Thursday, April 24, 2008

Sam Rainsy talks about unification of political parties

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
By Sary Roat
Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Sam Rainsy, SRP President, told RFA that it was the SRP who (first) asked other democracy-loving parties to join with it.

Sam Rainsy said: “The first one to ask for the unification was the Sam Rainsy Party, because we have a long history of fighting against the autocratic regime for more than 12-year. We have 24 MPs, commune chiefs, first commune councilors, 2nd commune councilors, 2,660 commune councilors in all of Cambodia. Therefore, the victims of land disputes, forest problems, fishing lot disputes, right violations, all types of oppressions, came to ask the SRP at the local level to help them, because at the majority of commune councils, there are only two political parties facing each others: the ruling party (i.e. the CPP), and the SRP.”

Nevertheless, Sam Rainsy said that he agrees to unite with any political parties that are not puppet to the ruling CPP party.

Sam Rainsy said: “One of the CPP tricks is to form new political parties in large number, based on the latest information I received, there are more than 50 parties. I (am willing to) unite with any party, even a small party that is nationalist, except for those parties which are puppet to other parties, because some parties are being set up (by the CPP) to divide the democrat votes. However, for any party that has a clear standing, I am happy to unite with them.”

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why does the SRP sounds so much like Ah Khmer-Yuon? Everytime Ah Khmer-Yuon doesn't agree with someone they are Yuon's Puppet. The US is Yuon's Puppet. France in particular is Yuon's Puppet. ... . And the whole world is Yuon's Puppet.

That is so sick for an excuse.

Anonymous said...

i was there to hear him speak last night.he is right about what he said people like kem sokha or any other small party.they go to one providence and try gather votes knowing that will not even win is like he said "throwing your votes away" I mean it is hard to win againest Hun Sen but you shouldnt cloud khmer peeps mind and focus on installing a new government.one thing he said that really stuck out was if he win he's not going be handing out Sarong and Sugar but he will be handing out land.

its funny whoever write these anti SRP comments seem to wanna let Cambodia live in misery.

Anonymous said...

This is not Anti-Sam Rainsy rhectoric!

Unification? with Kem Sokha, Ranarith, or dreaming Lon Rith? I think it is a complete joke! why? How can self-centered like Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha get along well? Or with power-thrist and girl-obsessed Ranarith? Who is going to lead this coalition? Whoever great optimist think is possible, I don't think this unification is going to work or bring any benefit to Cambodia.

Their unification is because one reason, and one reason onlÿ "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" but once they can achieve whatever political agenda they has, they will kick another's ass!!

If they care enough about people or this country's interest, they should try hard to be what they are as the ideal party people should vote for but not by desperate mean of luring some other idiots like Ranarith to join them.

The beauty of competition is that each party tries to bring their best political platforms possible and their ideal visions of leading this country. However, what our politicians are doing is that to blame each other so that they look better.

Anonymous said...

Not just our politicians are spending time trying to screw each other more than they work for the country, but most of Asia is like that, and that is why democracy don't work in Asia.

Anonymous said...

Picture this, in the US currently we can either vote for Obama, Clinton or Mcain. Let say you don't like any of these candidates...suck to be then...cause of these candidates will be president of the US. OK, Srok Khmer...CPP and the rest of the oppositions parties. If you don't like the opposition...suck to be you and the CPP love you...So what side you on? Stayed neutral is like watching your beloved mother (country) being rape and do nothing about it. So either you joined the CPP and help reduction corruption and resore human...or help shed some light on uniting the opposition parties to get of CPP. Keep this in mind, the longer CPP stayed ruling the harder for any opposition party to over come them. Solved problem around the table first before solving the problem on the table. UNITED. UNITED. UNITED.

Anonymous said...

It's better for all democracy-loving political parties to join together with the bigger one as the SRP if they want to get more seats in the House and to promote democracy. But if they don't, the big losers are the trivial parties, not the SRP.

Anonymous said...

quote:

Why does the SRP sounds so much like Ah Khmer-Yuon? Everytime Ah Khmer-Yuon doesn't agree with someone they are Yuon's Puppet. The US is Yuon's Puppet. France in particular is Yuon's Puppet. ... . And the whole world is Yuon's Puppet.

That is so sick for an excuse.

end quote

SRP is starting to sound like Khmer-Krom because he is finally seeing the all the real Youn dirty tricks.

Youn is using each and every tactic to stay in power by mean of coaching and slapping Hun Xen to do what they said. When Sam Rainsy said that the CPP is creating all these little parties just to split up the votes and none will get the majority vote, then the crony CPP wins again. Mission accomplished!

So this is just one of those dirty tactics that has been used throughtout history. Divide and conquer. It does work! Unify and unify with the true party not with the fake one.

Chaeyo SRP!

Anonymous said...

Ah Khmer-Yuon is no one else but you the only idiotic fool, 10:19, in this KI media. The more you pain someone to be Ah Khmer-yuon, the more you are Ah Khmer-Yuon indeed! Because the language you use just as the language that Hun Xen use!

