Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Parties Remain Divided in Final Weeks

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
15 July 2008


Political leaders competing against the Cambodian People's Party have remained divided, competing with each other instead of unifying its voice, a leading human rights official said.

The competing parties need a strong alliance in order to compete with the CPP, said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch.

"The Cambodian People's Party is trying to break the opposition party's voice," Adams said. "They are trying to persuade the opposition party members or activists by promising to provide positions as government advisers and things like that."

The competing parties "made plenty of mistakes over the years by competing instead of uniting," he said.

With less than two weeks remaining in the campaign, leaders of the three main opponents, the Sam Rainsy, Norodom Ranariddh and Human Rights parties, have been unable to come together.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said there were "points of weakness" in other party leaders, such as accusations leveled against Prince Norodom Ranariddh of the sale of Funcinpec's party headquarters before he assembled his own party, and lawsuits of former employees of Human Rights Party President Kem Sokha.

"We are afraid and unconfident to join with any political parties that have not cleared [such allegations] and don’t have transparency," Sam Rainsy said.

Kem Sokha denied involvement in corruption and said he already testified at court in cases brought by his former employees.

Sam Rainsy regularly rejected the idea of unification, Kem Sokha said, and neither the opposition nor Norodom Ranariddh's party have shown an ability to unite.

"If they knew how to unite, then the new party would not have been created," he said, adding that his party "always welcomed unity."

Prince Ranariddh is running his self-named party from exile in Kuala Lumpur and faces a prison sentence and fine for breach of trust if he returns. He said by phone recently he had already requested unification with Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha, to no avail.

"I've been suggesting to Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha since October 2007 the demolition of the Sam Rainsy Party, the Human Rights Party and the Norodom Ranariddh Party, in order to create a large nationalist party," he said. "I am strongly disappointed, and regret that Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy have ignored my suggestion."

CPP lawmaker Chiem Yeap, who is a candidate for Prey Veng province, told VOA Khmer recently that all the parties facing the CPP were welcome to unite.

"All the political parties in Cambodia have full rights to join their political parties together," he said. "But the Cambodian People's Party is still trying to work, because our people won the election. That is what made Kem Sokha's party, Norodom Ranariddh and Sam Rainsy to try to pull our credit our honor and our party reputation down."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gentleman

Cambodians wish to see not only political colors,BUT political values of which the party upholds and its implementation.

Political parties should have grown out of being blamed, but accept progressive criticisms based on human rights, social developments with transparency. These should have been endorsed and promoted by our KING.

Our king has obligations to the kingdom and his citizens, under the cambodian national constitution.

Neang SA

Anonymous said...

Ranaridh and Kem Sokha these two cannot be trusted and should not be prime minister for Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

បោះឆ្នោត ថ្ងៃ ២៧ កក្កដា ២០០៨ មានតែ ពីរ ជំរើសគត់ ៖

- បោះឆ្នោត ជូនអ្នកស្នេហាជាតិ (ឯកឧត្តមសម រង្ស៊ី បំរើផលប្រយោជខ្មែរ)

- បោះឆ្នោត អោយជនក្បត់ជាតិ (អាក្បត់ជាតិហ៊ុន សែន បំរើផលប្រយោជយួន)



Only two sides of the Cambodian vote on July 27, 2008, vote for :

- Patriot (H.E. Sam Rainsy khmer servant, SRP: Sam Rainsy Party)
or
- Traitor (ah Hun Sen youn servant, CPP: Communist Pro youn Party)

Khmer farmer

Anonymous said...

If Sam Ransy wins this election, Cambodian around the world will joint with him to promote Cambodia out from third world country.

However, if Hun Sen win this election again CPP will promote Cambodia to the world class of poverty, corruptions, gambling, drugs, prostitutions and lawless country.

Anonymous said...

Khmer has been divided since day1. Khmer in Issan province is a good example of the faction that gave up on Cambodia for centuries now. And in retaliation, the evil monkeys in Cambodia used the French to invade Issan province and took lands and temple away from them. Thus, Cambodia must returns everything to their rightful owner in Issan Province.

Anonymous said...

shut up traitor. from this day on, with your attitude do not regard yourself a kon Khmer. you are a disgrace to the Khmer race. No khmer being speak such. We know you are a Thai imposter.

if thailand have done that level of brainwashing to your pathetic little mind if you were Khmer you can rest assured you are no longer have Khmer essence.

despicable traitors. That is what Khmer people hate most.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Hun Sen must sent the troop more this border!!
Hun Sen must spend all cost including diplomacy by calling back our khmer ambassador from Bankok, complaint to ASIAN, UN, ICJ and fighting to protect our land from A Siam thief!! if you do like this, you will become a hero of Cambodia. My vote for you if you follow this idea.

Now our country faces the biggest problem with A Siam thief. Please all khmer people joint with us to make demonstration infront of Thai Embassy to protest this problem!!

Boycott the thai production!!
Down A saim!!

khmer neak snea ha cheat,