The Independent | 29 July 2013
The defeated opposition in Cambodia's general election has disputed
the results of Sunday's poll - citing voting irregularities - despite
admirable gains.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party retained
power, but its 90 seats in the National Assembly were whittled down to
68. The Cambodia National Rescue Party - led by Hun Sen's long-time and
bitter rival Sam Rainsy - took the remaining 55 seats, a major boost
from the combined opposition total of 29 in the last parliament.
In
a statement, the CNRP demanded a joint investigation - involving both
parties, election officials and the UN - into what it claimed were huge
irregularities.
Rainsy said: "The Cambodia National Rescue Party will not accept the election results that we have heard because there are many irregularities that occurred during the election.
Rainsy said: "The Cambodia National Rescue Party will not accept the election results that we have heard because there are many irregularities that occurred during the election.
“There
were 1.2 million to 1.3 million people whose names were missing and
could not vote. They deleted our rights to vote, how could we recognise
this election?
“There were ghost names, names only on paper, over a million people that may been turned into votes.”
His
party and nonpartisan groups charged that the ruling party used the
machinery of government and security forces in an unfair manner to
reward or pressure electors.
Their specific point of
complaint is voter registration procedures, which they claim were badly
flawed, possibly leaving more than 1 million people disenfranchised. The
independent Committee for Free and Fair Elections said on Saturday that
the ink with which voters were supposed to stain their fingers to
prevent them from voting twice was not indelible as claimed.
Hun Sen's party and the government-appointed National Election Committee said the election process was fair.
The
ruling party has control or dominating influence over all the state
bureaucracy and the courts and will almost certainly affirm the CPP
victory. Past appeals have not succeeded, and it was unclear what the
opposition would do if its complaints were not sustained.
Rainsy
himself was barred from candidacy or even voting, because he missed the
registration deadlines. He stayed abroad for almost four years to avoid
a jail term for convictions that he said were politically motivated.
He
returned on July 19 after receiving a royal pardon at the behest of Hun
Sen, an apparent appeasement of critics, including the US, who
suggested Rainsy's exclusion was a major sign that the polls would not
be free and fair.
Foreign countries such as the US have
accepted the results of past elections with much more open intimidation
and violence as fair enough, and will likely regard this year's results
as a major step forward.
Giulia Zino, a Southeast Asia
analyst at Control Risks group in Singapore, told Reuters: “It's
definitely unprecedented and unexpected but for now I don't think regime
stability is at stake.
“I think they are going to be able to govern unilaterally without taking into consideration the opposition too much.”
The
two leaders' relationship - and animosity - stretch far back in the
country's bloody recent history. Hun Sen defected to Vietnam during the
1975-79 genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge. When the neighbouring country
invaded to oust the radical regime, it installed him first as foreign
minister and later as prime minister.
He has been in
power for 28 years and says he has no intention of stepping down soon.
His authoritarian rule has given him a stranglehold over the state
bureaucracy that makes challenges to his authority difficult to mount.
When
his party ran second in 1993, he insisted on being named co-prime
minister, before ousting his partner in government four years later in a
bloody coup. After election victories in later years, he showed a
pattern of cracking down on critics.
Rainsy has long been
the thorn in Hun Sen's side. The 64-year-old spent the Khmer Rouge
years in France, reading economics and political science. As a member of
a royalist party, he served as finance minister in the government
elected in 1993, but was kicked out from his party and his post for his
outspoken anti-corruption stand.
He founded his own party in 1995, and two years later narrowly escaped being killed in a grenade attack on a rally he was leading. The perpetrators were never brought to justice but were suspected of being linked to Hun Sen's bodyguards.
He founded his own party in 1995, and two years later narrowly escaped being killed in a grenade attack on a rally he was leading. The perpetrators were never brought to justice but were suspected of being linked to Hun Sen's bodyguards.
The
general election was Cambodia's fifth since 1993, when the United
Nations helped stage the country's first free polls since the Khmer
Rouge and a subsequent period of civil war and one-party rule.
6 comments:
US government say "Khmer people must raise up to throw out evil dictator Hun Sen that cheat an election 2013"
If evil dictator Hun Sen dares to use force US government, NATO, UN won't stand and watch the injustice.