Anonymous said...

it is good to start talks about unification of all parties, instead of divisive. don't forget that we are all khmer people and all have same interest for cambodia to be better. thank you.

a good leader should be the one who favor unity not divisive.

Anonymous said...

please think, is it better to unite all parties and everyone helps to develop cambodia or is it better to be divisive? remember, life is a choice. please analize clearly and pick one. thank you.

Anonymous said...

as a khmer citizen, i'm sick of the indifferences among political parties. it's time we become smarter now by unite all khmer for the good of all cambodia. thank you and god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

it is like you are in the driver's seat and all cambodian people are like the passengers, so please don't put all of cambodia in danger by your reckless driving habit. please drive carefully with obedience to the traffic law and signals. thank you.

Anonymous said...

You have to use your brain wisely. If I were Kem Sokha, I have to look at all the possible players, big and small alike, and I go with the one that I think the country will be best served under the circumstances. It is not about Hun Sen or the CPP, they are not, but Vietnam who is actually calling all the shots. Now, there are not a lot of big players out there. Either you go with the CPP or you go with one that you think has the best chance of going up toe to toe with. You bring in your strengths and work to affect the change you wish. Not by starting up your own party or your own logo.

Do you believe and still believe in Funcinpec, Rannaridh after all the shits they pulled since 1993? This parties are going down hill from here. Now what is left? Would not it be better for me to go with an already well established, name recognition of a party that I share the same values, with maybe a few minor differences that can be worked out?
To start a new party in a time like this, is in no way helping the cause of democracy when you know for sure who is the ultimate beneficiary. Get real people, and realized who pushed Kem Sokha into this idea of a HRP?

Anonymous said...

Now, some of us seems to be so indulged in our own little egotistical world where we think we have all the solutions. I bet anyone of us can come out there, put your life at risk, talking and acting like Sam Rainsy and be a leader of a movement. Do you have the gut to do the kind of thing that Sam Rainsy has tiredlessly done for the last 15 years since returning from France.

It is nice to be able to sit in front of a computer in a nice office, or a big house offshore far away from the real deal, and be so smart about everything, a guy trying to do for the sake of the country. I doubt that very much, and sometimes you should do your own self-evaluation. Put yourself in the man's shoe and see if you can a mile. Until then, you should appreciate the quality, right or wrong, of the man. He has all the ingredients to be a great leader. Could not be worse than Hun Sen and the rests of the gangs.

Anonymous said...

Khmer democratic parties will not have a unity. It should happen long time ago. And it cannot happen now.

A few days after the coup the western gave a big support and idea for the 3 main democratic parties to form a UCD (United Cambodian Democracies). They asked Kem Sokha to be a middle person. Son San accepted it. Ranaridh was OK with it. But Rainsy refused. He said the same thing as now "His party will win. His party does not need anyone else". If they united, they would already win the CPP at that time.

After seeing Rainsy's attitute, Son San's team later joined FUNCINPEC.

After staying with FUNCINPEC for awhile Kem Sohka saw no hope that FUNCINPEC would go up but to come down. He then secretly talked to Rainsy to bring about half of FUNCINPEC's team to join Rainsy. But Rainsy refused again.

Later on Kem Sokha throw a Human Rights group organization to gain his own popularity. Seeing and fearing of popularity of Kem Sokha, Rainsy and his wife then secretly met Kem Sokha and offerred him a Vice President at Sam Rainsy Party. But it was Kem Sokha's turn to refuse.

Later in 2006 one of the western country tried to put these two men at a round table in Phnom Penh and asked them to work together. But Rainsy refused again. He said "His tree has grown strong roots. His ship is going toward the goal. His party is OK. He doesnot need anyone."

Again in 2007 after Kem Sokha launched the Human Rights Party, a group of western countries tried to put them together. They arranged for both of them to meet in Switzeland. Kem Sokha showed up, but Rainsy did not. Rainsy and his wife went to Paris instead.

I think it was the final attemp of the western to help these two groups to unite. And I think they will never be together. In their heart they become the enemy now.

They both are now trying so hard to gain votes and seats in order to be a partner with CPP to run the government. But they are wrong again. FUNCINPEC will win a few seats (2 or 3 at least) that will add up to 50+1 with CPP. Then they are still a strong partner for government.

It is too late for Kem Sokha or anyone to call for the unity.

Anonymous said...

Why reunification?

Three political parties with 3 different leaders whose personality, attitude, vision and plolicies for the country are having nothing in common.

By the way, the more political parties to contest in election the better it is for people as we are not in any similar, having the same taste and support the same party either.

Can any one tell people that either of these party leaders is willing to be jurnior rather the man in driver seat or is willing enough to work on theirs merit rather than I should be the man in driver seat at all time, for instance; RNP who would not want to be second at any time, whist HRP is new and trying to stay under the umbrella of well known party, or SRP party is willing to step aside and let the others to take control of his party.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but that is exactly how Cambodia is the smallest country in the region.