Original report from Phnom Penh
19 June 2008
The National Democratic Institute on Thursday gathered representatives from each of the 11 competing parties to encourage them to discuss their policies in a "productive manner" ahead of scheduled debates for July's elections.
NDI is preparing to record and broadcast 22 debates among the parties, including eight on national television, to provide them "the opportunity to articulate their ideas freely and challenge those of their opponents in a fair and equal manner," said Jerome Cheung, Cambodia representative for the US-based group.
"NDI hopes that these debates will demonstrate that, while candidates from different parties have different policies and opinions, they can discuss these differences in a productive manner, free from violence or retribution," Cheung said.
NDI had scheduled a more than 30 debates, some of them only between the major parties, but revamped the format following complaints by minor parties.
In public forums in 2004 and 2005 held by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, ruling Cambodian People's Party supporters were interruptive and Sam Rainsy Party supporters provoked them through negative attacks, said Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, who was head of the human rights center when the forums were held.
This environment led to the failure of forums, as supporters of the two parties would nearly come to blows, he said.
He supported the view of NDI discouraging the use of attacks or negative words during the debates, Kem Sokha said.
NDI is preparing to record and broadcast 22 debates among the parties, including eight on national television, to provide them "the opportunity to articulate their ideas freely and challenge those of their opponents in a fair and equal manner," said Jerome Cheung, Cambodia representative for the US-based group.
"NDI hopes that these debates will demonstrate that, while candidates from different parties have different policies and opinions, they can discuss these differences in a productive manner, free from violence or retribution," Cheung said.
NDI had scheduled a more than 30 debates, some of them only between the major parties, but revamped the format following complaints by minor parties.
In public forums in 2004 and 2005 held by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, ruling Cambodian People's Party supporters were interruptive and Sam Rainsy Party supporters provoked them through negative attacks, said Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, who was head of the human rights center when the forums were held.
This environment led to the failure of forums, as supporters of the two parties would nearly come to blows, he said.
He supported the view of NDI discouraging the use of attacks or negative words during the debates, Kem Sokha said.
5 comments:
Democratic is about different group of parties coming together to present their point of views to the khmer people to decide what party is best serve their interest. It's not one party treatening and bullying another party.
total agreed with the above comment. that ought to be the goal and agenda of the politician in cambodia. this is a great, wonderful concept to adopt from the west. god bless cambodia and her beautiful khmer people.
the USA and other industrialized nations out there should help cambodia by assisting with experts to strengthen the "national democratic institute" in cambodia to be a watchdog on the gov't of cambodia, similar to thailand's people's alliance for democracy that often make protest and voices gov't injustice in their country. so, i think cambodia's national democratic institute ought be a striking similarity to the thai's people's alliance for democracy and the western countries should help to back it and strengthening it as much as they can to help. thank you and god bless.
Yeah, but libel and slander are also illegal in Thailand.
Democracy can exist only where there is no threat, nor oppression nor killing and where there are enough ethics
Basic education to all, the education to community leaders will raise the ethic level then will help the democracy to establish.
If these basic requirements are not met, the debate will not be effective.
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