Cambodia must follow Arab Spring, Jasmine revolution and must be positive that if you are keep fighting The Khmer people will win the evil.
To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia,[1] Egypt (twice),[2] Libya,[3] and Yemen;[4] civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain[5] and Syria;[6] major protests have broken out in Algeria,[7] Iraq,[8] Jordan,[9] Kuwait,[10] Morocco,[11] and Sudan;[12] and minor protests have occurred in Mauritania,[13] Oman,[14] Saudi Arabia,[15] Djibouti,[16] and Western Sahara.[17]
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By “any patriot Khmers”
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 30,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 30,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 30,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 30,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Hun Sen is Gaddafi!
Hun Sen's faith = Gaddafi's faith at the end!
US drones are watching Evil Hun Sen and his families movement.
Khmer people must rise up together to fight for our home, land, farms, our future, our dignity and our Khmer nation from Vietnam slave regime Hun Sen.
Under Hun Sen for 30 years Khmer people have learn and suffer enough!
No more talk or negotiation as that only prolong Khmer people suffer as 30 years already.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Let's the 7 revolution start today as USA stand behind all Khmer people!
All Khmer people must keep fighting at the end result Khmer people will win the evil manipulating dictator Hun Sen!
No more talk or negotiation with evil because that only prolong Khmer people suffer as 30 years Khmer people experienced enough!
Let's the 7 revolution start today to save our self, to save our future, to save our next generation as well as our Khmer nation and Cambodia from disappear from world map.
Hun Sen is still not learning from Gaddafi. US government asks him to step down peacefully but he refuses so now evil Hun Sen must accept his faith as Gaddafi.
64 billion American dollars won't help Gaddafi and his families at the end.
The trusty personal bodyguards gave Gaddafi and his families to the Libyan people.
Hun Sen families have over 40 billion American dollars that is not even include his relatives and friends wealth yet.
That money is belonging to all Khmer people that living in Cambodia now.
Each Cambodian people in Cambodia can claim at least US$ 3000 from Hun Sen wealth that steal from the Khmer people so far.
Base on 14.5 million Cambodians today.
Because Khmer people have been overwhelmingly supporting the CNRP, it is rational that this crook NEC cheated with a reasonable number to let the SEE PEE PEE won.
The percentage to win might have fixed before the election, making the CNRP an "almost winner" (Neak Biss Chneas).
I have cried out loud before the election that the CNRP's back was against the wall, there was no way to escape. The CNRP got to fight to death to get this NEC done before the election. The election needed to be postponed.
I have even called on the CNRP's leaders to stop campaigning for a few hours and discuss this NEC's issue. How can you fill your basket when someone named NEC cut a hole at the bottom of your basket? I saw the CNRP was working so hard, but may be not so smart.
The right way was that you worked that hard and push hard for that NEC change. No NEC change, the election must be postponed. Period.
What the CNRP should do with the current problem?
If you file a complaint, you got to do a follow up. The CNRP must not stop with the NO answer from the crook NEC because this answer NO you knew already.
After the NO from the NEC, you take your second option or second step. You escalate your demand, mounting the pressure until something concrete come out, and maybe the international community intervene and force a new election.
You got to know that Cmabodia's problem has always been so complex because we have an evil Vietnam behind the scene and it is the CNRP's job to explain to the world about this evil Vietnam's ill intention toward Cambodia.
I have kept writing so many times before the election that it is easy to mount a demonstration to chnage the NEC because we have the whole international community behind us and we would be successful at getting that NEC change and the CNRP will win the election.
If the "new election" was unprecedent, Cambodia may be an exception to the rule.
Has any country in the world suffered like Cambodia?
Who killed millions of Khmer people? The world will find the answer when it successfully brought up cases 003 and 004 in the KRT. And these cases 003 and 004 made the evil Vietnam and Hun Sen SO SO apprehensive.
If Vietnam and Hun Sen did not have Khmer blood on their hands, why they are so scare about cases 003 and 004?
Therfore, Khmer people deserve an exception to the rule: a new election to reflect Khmer people' wills with a new NEC.
Bun Thoeun
Post a Comment