Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Ly Menghour
The Mekong Times
The opposition Human Rights Party (HRP)’s steering committee has announced its secret negotiations with opposition democrats, nationalists and royalists have not resulted in unification, a long-time HRP goal.
HRP leadership has long been discussing a possible unification with the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), said Keat Sokun, deputy HRP president.
“We have worked secretly with locals and those overseas on unification,” he said. “HRP [officials have] met with representatives of the SRP and NRP but the HRP’s secret effort to unite democratic parties has to date not yielded positive results.”
Keat Sokun blamed the SRP for the lack of a coherent political opposition, saying that SRP representatives had claimed their party needed no help.
Still, he said the HRP remains adamant a unified opposition would be best for Cambodia.
NRP spokesman Muth Chantha admitted negotiations had failed but other measures were still possible. “We can discuss and share provinces and cities for [our members] to stand for during the election so that [we can] prevent democratic ballots from being cast for [other parties]. Furthermore, we also can form an alliance of democratic parties and stand under this name in the forthcoming election. This method has worked in some countries.”
Muth Chantha stressed his party is still appealing for unification of democratic parties.
SRP officials claimed that unification between opposition parties could be made only in “the clouds.”
“We respect the will of over a million voters who cast ballots in favor of the SRP,” SRP Deputy President Kong Korm said. “The 2007 communal council election’s results clearly showed that there are only two rival parties – the SRP and the Cambodian People’s Party [CPP].”
Electoral observers have said a united democratic opposition may be the only way to compete against the powerful ruling party.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said that unification was a question to be settled by party leaders. He warned whether to unite or not could affect the political balance of power between the ruling party and the opposition.
“I believe that if the three parties unite together and share the same goal, Cambodia will be firmer and more balanced,” he opined.
(Additional reporting by Neth Pheaktra)
HRP leadership has long been discussing a possible unification with the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), said Keat Sokun, deputy HRP president.
“We have worked secretly with locals and those overseas on unification,” he said. “HRP [officials have] met with representatives of the SRP and NRP but the HRP’s secret effort to unite democratic parties has to date not yielded positive results.”
Keat Sokun blamed the SRP for the lack of a coherent political opposition, saying that SRP representatives had claimed their party needed no help.
Still, he said the HRP remains adamant a unified opposition would be best for Cambodia.
NRP spokesman Muth Chantha admitted negotiations had failed but other measures were still possible. “We can discuss and share provinces and cities for [our members] to stand for during the election so that [we can] prevent democratic ballots from being cast for [other parties]. Furthermore, we also can form an alliance of democratic parties and stand under this name in the forthcoming election. This method has worked in some countries.”
Muth Chantha stressed his party is still appealing for unification of democratic parties.
SRP officials claimed that unification between opposition parties could be made only in “the clouds.”
“We respect the will of over a million voters who cast ballots in favor of the SRP,” SRP Deputy President Kong Korm said. “The 2007 communal council election’s results clearly showed that there are only two rival parties – the SRP and the Cambodian People’s Party [CPP].”
Electoral observers have said a united democratic opposition may be the only way to compete against the powerful ruling party.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said that unification was a question to be settled by party leaders. He warned whether to unite or not could affect the political balance of power between the ruling party and the opposition.
“I believe that if the three parties unite together and share the same goal, Cambodia will be firmer and more balanced,” he opined.
(Additional reporting by Neth Pheaktra)
14 comments:
The HRP knows its capacity and the SRP also knows its capacity all claim to be patriotic and work for the people, but when it comes to real national interest which is supposed to be a common goal for all, both failed to unite. What does this tell us about the Khmer politicians? As some people rightly said, you need to solve and overcome the problems around the table first before you solve the problems on the table.
I know some are short, long, black, white, pink, whatever…..but all dicks are the same. I'm angry when I see the politicians that most Khmer place their hope on are not prepared to take a step back when negotiating……I call you all ah Kdor.
Top mark for trying. Zero for proving Hun Sen is right that he is going to rule until he is carried away in a box.
0000
How can these self-centered people get united? Absolutely MISSION IMPOSSIBLE and totally a JOKE! Sam Rainsy has his own agenda and always believe he is the rightful leader with his cynical unreasonably critical approach and arrogant leadership. Kem Sokha has a stubborn, unsubject to Sam Rainsy's ruling, always believing he is better than Sam Rainsy or any others. Ranarith is perverted, power-oriented, heavily corrupted prick. This is a disaster!!
To unite in order to beat CPP? I think the reason they want to unite is their belief in "the enemy of enemy is my friend" mentality. I seriously doubt if any idiot think of our country and people's interest as their goal. PEIORD.
