Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post
Biased election coverage is under fire in a new study from the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia that found that 71 per cent of political activities aired on evening Cambodian TV over a month-long period showed a rosy picture of the ruling party.
Images of Cambodian Peoples Party members back slapping, hand shaking and ribbon cutting were partnered with routine blastings of the opposition Sam Rainsy Party on the TVK, Bayon and CTN television networks.
In the period from September 1 to October 20, the SRP was afforded just 20 per cent of political coverage on TV between 5 pm and 11 pm, largely with what COMFREL executive director Koul Panha said was less-than-sympathetic analysis.
“I think that there is a lack of equity in broadcasts [about] the … activities of the political parties on the television and radio stations, which will not ensure free and fair elections,” she said yesterday.
The study also found that the SRP fared better on the radio, receiving 35 per cent of coverage – though even this was focused largely on their alleged political misconduct - while the struggling Human Rights Party, with no seats in the Senate, enjoyed 9 per cent of TV coverage and nothing on the radio.
But Tep Nytha, secretary general of the National Election Committee, defended the media’s right to broadcast what they want.
“It is the right of media to broadcast if it is not in the period of an election campaign,” he said, adding that the period for the next Senate election was scheduled for January 7 to 27.
Yim Sovann, spokesman for the SRP, which holds just two seats in the senate but 26 in the National Assembly, took a different view, stating that entrenched ruling party bias extended to the newspaper business as well.
“Even if TV and radio station owners wished to have equality in programming, they would not, because of the intimidation by the ruling party,” he said.
Perhaps more revealing than any of the per centages was the total time spent covering political matters – less than five hours on three TV networks over a month and a half period.
12 comments:
All News Medias in Cambodia is controlling by Hun Sen. SRP have little chance to broadcast his campaign.
FUCK AH SOM CHAYA AND HIS CTN NEWS
AH FUCKING TEP NYTHA. AH FUCKING Useless NEC, isnt your job to promote fair and equal election and helps to promote real democracy? Dont you think your comment, "..they have the right to broadcast what they want" is stupid coming from someone in your position? GO BACK TO SCHOOL AH DUMB FUCK...
If CPP forces your families to live in the street, will you say, "its for development"
i told you they are all the same, just different political group of people. the srp is biased by campaigning using the international stage and by painting bad picture of cambodia to win international support while the cpp is doing the same inside cambodia. until there is a terms limit law, they all are the same selfish way. it seemed the international community backed the srp bias while the people inside cambodia back the cpp, you see! in a way both sides are ignorant and it is cambodia that suffers as a result. that's why people should not be biased when it comes to politics. it should be based on facts and reasonableness and fair and balance, doing the right thing, etc..., not bias, you know!
Democracy in the Banana Kingdom, anyone can do anything if they want. Thanks Tep Nytha, Traitor of the Khmer people
Puok Ah Kancheass Yuon should stop barking to support the Vietnam's slave government.
Since you have a chance to born as human in Cambodia, do something good for Cambodia before you die by helping to expel Vietnam's control over Cambodia.
Poster 9:36
Speak as if Cambodia is a third-world country.
Really! You know!
that's why cambodia must foster the rule of law in our country, period! no one is allowed to be above the law again, ok! we all have to live and obey lawful order and rule of law. stop being a cynic, a skeptic, a pessimist and a stupid person, ok! cambodia changed with time, so should people, ok! don't be stupid forever, really! and definitely, don't take law into your own hand, not worth it, you know! authority will catch up with you sooner or later if your a crook, you know! so stop it, enough already! not funny anymore, ok!
What causes Khmers to worry is the the fact that this government is Vietnam's slave.
So, when this puppet government wins implies that Vietnam wins, and Khmer's fate will be the same as Cham.
This puppet government and the devil Vietnam must be out of Cambodia after 2013.
Ah Tep Nyntha, Ah chkae, how much did Hun Sen pay you to say that?
ah 9:36 pm is ah hun sen's dick sucker!
Everyone, please, don't mention or say just Yuon.
Please mention Vietcong/Vietnamese/Yuon so that the world need to know what Yuon is.
I have many American friends and friend around the worlds did not know what Yuon is.
You can mention both Yuon/Vietnamese or Yuon/Vietnamese/Vietcong so that the people around the world will understand.
All Khmer United
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