Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Flawed system sullies Cambodia's election

July 30, 2008
By Lao Mong Hay
UPI Asia Online

Column: Rule by Fear

Hong Kong, China — Cambodia held a general election on Sunday, and while the National Election Committee was still gathering the election returns, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party already announced it had won 91 out of 123 seats, 18 seats more than in the last election and way ahead of its nearest rival, the Sam Rainsy Party, which had secured 26 seats.

The Sam Rainsy Party and three other parties that also won seats, according to the same announcement, quickly joined forces on Monday to denounce the results, charging that they had been “manipulated and rigged” by the ruling party. They cited “illegal and fraudulent practices” relating to “deletion of countless legitimate voters' names and artificial increase” in votes for the ruling party due to “illegitimate voters.”

The ruling party’s victory and the denouncement of it by the four non-ruling parties have come as no surprise. In fact this victory had been widely predicted even months before the polls. Some have cited the economic growth achieved over recent years by the ruling party and the electorate’s unity behind it in the face of Thailand’s recent encroachment on Cambodia as the main factors contributing to the win.

In fact, the ruling party’s victory should be attributed to the system of government it put in place when it was a full-fledged communist party in the 1980s. To this system was added a democratic veneer in 1993 when the country theoretically embraced parliamentary democracy, but it has remained basically intact and in firm control. The ruling party has utilized this system to get itself re-elected over and over since its defeat in the U.N.-organized election in 1993.

The ruling party has controlled all the state apparatus – including the National Election Committee, the judiciary, security forces, civil service and educational institutions – since the communist days. It has manned all important posts with its members, so that the state apparatus and the party apparatus are but one.

Such fusion can be seen in the proximity of the offices of the party, police stations and administrative offices, whose respective buildings are located next to one another in many provinces, districts and communities. Almost all village chiefs and heads of groups in villages are also members of the ruling party. All party cadres from top to bottom enjoy high social status, impunity and material benefits gained through illicit means.

Several months before the election, the ruling party was able to successfully tempt with such privileges thousands of members of the opposition parties, including some senior members of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party, to defect to it. The ruling party has proved very successful in enrolling members, so much so that just before this election one of its senior members claimed that his party had nearly 5 million members, and this out of just over 8 million voters in the country.

Through this extensive apparatus, the ruling party has been able to maintain firm control of the population. Members of each household must be registered in a police-issued family book and a residence book, and grassroots party officials must know each household and its members’ activities. Local party cadres who are also local officials can mobilize and induce the population to support the ruling party. They can also deny rival parties and even civil society organizations access to the population without prior permission. They can prevent, using force if need be, public meetings and training seminars organized by those parties and civil society organizations.

The ruling party has had a virtual monopoly and control of all the media, especially radio and television, on which the overwhelming majority of people depend for news and other information. It has been making use of this media year in year out, while its rival parties are deprived of it. Some press with limited circulation is freer, but the majority of newspapers are run by members or supporters of the ruling party, and it is rare that commercial companies dare put advertisements in newspapers known to be affiliated to any rival party.

The ruling party has been able to secure overwhelming resources for elections when it is in command of state resources and has a lot of support from private companies that seek favors for their business. Thanks to all these resources it has been able to buy votes though building social projects and giving hand-outs during election campaigns, and to fund other election expenses.

The ruling party has enjoyed all these privileges since there is no anti-corruption mechanism in place to take action against it. Furthermore, the National Election Committee also placed under its control has imposed no limit on donations to political parties and their expenses in elections campaigns. Nor has it verified and made transparent the accounts of all political parties. This system only favors the ruling party.

Last but not least, the police and courts of law which the ruling party also controls have acted more promptly and more diligently in criminal cases in which members of the ruling party are victims and members of opposition parties are suspected offenders than vice versa. Some months prior to the election, they showed only apathy toward reported threats and intimidation of activists of non-ruling parties, destruction of their signboards, and even the killing of some of them.

The system of government and social control which the ruling party has put in place and firmly controls leaves little room for free and fair competition among political parties, or for free choice among the electorate. This largely contributed to the outcome of the election, if it had not already determined it prior to the polling day. It also contributed to producing the irregularities which the four parties have used to claim that that election was manipulated and rigged by the ruling party.
--
(Lao Mong Hay is a senior researcher at the Asian Human Rights Commission in Hong Kong. He was previously director of the Khmer Institute of Democracy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and a visiting professor at the University of Toronto in 2003. In 1997, he received an award from Human Rights Watch and the Nansen Medal in 2000 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.)

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

YOU MUST ADMIT THAT SAMRAINSY PARTY WAS WELL ORGANIZED AND HAVE STRONGLY RESISTED TO THE STORMING ATTACK HUNXEN and even have made a little progress
Sam Rainsy is a persevering, resolute. He always plans in the long term facing to the overwhelming machine HUNXEN.
The most important for us is more and more people trust him and his party.
My family, my friend and I are CONFIDENT THAT SAMRAINSY PARTY WILL WIN in the near future.
We should praise them for their perseverance and totally support them, at least financially.

