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| Sam Rainsy in Phnom Penh in January 2009. Photograph: Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post |
Thursday, 07 June 2012
Vong Sokheng and Stuart White
The Phnom Penh Post
Senior members of the Sam Rainsy Party have invited leaders of the Human Rights Party to a meeting with self-exiled SRP founder Sam Rainsy in the Philippines at the end of this month to discuss the prospect of a merger before next year’s elections.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the SRP, told the Post yesterday representatives from the SRP would hold discussions with Sam Rainsy on June 27 and 28, before sitting down with HRP president Kem Sokha and his senior officials on June 29 and 30.
“I sent a letter to the president of the HRP, Kem Sokha, today [June 6] to invite him to a meeting in Manila . . . in order to move towards resolving problems for the nation and taking power from the ruling party in next year’s elections,” said Yim Sovann. “Whatever the difficulty, this is an opportunity for us to unite, because these results [in recent commune elections] show that non-CPP voters are waiting for us.”
Mao Munyvann, deputy president of the HRP and a former SRP parliamentarian, said that the HRP and the SRP were ideologically aligned, and that only one hurdle to the merger remained.
“The pride of the SRP and a few partisan members are the main obstacle to the HRP and SRP being able to merge,” said Mao Munyvann. “We must be united together for the interest of the party and the nation, and we have to put personal interests behind us.”
Tith Sothea, a spokesman for the Council of Ministers’ Press and Quick Reaction Unit, said that news of the merger was simply a display of political anxiety in the wake of shaky commune election performances.
“I think that the merging of the two opposition parties will not have an influence on the ruling CPP, and we are not concerned about next year’s election,” he said.
Unofficial results of Sunday’s commune elections assembled by election watchdog Comfrel showed the SRP picking up just over 20 per cent of the vote, and the HRP clinching just under 10 per cent.
The ruling CPP swept more than 60 per cent.
However, according to Comfrel executive director Koul Panha, a merger would have distinct benefits under the current formula for allotting parliamentary seats.
“In 2013, if they still get the same number – about 30 per cent – if they come together, they will get more seats as one party,” he said, calling the merger a good morale booster.
According to Koul Panha, if the newly merged party garners similar votes, they would have a parliamentary bloc large enough to propose laws, constitutional amendments and even a vote to dismiss the current government.
Some, however, were not so optimistic.
“I don’t think it’s going to make any difference, and it’s going to fall apart anyway,” said Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor of politics at University of New South Wales at the Australia Defence Force Academy in Canberra.
“The bottom line is that CPP rule is not going to be threatened in the national election,” Thayer added. “And if the CPP feels threatened, they’ll manipulate the results.
7 comments:
Il n'y a pas pas photo: avec nos 2 partis réunis on fera au pire des cas 40% à la prochaine élection. Rainsy et Sokha, avec 40% le CPP ne pourra plus voter la levée de l'immunité de vos parlementaires, c'est déjà ça de gagner. Rainsy surtout toi, il ne faut pas que tu aies la mémoire courte, ils font de la misère à toi c'est odieux mais ils font de pire vacherie aux Cambodgiens,...si je suis toi, toute fierté personnelle, je laisserai bien tomber.
Militant de base
No need to juggle figures: the 2 parties together will make at the minimum 40% at the next general election. Rainsy and Sokha, listen up, with 40% at least the CPP will not be able to strip off your parliamentarian immunity and this is the first step of the victory already. Especially Rainsy, your memory is still serving you well, what they have done to you is odious, but nasty things they put on Cambodians...if I were at your place, I would throw aside my personal pride.
Rank & file militant
HRP is a joke. Sam Ransy must resign from his post and elect Mrs. Mu to lead the party with new party name. Go Mrs. Mu Sokhua.
No get a new generation, let Mu have a rest, she has done enough of hard works for all the khmer already. Let her go and be with her family members for her short life left. She is being hated by Hun Sen and Hun Sen will continue to hurt her like always.
SRP + HRP= X (X = it must discuss from both side)
The advantage are following:
1)All Khmer nationalist, patriots and normal peole will come
2)The present of former PM Penn Sovan (one of Khmer hero who spent 10 years in Hanio prison) will atract more CPP mumbers and CPP nationalists who dislike Hun Sen and will come to joint
3)All Khmers are waiting so long about this unite, the new party will be strong like FUNCINPEC during election 1993. Why Khmers are living now afraid from dirty law controlled by Hun Sen' s henchmen.
4) many of Khmer peasants have lose their land, house and ... from day by day. So, they need the new spirit of Khmer soul.
5) All Khmers (in SRP, HRP,... even within CPP) disliek Youn present in Cambodia. Why? Because they know exactly about the Khmer history between Vietnam and Cambodia and those Khmers will never give up to push foregners out.
6) Khmer want to do more for Khmers people but he is under control of Hun Sen (Hun Sen < Vietnam).
.......
Will Cambodia escap from Indochina forderation, YES. But first we must unite and lead the country with the health of administration.
These two parties should unite and let MP Mu Sochua runs for PM vs, Hun Sen, then I a foreigner will support them. I hate CPP of Viet Congs.
I agree with 3:35PM, Mu Sochua campaign every single day for her party. She could have given up thanks to Sam Rainsey exile. But she is so loyal not only to her party, but caring for the poor and common people. I like her better. She does not say the same thing over and over again like Sam does. Almost all his rally contain racial slur toward Youn. Don't get me wrong, I don't like Youn taking over our country, but not all Youn are like that. The common people are struggling like Khmers. They don't really care about the dubbed "Indochina Federation." All they want is to feed their family.
Mu deliver powerful messages. She meets so many world leaders. I would prefer her over Sam. It's time to pass the baton to a real "LEADER" of the party, Mu Sochua.
YIM SOVANN IS SAMRAINSY PARTY'S SPOKEMAN, HE LOOK MORE LIKE VIETNAMESE, HE OFTEN CRITICIZE HUN XEN. BUT I DOUBTED IF HE MEANT IT. WHAT MAKE GOOD SPY IS TRYING TO BE REAL WITHOUT DETECTING, WE SHOULD TEST BY SAYING BAD THING ABOUT HUN XEN IN FRONT OF HIM TO SEE IF HUN XEN KNOWS. ANYWAY THIS IS JUST MY OPINIONS I HOPE I AM WRONG.
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