By Mom Sophon
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Opposition party officials have accused the CPP of using its party influence to interfere in the commune administration and in the election.
The opposition SRP party will file a complaint with the Ministry of Interior on Monday to ask that the commune office be moved to a new location, because the current commune office is located next to the CPP office.
Mrs. Mu Sochua, first SRP deputy Secretary-general and workgroup chairperson of the SRP party in Kampot province, indicated that if there is no moving of the commune office, the situation would appear to look like the commune officials are in fact working at the CPP office instead.
Mu Sochua said: “The SRP informed the Ministry of Interior once in 2002, asking that the commune office not be established under the CPP banner, this office is not just next (to the CPP office), it is underneath the CPP banner. This is too much!”
Mu Sochua said that, in the past, the SRP also complained about this issue, however, there is no resolution yet. Furthermore, this action seems to show that there is no transparency and independence for the commune officials. In fact, the Kampong Bay commune office, located on Kampong Bay district, is located next to the CPP office, and the CPP sign looks like it is covering on top of the commune office. This is also true for the commune offices in Kampong Kandal and a number of other commune offices in Kampot province.
Ty Rithy, the Kampong Kandal commune chief said that all commune officials want to move this office, but they don’t have the ability to do so.
Ty Rithy said: “This happened since the very beginning, it’s not just now. Recently, we try to separate them (commune and CPP offices) apart, but we have this situation since before, we cannot separate them unless we have the ability. Right now, Japan provides commune offices in each province, they will provide a commune office, but we cannot find land in town, lands are very tight squeezed, when we have land, we will exchange for it, we cannot remain cramped. Here we use row houses as an administrative office, it’s difficult, but we endure it, what can we do? We don’t have anything and we are poor, so we endure it.”
Election observer officials for the province of Kampot said that this issue can cause confusion by making people think that the campaign and the political programs organized by the CPP are done by the commune instead, and people would be confused that the commune office is campaigning for the CPP.
Mrs. Try Chhun, Comfrel director of Kampot province, said: “I believe that the action taken by the commune office to set up a sign next to the (CPP) party sign, cause confusion among people, and it make them think that the campaigning etc… done by the (CPP) party is in fact done by the commune instead. Therefore, this is not right not just only for the upcoming election, but it will cause confusion at all future elections as well, people will be confused and they will not be happy that the party sign and the commune sign are next to each other like this.”
Kul Panha, executive director of Comfrel, said that, even though there is no law to prevent the establishment and the setup of party sign next to the commune office, but based on political party rules, these political party offices should not be set up near the commune office. He also noted that this action is taken almost everywhere in Cambodia, and the CPP is using its influence on works performed by commune officials.
The opposition SRP party will file a complaint with the Ministry of Interior on Monday to ask that the commune office be moved to a new location, because the current commune office is located next to the CPP office.
Mrs. Mu Sochua, first SRP deputy Secretary-general and workgroup chairperson of the SRP party in Kampot province, indicated that if there is no moving of the commune office, the situation would appear to look like the commune officials are in fact working at the CPP office instead.
Mu Sochua said: “The SRP informed the Ministry of Interior once in 2002, asking that the commune office not be established under the CPP banner, this office is not just next (to the CPP office), it is underneath the CPP banner. This is too much!”
Mu Sochua said that, in the past, the SRP also complained about this issue, however, there is no resolution yet. Furthermore, this action seems to show that there is no transparency and independence for the commune officials. In fact, the Kampong Bay commune office, located on Kampong Bay district, is located next to the CPP office, and the CPP sign looks like it is covering on top of the commune office. This is also true for the commune offices in Kampong Kandal and a number of other commune offices in Kampot province.
Ty Rithy, the Kampong Kandal commune chief said that all commune officials want to move this office, but they don’t have the ability to do so.
Ty Rithy said: “This happened since the very beginning, it’s not just now. Recently, we try to separate them (commune and CPP offices) apart, but we have this situation since before, we cannot separate them unless we have the ability. Right now, Japan provides commune offices in each province, they will provide a commune office, but we cannot find land in town, lands are very tight squeezed, when we have land, we will exchange for it, we cannot remain cramped. Here we use row houses as an administrative office, it’s difficult, but we endure it, what can we do? We don’t have anything and we are poor, so we endure it.”
Election observer officials for the province of Kampot said that this issue can cause confusion by making people think that the campaign and the political programs organized by the CPP are done by the commune instead, and people would be confused that the commune office is campaigning for the CPP.
Mrs. Try Chhun, Comfrel director of Kampot province, said: “I believe that the action taken by the commune office to set up a sign next to the (CPP) party sign, cause confusion among people, and it make them think that the campaigning etc… done by the (CPP) party is in fact done by the commune instead. Therefore, this is not right not just only for the upcoming election, but it will cause confusion at all future elections as well, people will be confused and they will not be happy that the party sign and the commune sign are next to each other like this.”
Kul Panha, executive director of Comfrel, said that, even though there is no law to prevent the establishment and the setup of party sign next to the commune office, but based on political party rules, these political party offices should not be set up near the commune office. He also noted that this action is taken almost everywhere in Cambodia, and the CPP is using its influence on works performed by commune officials.
3 comments:
Oh!!NO
Here again, the ruling party always exercises ways to intimidate or influence people for political gain.I do not think it is the case of shortfall of funding or land to establish site independently.
When you do not have independent NEC, these sort of thing always crop up everywhere.
Neang SA
On my last visit to Cambodia I have seen the new CPP office in Kandalstung is just behind the commune office. It is a new building, built just before the local elections. The commune office is now almost never used.
They also fixed some of the roads just before the election to show that they were doing something. But the most surprising thing is the new house built by the local CPP chief in the area. It is a huge palace! The best meat for the powerful, the scraps for the little people........
Well, because we are poor, we have to be efficient on how we spend our tax dollars. In this case, it cost a lot less to construct offices in a group and save tons of money on the foundation, plumbing, sewage, elecrical, ..., and materials.
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