Anonymous said...

APPEAL TO KHMER COMPATRIOTS!
WAKE-UP!

ALL KHMERS MUST UNITE FOR EVER WITH SAM RAINSY TO WIN YUON XEN.

HE IS OUR LAST HOPE. DON'T MISS THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY.

Anonymous said...

Don't leave the evil Hun Sen to destroy our moral, to divide us

Anonymous said...

STIMA:
WE're all the Last HOpe.
Samransy are the main component.

Anonymous said...

A bullet should help Hun Sen finish his term in the other world.

Anonymous said...

To comment 11:26PM
You are right, dear compatriots that we are the last hope.
As Samrainsy party is the main opposition party we must together to stand against the evil lackey yuon.
We have no choice if we want to survive.
Thak you very much, see you soon

From Kone Khmer,

Anonymous said...

I havn´t comments more about the Khmers policy. The only comment that I endorse today to all Khmer people why their country fall to this way:

1) till 1970: The first primary failures was the Sihanouks´failures in Vietnam war, esp. with USA. Under neutral pseudonym allowed Sihanouk the Vietcong army operated in Cambodia soil against south Vietnam and also Cambodia as weaponsreloading point for this war. Maybe he thought die USA did knew nothing? (Dream). In order to ensure his momarchy in Cambodia, he as feudalism cooperated with the communist Vietnam, China und ..Which monarchy countries in the Globe cooperate with communist?

2- 1970: Under command of Khmer King (?) expeled Gen. Lon Nol the present of Vietnam army and Vetnam from Cambodia and after that bed Gen. Lon Nol prince Sihanouk to return home but failed, although the Russian president advised him to return, otherwise Cambodia will glided in the civil war. .......................................

3- 1993: His son´s party won the election sponsored by the UN, Ranaridt must leaded the whole Govt. But Sihanouk tried to make Cambodia a new post for CPP as 2 minister posts this land. Why Ranaridt won majority? because Cambodian people hated the communist, esp. influent from Vietnam. After this election Vietnam had no influent more but tried and tried with x-tricks, those for the west politician so complecated to understand as long as the CPP will be strong by today.

4- from now 2008: After win the election by cpp in 2008 Cambodia is fully under cotrol of Vietnam and its allie CPP and the Destiny of Khmer must to live under Indochina Forderation in SHADOW. NO WAY GET OUT AGAIN AND MAYBE THAILAND THE NEXT GOAL?

Comment from Cambodian academic who followed Khmer policy for 38 years.

Anonymous said...

CPP run Cambodia the same as Sihanouk's Sangkum Reas Nyum Party.
Control your life and keep you as a frog in a well.

Anonymous said...

If you play by the rules you will never be able to kick Hun Sen out.

Because these people are outlaws.

So when Hun Sen show himself publicly ... BANG.

Dead dog.

Anonymous said...

You're exactly right my friend 11:49pm. Because I knew and I have leaned the same you do. But how can we do now if Samrainsy and Khem Sokha didnot want to unite to win the election because they also want power themself....I'm not Hunsen supporter because I hate yuon more then anything else...
United we survive, Divided we die..

Anonymous said...

ANYONE GIVE SOME IDEAS ,
1,WHY ALOTS OF PEOPLE'VE VOTED FOR CPP? EVEN IN PP?
2,SIHANOUK ,POL POT,LON NOL ,HUN SEN,WHO IS THE REAL GOOD LEADER?
3,BEING KHMER ,WHAT DO U THINK TO IMPROVE OUR ECONOMIC AND STANDARD LIVING OF PEOPLE ?WHAT SHOULD WE DO?


MADBOY
kh_madboy@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

1-People trust CPP because they won't run when thing getting tough. In PP, they just realize that now every things is going in the right direction.
2-Hun Sen is.
3-Now a day road, infrastructures, dam, transportation, education, argriculture, fishery, etc. are being improved. Theses what Khmer at home looking foward too not just the promises from the other party.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info Nguyen.

Anonymous said...

We will be free if we can reforme the fucking killers Police and army of ah Kwack Hun Xen!!!!!

Fuck UN, to make us drop our gun and leave the jungle just to be slaved !

Anonymous said...

don't let small bipartisan problem get blown out of proportion to make it like it's a national problem because it's not. of course, in any election anywhere on the planet, do expect some small or minor problem, even in the USA, there the election is not perfect. i guess, some people in cambodia have too much great expectations. i mean that is good for the country, however, to blow it out of proportion is uncalled for. i hope everything will work out just fine among all the political parties vying for the number one slot. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

also, don't forget that there is no law in the constitution that spells out the term limit of anyone individual running in the election, so what is the complain about mr. hun sen staying in power for too long or whatever! i wish people think of a solution more than personal attack on someone they take too personally. stop complaining already; there are a lot of good leaders in the world who stay in office for a long, long time. again, if cambodia don't want this style, then amend the term limit law so something like this can be prevented. otherwise, stop complaining as it does no good for cambodia, except maybe for personal ambition only. everyone is in it together if there is no such law. one has to wonder why nobody really interested in debating about this law in parliament or something. so what is the purpose of complaining about mr. hun sen or anybody else in his position, if there is no such law to prevent it from happening? this is a question everyone should be asking, if so concerned or something!

