
At least one opposition winner in Bantey Meanchey said Wednesday he was receiving threats from local authorities.
Newly elected SRP commune chief Mab Yuy told VOA police threatened him and warned he would be robbed soon, after he won the election in his commune.
Villagers in the commune said they were afraid to speak about the police, claiming they too had been threatened. "They threaten, and the people are scared," one villager said, requesting anonymity. "We don't know how to solve this problem."
Police chief Heam Heng said his men were neutral.
"My police officers threatened them? They do not use such words," he said. "My role is to provide security, law and order for the villagers. My police officers do not have this character of robbing people."
To listen to Thida Win report in Khmer, click here.
Meanwhile, SRP and NRP activists said voters in the border town Poipet, Battambang province, had been kept at home by threats from local CPP activists, potentially tipping the balance of polls there.
To listen to Kong Soth report in Khmer, click here.
The elections should bring people together, not tear them apart, Hun Sen said, as the opposition alleged some voters were cowed into staying home on Election Day.
"Do not make the election into a division in the villages," Hun Sen said at the inauguration of a road project in Sihanoukville. "The election is not the division of nationality, the nation, and the communes. The election is intended for unification, development, and peace."
Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party swept the commune council elections in unofficial tallies. Full results will be released April 24.
The prime minister called on incumbent council members to maintain post-election security, so that Cambodians can enjoy a good New Year, and he asked the newly elected to "please work hard, no matter what party you represent."
The CPP won as many as 98 percent of the commune chief seats, officials estimate.
Muth Chantha, spokesman for the new Norodom Ranariddh Party, which won no chief positions, said local politics following the election would mean CPP members should cooperate with others.
"The CPP commune members do not cooperate with other party commune members," he said. "They only work with their own clerks."
To listen to Chun Sakada report in Khmer, click here.
At least one opposition winner in Bantey Meanchey said Wednesday he was receiving threats from local authorities.
Newly elected SRP commune chief Mab Yuy told VOA police threatened him and warned he would be robbed soon, after he won the election in his commune.
Villagers in the commune said they were afraid to speak about the police, claiming they too had been threatened. "They threaten, and the people are scared," one villager said, requesting anonymity. "We don't know how to solve this problem."
Police chief Heam Heng said his men were neutral.
"My police officers threatened them? They do not use such words," he said. "My role is to provide security, law and order for the villagers. My police officers do not have this character of robbing people."
To listen to Thida Win report in Khmer, click here.
Meanwhile, SRP and NRP activists said voters in the border town Poipet, Battambang province, had been kept at home by threats from local CPP activists, potentially tipping the balance of polls there.
To listen to Kong Soth report in Khmer, click here.
14 comments:
Yep, that is right, your Excellency
(Somdach Hun Sen), now is the time
to put the election behind us and
unite for the good of the nation.
We have a lot of works to be done,
no time for bickering about what
it should/could/or would have
been craps.
Again, congratulation on your
easy Victory, and thank you
for your hard works and sacrifices
for all Khmers wellbeing.
God blesses you and Khmer people.
Hun Sen's appealing has something tricky behind!
To Prime Minister Hun Sen,
Do you remember what you said and did 14 years ago when Prince Norodom Ranariddh's FUNCINPEC won the 1993 UNTAC-supervised general election? In fact, you demanded a 2m long by 0.5m wide of land be allocated to you for your own burial as you alarmed the world that you would fight to death the UN blue berets if UNTAC gave the prime ministership to Ranariddh according to then polling results. As a consequence, Cambodia goes down into the Guinness Book of Records by having two prime ministers for 1993-98 mandate. You may say you don't recall saying that. But please remember that the truth never lied.
Well, had Ranarith not using
Somdach Euv to gain votes, that
would not happened. There are risk
when you cheated in the election.
It is illegal to deceive people
to vote for your party using
someone else like Somdach Euv,
GW Bush, ..., or Margaret Stacher,
etc. . Get it?
Don't worry SAMDECH HUN SEN.Now people vote for you .You are the legitimate LEADER. Any attempt to undermind your leadership or destabilize the country will be crushed to ash....
Samdach PM,
Please give some seats to Funcipec & NRP, they will dissappear....
Born in Jungles... Disappear in Jungles too.....
Oh Preah Ang Euy
Mchas Oun Please help
SOS
SOS
FUNCINPEC &NRP spent alot of effort, resources to Bite each other...for their own personal affairs not much relating to politics or National Intersts...
and they claimed to be disturbed by other parties..THEY FORGOT TO LOOK AT MIRROR TO REFLEX THEMSLVES...how their faces are ugliest....
They should have known that as usual in politics Competitor's Traps are always put along the Trails/ Track
THEY JUMP INTO THOSE TRAPS BY THEMSELVES... NOT TO BLAME ANYONE...
They had No time & resource for people to get supports....
Therefore the result appears...
Cheyyo 1ha 3 tons
I just wish AH HUN SEN would honor his own words with Cambodian people but with the Vietcong AH HUN SEN honor his every words including all the fucken treaties that he signed with the Vietcong!!
It is AH HUN SEN himself who planted the seed of division among Cambodian people from the begining and now this fucken bastard called for unity??? Unity for what??? AH HUN SEN want unity so that he can have his absolute power, greed, and lust???
I always thought that being a leader a person must be willing to make sacrafice for the nation!!! So far I see that AH HUN SEN is willing to make sacrafice to be the puppet of the Vietcong at the expense of Cambodia!!!
AH HUN SEN government will always be the puppet government of the Vietcong until the day he die!!!
No Cambodian people should accept any puppet government from the enemy!!!
True, you are our enemy, and we
did not accept your puppet.
Khmer leaders are stupid when come to money and that is why the Yuons use money to break down all Khmer leaders and slowly Cambodia has no control of the nation. The next generation is Xmer not Khmer.
Some always blame neighbors(Viet/Sino Siam)But they do not mirror their ownselves/reflex themselves....Viet may not use money.. But Xmer use/ Xmer Money to buy to Xmer Xmer knows that they buy Xmer BUT they are still be sold theirown Brian/Head for Dollars Srey Sra to destroy their own nations/.......
WHOSE MAISTAKE???
Xmer's Or Viet's ?
The next generation will be Xmer?
For your information, Viet has
been here for several centuries,
and Khmers is still Khmers, not
Xmers. On the other hand, you
backstabers people only live
abroad for about 30 years, and
half of you don't even speak
Khmer. Who are you trying to
fool here, huh?
Thanks for the good news again.
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