I have no faith for our Khmer politicians! They all scream and try to make the people believe in them!
Until now, I don't really see any progress at all in terms of advancing the country in the next era.
You always see politicians coming the states, Canada, France, and Australia. In the end, they don't even deserve our money at all.
They don't even have the formula, and the nerve to sit in a round table where wise, ungrudging, tolerant politicians sit down to have meaningful and sucessful mandates.
According to recent news, Sam Rainsy backed out of a meeting that was supposedly held in France.
Hun Sen will always be Hun Sen no matter if you like him or not, or how much more land to be lost.
These so-be democractic folks have no clue to what they are doing. They don't even have mathematicans, staticians, strategists, and the know-how people to land a successful mission.
Couple months ago, we heard fights between Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy. That was pathetic! Each claimed to be more superiour than the other.
Prince Norodom Rannaridh learns his lesson and is willing to do whatever he could. Don't forget, he's got so much credentials too.
I'm bored and sick of hearing news from back home with nothing more than inflation, protests, land-grabbing, illegal logging, illegal immigrants, and land lost here and there.
No one seems to be so wise and capable for this task after Jayavarman VII.
These democratic politicians do not even know what the CPP are up to- buying SR party members, and Funcipec one by one. How could they still say that their party are still strong? Are you not as blind as the leader? Do you not see the fire is blazing apart your party? If not distiguishing it, how could you stop it from happening further?
Basically, there's no point of voting when there's fraud, illegal immigrants's votes, vote buying, and every tactics used by the CPP to win the elections, and justlet us all sink to the bottom of the ocean, and pretend that nothing happened existes.
Please, then do not hold any more mass protests after the elections because we all have foreseen this already!
Why don't any opposition parties study the techniques used by the CPP and think why they are still in power? Also, never underestimate your opponent's weakness because that is a pure mistake that would lead you to a downward spiral.
I have seen that the oppositions whether the Sam Rainsy party or Funcipec or others, always claimed that they were gonna win. Please stop fooling poor, uneducated Khmer brothers and sisters anymore.
Factory workers are looked down upon, then the leader of the oppositon leader goes out and help. I think this is useless on behalf of the leader because the workers are basically exploited and the taxes go to the elites who sitting and reaping all the profits.
I have not seen Sam Rainsy is willing to negotiate with other self-proclaimed democratic parties at all. He tries to be all macho, French educated, and down-to-earth with the people. This is not helping the people. This is called giving a false hope to the people so that you could maintain your position.
I also see Hun Sen made a point too about Sam Rainsy. Look at the SR party, the leader's always the same as it is with the CPP's leader. So let's not be hypocritical of yourself and let's show the courage and be an example for others.
Hun Sen's still in power because he's very tactical. Don't ever look down on the former pagoda boy. He knows how to earn it from the hard way. He knows how to play his chess game, when to duck, hide, disappear, or appear.
Also, Sen knows when to be comical and persuasive to win the hearts and audience of the people.
Look at the U.S, most of their elite politicians come from the military: Colin Powell, Senator McCain, etc. These politicians have strategies and not fooled easily by false alarms.
They know how and when to wink, to blind, to befriend, and to be opponents.
Sam Rainsy, Rannaridh, and Kem Sokha are too blant with no strategies whatsoever. You know why say this? Well, because when the statistics show that you always lose, the majority of people don't want to see the underlying causes. They just want to see the big picture.
So where is this big picture? Well, there's no unity but divisions like always since the fall of Angkor. Disgrace!
Like Sihanouk said that France produces a great leader every one hundred years. But the Khmer only produced one in like every four to five hundred years.
Don't you all see the trend. Have you not taken any mathematics, or statistics course, or are you all poetry-like kind of people? No mean for the offence but that's how the public lives are seen.
Moreover, you only give more legitimacy to the winner of the elections when you're not united, and participate in them. You want to the world to know that you all exist but have no power whatsover.
The bottom line is that bravery is not enough unless you have the right people working for the time and place.
Until next time,
Khmer thinker
Darn, 12:42, you left nothing for me to say, but to call for a Status-Quo!
The Human Right Party is weak, and lacks imagination (behold the name of this party!!!) and the FUNCIPEC, which was operated by a prince, but out foxed by the Vietnamese backed Peasant. The Sam Rainsey party has the potential, but lacks the military and intelligence branches to counter the CPP. Because of this, the CPP has been abusing the Sam Rainsey activists.
The CPP is arrogant...and does not seem to care for the various smaller parties, which exist and compete peacefully... At this rate...the CPP will go the way of the Sangkum Riyum ... of Prince Sihanouk and Cambodia will have witnessed another war.