Anonymous said...

1-CPP won in Phnom Penh because they used several illegal tatics such as:

- Falsify thousand names of their members outside the capital to register as P.Penh voters,but they were not the real P.Penh residents with the help of their CPP Districts.

- CPP members outside P.Penh used faked names of P.Penh residents who left their families and they were not active in the election to vote in P.Penh.

- and many others illegal meams that we learned already.

CPP won the countryside because it run Cambodia the same as Sihanouk's Sangkum Reas Nyum Party reigned.
As H.E. Lao Mong Hay described:
The ruling party has controlled all the state apparatus – including the National Election Committee, the judiciary, security forces, civil service and educational institutions – since the communist days. It has manned all important posts with its members, so that the state apparatus and the party apparatus are but one.
The ruling party has had a virtual monopoly and control of all the media, especially radio and television, on which the overwhelming majority of people depend for news and other information. It has been making use of this media year in year out, while its rival parties are deprived of it. Some press with limited circulation is freer, but the majority of newspapers are run by members or supporters of the ruling party, and it is rare that commercial companies dare put advertisements in newspapers known to be affiliated to any rival party.

The ruling party has been able to secure overwhelming resources for elections when it is in command of state resources and has a lot of support from private companies that seek favors for their business. Thanks to all these resources it has been able to buy votes though building social projects and giving hand-outs during election campaigns, and to fund other election expenses.

The ruling party has enjoyed all these privileges since there is no anti-corruption mechanism in place to take action against it. Furthermore, the National Election Committee also placed under its control has imposed no limit on donations to political parties and their expenses in elections campaigns. Nor has it verified and made transparent the accounts of all political parties. This system only favors the ruling party.

Last but not least, the police and courts of law which the ruling party also controls have acted more promptly and more diligently in criminal cases in which members of the ruling party are victims and members of opposition parties are suspected offenders than vice versa. Some months prior to the election, they showed only apathy toward reported threats and intimidation of activists of non-ruling parties, destruction of their signboards, and even the killing of some of them.

The system of government and social control which the ruling party has put in place and firmly controls leaves little room for free and fair competition among political parties, or for free choice among the electorate. This largely contributed to the outcome of the election, if it had not already determined it prior to the polling day. It also contributed to producing the irregularities which the four parties have used to claim that that election was manipulated and rigged by the ruling party.

2-
Hun Sun = Sihanouk. They both have done somethings good for Cambodia,but they destroyed country due to their greed.

Lon Nol was somehow not bad, but the KR and Sihanouk did not give a chance to lead the counry as a Khmer Republic with a real democracy.
Pol Pot was an ultra nationalist. His legacy: 2 millions people died, everything ruined ,and we legally lost Kampuchea Krom Land to Vietnam ( with the ratification of CPP and FUNCEPEC Parlment Members to recognize the present Khmer-Vietnam border agreement. )

3-Do not lost hope.
Education is very important for all development of our country,
When our people attained their education level as in the West,we will haveva true democracy.
Remember that in Mexico, it took 70 years for opposition party to win the election and to run the country.

Anonymous said...

Well I Cite CTN's foul mouth Chum Kosal who sits on his ass to discredit oppositions 24/7.

After they tell you the same lie all year long its just a matter of time before you start believing 100%.

I hate Chum Kosal. THat man gets on my nerve. Someone shoot a cupid arrow at him with poison on it to fall in love with Bun Rany Hun Sen so strongman can take care

Anonymous said...

If it will take Khmer 70 years for opposition to take power, I am sure that the leader of opposition will certainly have one of the below name Nguyen, truong, tran, trinh, huynh,
hoang, huyen

Anonymous said...

CPP had won fair and square.

Stop bickering. It's time to go back to work.

Anonymous said...

to 1:53 AM, wait 70 years like Mexico then Cambodia will "new Khmer Kapuchea Krong" my friend. If Cambodia has not border to Vietnam then we can wait but you must compaire Cambodia with Mexico.

Anonymous said...

Many thanks for your comment,i do agree with the idea "
in mexico it took 70 years for opposition party".Like the english saying "Better late than Never".your comment is very important to show the commitment to our country.i'm the new generation learn lots from ur idea.I also agree that education is the key to develope and change our country.Today people give a low value of the educated people even my family.Money and social position are the most welcome in everywhere.
If we see the Jewish people the most intelligent in doing business in the world.They control many many small and big business around the world.CNN,New york time,Even microsoft(bill gate"his grandparent is Jewish).Jewish gives alot of money to construct Israel and fight against Arab country.Jewish give a high value of educated people,how many jewish in the world?there are just about 10 million.

so i hope khmer in abroad not just strongly consider the politic but should care about homeless kids give them the chance to study.
EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE KEY TO CHANGE EVERYTHING IN CAMBODIA.

Thanks,
Madboy
kh_madboy@yahoo.com