Manila Witnesses Birth of International Parliamentary Committee on Cambodia

Monday, September 10, 2012
Source: http://cald.org/site/entry.php?i=Manila_Witnesses_Birth_of_International_Parliamentary_Committee_on_Cambodia&id=989

The International Parliamentary Committee for Democratic Elections in Cambodia (IPCDEC) was officially launched in historic Club Filipino in San Juan City, east of Manila. Witnessing the event were IPCDEC Chair and Philippine Senator Franklin Drilon, Cambodian Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy, Philippine Presidential Adviser Neric Acosta, Philippine Congressman Jerry Trenas, FNF Country Director Jules Maaten, and Cambodian MPs Saumura Tioulong and Yim Sovann.

IPCDEC is a group of like-minded parliamentarians expressing their solidarity to promote full and inclusive democracy in Cambodia. In particular, it calls that the upcoming parliamentary elections on 28 July 2013 be free, fair, and in accordance with international standards. Past elections in Cambodia, as attested by reports and statements from the European Parliament, Inter-Parliamentary Union and Liberal International, have been plagued with violence and electoral fraud.

"We want to persuade the Cambodian government to promote an environment of peace and openness for opposition parties with their leaders given free and equal chance in the political process" said Senator Drilon. "We at IPCDEC will not only work together to ensure elections are fair, we shall use our organization in restoring democracy in Cambodia to the best of our abilities. We thereby empower the Cambodian people to make a free and informed choice. Everyone in a democratic system deserves nothing less."

Thanking Senator Drilon, MP Sam noted that the IPCDEC could contribute to the long-awaited democratic change in Cambodia.

"Since 1993, elections in Cambodia have been manipulated, distorting the will of the people. There is growing popular discontent. Forty per cent of the electoral public has been disenfranchised," according to MP Sam. "Land grabbing is also causing political violence and unrest. Without democratic elections, there will be no channel to ease political violence."

"Cambodia is at a turning point. The balance of power has already begun to shift. The change will be even greater if elections are democratic next year", he observed.

Responding to observations that compared him to the late Philippine Senator Ninoy Aquino, who was shot at the airport tarmac upon his return from exile, MP Sam said, "I will return, definitely, for this election."