If the CPP remains the way it is, at some points in the future, an arm and intelligence wing (the officers at least) must be established within a potential opposition party to counter the CPP on the local level.
Equally,a diplomatic wing should exist as well to counter the CPP internationally. It seem that for any oppositional party to gain any chance of governing Cambodia, it must establish a good neighborly relation with Vietnam and Thailand. Using Thailand to gain access to the west (diplomatically and economically to counter any military or economic aggression from Vietnam), and Vietnam to access the east and to keep Thailand aggression at bay (China, can be factored in to keep both Vietnam and Thailand at bay...)
Simple this may seem, but if any opposition party can achieve this, it will have successfully loosen the CPP hold on power in Cambodia. By establishing good relation with Vietnam, an opposition would have assured the Vietnamese leaders in regard to Vietnamese security. Vietnam is most worried where Cambodia is concerned. It seems that almost every Vietnam's ill came through Cambodia or Laos.
Once Vietnam or Thailand or China has a a better alternative to the CPP; the oppositional parties have better chances of ruling Cambodia.
Vietnam has enough of the CPP, especially with the CPP inability to resolve internal economic and social issues. These issues threatened Cambodia stability, wich will affect Vietnam. Vietnam would have to openly intervene in Cambodia to stabilize a bad situation, but by doing so, Vietnam would face condemnation...not a situation Vietnam wants to get into.
A call for unification of the various parties by the HRP at this time is too premature.. The HRP would do well to simply gain some seats at the national assembly first. It needs a track record of successes. The FUNCIPEC.... get the Prince back to Cambodia...first. The Sam Rainsey--needs to be more mature where Vietnam is concern. How the heck are you going to gain power, if you terrified the Vietnamese with your strong saber rattling where the Vietnamese are concern. The more your saber rattle, the more the Vietnamese will send their tank s in support of Mr. Hun Sen.
12:42 PM
Well some of what you said, may or may not valid. The fact that the pagoda kid managed to stay that long does not mean he's smart, because I can foresee all/most of his routine tactics. He has the power so his words are Law and what he does is always right. Plus the covert support by the external foreign power, Hun Sen is a very useful tool. Can we say it's a fair game if all the government departments are biased to the ruling party (CPP)? Even the NEC that is supposed to be impartial is totally partial and biased towards to CPP.
If the Khmer people want to change they can, nothing can stop them but their own fear. They have to decide whether they want a Khmer government or a Xhmer government? Power is just a perception in people mind if we can get rid of this perception then dictator thug like Hun Sen is nothing more than a common thug.
Sure, everyone you can't defeated is a thugs. The Thai is a thug. The Lao is a thug. The Viet is a thug. The whole world is a thug. Why don't you just take a hard look at yourself in the mirror and see if everyone is a thug, or is it more like you are just a sissy who think you know everything, but just can't win anything anywhere ever.
Well said, 1:30, but what are the chance of your dream to come to life?
It seemed a bit too late to form an alliance. What they can do now is to form a broad-based coalition. When I say broad-based I mean every party go to the election under their party banner, but before and after the election they must be united in their stance against Hun Sen and stop attacking each other. The CPP should be only their target of attacks.
One more thing, the pagoda-boy turned a thuggish PM Hun Sen is not smart. The reasons he can manage to cling to power for this long is because he was and still is brutal who will do whatever to cling to power, including mercilessly murdering his opponents and critics. Period!
TO 2:46 P.M.
What do you think...?
Regretfully Zip, 8:09. But Frankly, you got the best tatic of all, I must say. Hope to see you in the theater someday.
Regarding to unification of the opposistion parties, I doing think that it is a good ways and time to to in order to kick Huncents and his cronies out of the goverment. however, what kinds and which ways of unification should be dealt in the this time. the opposition party should not be prouds of the their popular vote (popularity and management) in this time, as we seen at previous election already, even they known exactly they will win the election but finally they still lost it again because of fraud and threathening. this lession, the opposition leaders should study from Pakistan that finally make coaltion (unification) to gain the power from curretly government that running by Pre.Mussharaf. finally, I would like comment to opposition party leaders should rethink about unification of their party before forthcomming election held in July.however, they should finds out the best ways of unification by keeping this process secretly before the result of election had been announced by NEC.
People Power (Ps)
Politically speaking, HRP is in life-support mode. It just come to realization that there isn't a slim chance of winning a seat in NA. It hasn't got the kind of grassroot and financial supports needed going forward.
Only the idiots and the fools would want to get involved with the leaders of the NRP and/or Funcinpec. Look at what they have done to the people and the country. Haven't you seen enough of their marriage - CPP & FUNCINPEC? You just don't learn or you are such a slow learner by coincidence.
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