Kè Sovannaroth, SRP Secretary-general (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
05 November 2008
The newly appointed secretary-general of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party says she will face many challenges to expand its influence. The top challenge, though, continues to be the National Election Committee, said Ke Sovannaroth.
An imbalanced election law leads to discrimination against opposition supporters, messy voter lists, biased election officers and media broadcasts, and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party to lure party supporters with government positions, she said.
The Sam Rainsy Party expanded its seats in the National Assembly by only two after July’s election, but Ke Sovannaroth said this was not an accurate representation of the people’s will. The party remains popular, she said, despite a series of high-level “defections” of opposition supporters to the CPP.
“In fact, we have loyal members, activists,” she said. The small gains “came from the electoral law and its implementation, which saw major bias toward the ruling party.”
Despite the relative poverty of many SRP supporters, she said supporter abandonment was a minor obstacle compared to those put up by the election law.
Without enough seats to change the law, Ke Sovannaroth said it would be up to Cambodia’s donors to push the country towards “real democracy.”
“They have to have the electoral law and its regularities amended,” she said. “We will push for donors to review their aid, which was used to mobilize cabinet leadership.”
The government had now become, she said, “bigger and bigger, but not effective.”
NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha denied bias in the government agency: “No election observer made such a claim with clear evidence.”
CPP lawmaker said Cambodia remained a multi-party democracy. There are no such things as truly impartial people, so any committee would have political supporters, he said.
“Can we get neutral, impartial individuals?” he asked. “We can, by having individuals abide rightfully by law.”
Hang Puthea, president of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said an amended election law would likely not happen.
“Because most of the lawmakers are from the ruling party, I think there would not be any effective amendments to the law,” he said.
Koul Panha, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said opposition parties would have to work together and amend the law eventually.
“The environment has created some obstacles,” he said, “so they should prepare strategies to work in this environment.”
An imbalanced election law leads to discrimination against opposition supporters, messy voter lists, biased election officers and media broadcasts, and the ruling Cambodian People’s Party to lure party supporters with government positions, she said.
The Sam Rainsy Party expanded its seats in the National Assembly by only two after July’s election, but Ke Sovannaroth said this was not an accurate representation of the people’s will. The party remains popular, she said, despite a series of high-level “defections” of opposition supporters to the CPP.
“In fact, we have loyal members, activists,” she said. The small gains “came from the electoral law and its implementation, which saw major bias toward the ruling party.”
Despite the relative poverty of many SRP supporters, she said supporter abandonment was a minor obstacle compared to those put up by the election law.
Without enough seats to change the law, Ke Sovannaroth said it would be up to Cambodia’s donors to push the country towards “real democracy.”
“They have to have the electoral law and its regularities amended,” she said. “We will push for donors to review their aid, which was used to mobilize cabinet leadership.”
The government had now become, she said, “bigger and bigger, but not effective.”
NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha denied bias in the government agency: “No election observer made such a claim with clear evidence.”
CPP lawmaker said Cambodia remained a multi-party democracy. There are no such things as truly impartial people, so any committee would have political supporters, he said.
“Can we get neutral, impartial individuals?” he asked. “We can, by having individuals abide rightfully by law.”
Hang Puthea, president of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said an amended election law would likely not happen.
“Because most of the lawmakers are from the ruling party, I think there would not be any effective amendments to the law,” he said.
Koul Panha, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said opposition parties would have to work together and amend the law eventually.
“The environment has created some obstacles,” he said, “so they should prepare strategies to work in this environment.”
6 comments:
It seems the SRP wants to bend the rules as they go until they win the election. What more do they want? A election with zero irregularities? Heck, even in the U.S. there is a voting chaos in some areas, and there are people who have to delay the counting of their votes because their names in the register and their ID were not the same. Does that mean that Obama cheat in order to win the historic election last night? SRP would think so. You know what though, I think as long as SRP loses the election, they will cry foul all the way like the PAD in Thailand. They can't win with a normal election, so they want to play victim to win sympathy from the public.
Of course the election will encounter some irregularities, some voter registration errors, and the likes. But what does the SRP expect? We have been peaceful only for a short time and the fact that we can have a peaceful self-managed election is testament to how far we have come. I don't want to see a PAD in Cambodia. To the SRP and its blind supporters, if you can't win, you have to try harder, try to win by being more productive, and not by bending the rules til it satisfies your money and power hunger through an election victory. And to don't forget to consult Mr. Lao Hay regarding this issue: he used to run CMAC, maybe he knows a trick or two for you.
Penh Panha
Panha, you wrote very well and sound very academic but you are not different to many typical Khmer man. Self centre and has no respect for others' opinion. In every countries, it is good to have opposition parties. They should be there all the times to keep those bastard on the jobs.
You shouldn't compare your voting system to US. May be you are the blind one. Your party took advantage of the poor and innocent people especialy in the country side areas by suppresing and manipulating their right to choose their own leader. The hand out ballot papers were already marked with Hun Sen's name and all those Mer Srok and Mer Horm leaders were there to make sure the villagers vote for Hun Sen only.
Cambodia will never progress and not in another fifty years if many people has an attitude like you. Shame on you!
Oh Shut the fuck up, stupid (6:16)! Cambodia did not has any US issue. The economic was booming and that is what people are voting for, period.
If your country is doing well than why Hun Sen is going around the world begging?
Obama got a degree of law from Havard. Where's Hun Sen got his degree?
Booming my foot. 7.21 am you're so typical.
Well, if you go any faster, you will be faster than China and Vietnam, and that is impossible. Get the picture?
So stop dreaming, will ya?
7:30AM
Hun Sen's got many phd certificates!!!???
Raja
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