Sam Rainsy Warns of Protests If He's Not Allowed to Contest
Radio Free Asia | 20 July 2013
Cambodia's opposition leader Sam Rainsy warned Friday that if he is
continued to be barred from contesting the upcoming national elections,
he will not recognize any victory by Prime Minister Hun Sen's party in
the polls.
This could set the stage for mass protests by his supporters and other Cambodians, Sam Rainsy told RFA's Khmer Service in an interview hours after he returned Friday to Phnom Penh from four years of self-imposed exile.
The National Election Committee, which conducts and manages elections in Cambodia, has ruled out Sam Rainsy's participation in the July 28 elections although he has received a royal pardon for offenses which he says are politically motivated.
The 64-year-old Sam Rainsy, who heads the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), believes the international community would also not endorse any victory by Hun Sen's dominant Cambodian People's Party (CPP) if the opposition leader's name is not on the ballot.
He said it would be unfair if he is barred from contesting the parliamentary elections as he is the head of the main opposition party and a potential prime ministerial candidate.
“If I can’t participate, after the elections all the Cambodian people will protest and the whole international community will condemn the result and regard this as a sham election," Sam Rainsy told RFA when asked about his options if he is not allowed to compete in the polls.
"Then we will demand a real election to allow Cambodians to decide their true destiny,” said Sam Rainsy, who was greeted by tens of thousands of supporters on his arrival Friday.
'Rescue'
He vowed in a speech to his supporters that he would "rescue" the country from corruption and harsh rule if his party wins the elections and ousts the CPP, which has held power for 28 years and at present holds 90 of the 123 seats in the National Assembly, the country's parliament.
Sam Rainsy, who had been living in France since 2009 to avoid a 11-year prison term for politicized offenses, was granted a royal pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen a week ago.
However, he cannot contest the elections because the registration of candidates has long been closed and his name has been removed from the electoral register, the NEC said.
"In order to value this competition and for the election result to be recognized, there must be two competitors," Sam Rainsy said.
"Now without me, Sam Rainsy, who must run as the prime ministerial candidate for the CNRP, the current prime minister [Hun Sen] doesn’t have any rivals and will not be competing with anyone. So even if he announces a victory, it is not a victory,” he said.
Sam Rainsy has accused the NEC of being under the control of the CPP, which has won the last two polls by a landslide despite allegations of fraud and election irregularities.
Hun
Sen has said he will try to stay in office for another decade, until he
is 74. Rights groups say his continued rule will only worsen human
rights violations and corruption and further suppress political
freedoms. This could set the stage for mass protests by his supporters and other Cambodians, Sam Rainsy told RFA's Khmer Service in an interview hours after he returned Friday to Phnom Penh from four years of self-imposed exile.
The National Election Committee, which conducts and manages elections in Cambodia, has ruled out Sam Rainsy's participation in the July 28 elections although he has received a royal pardon for offenses which he says are politically motivated.
The 64-year-old Sam Rainsy, who heads the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), believes the international community would also not endorse any victory by Hun Sen's dominant Cambodian People's Party (CPP) if the opposition leader's name is not on the ballot.
He said it would be unfair if he is barred from contesting the parliamentary elections as he is the head of the main opposition party and a potential prime ministerial candidate.
“If I can’t participate, after the elections all the Cambodian people will protest and the whole international community will condemn the result and regard this as a sham election," Sam Rainsy told RFA when asked about his options if he is not allowed to compete in the polls.
"Then we will demand a real election to allow Cambodians to decide their true destiny,” said Sam Rainsy, who was greeted by tens of thousands of supporters on his arrival Friday.
'Rescue'
He vowed in a speech to his supporters that he would "rescue" the country from corruption and harsh rule if his party wins the elections and ousts the CPP, which has held power for 28 years and at present holds 90 of the 123 seats in the National Assembly, the country's parliament.
Sam Rainsy, who had been living in France since 2009 to avoid a 11-year prison term for politicized offenses, was granted a royal pardon by King Norodom Sihamoni at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen a week ago.
However, he cannot contest the elections because the registration of candidates has long been closed and his name has been removed from the electoral register, the NEC said.
"In order to value this competition and for the election result to be recognized, there must be two competitors," Sam Rainsy said.
"Now without me, Sam Rainsy, who must run as the prime ministerial candidate for the CNRP, the current prime minister [Hun Sen] doesn’t have any rivals and will not be competing with anyone. So even if he announces a victory, it is not a victory,” he said.
Sam Rainsy has accused the NEC of being under the control of the CPP, which has won the last two polls by a landslide despite allegations of fraud and election irregularities.
Problems in electoral system
Rights groups say Cambodia's electoral system is riddled with major problems, including issues over voter registration lists, the use of civil servants and army personnel to campaign for the CPP, government control of mass media to slant the news, and intimidation against opposition figures and civil society monitors.
While Sam Rainsy's return has given a shot in the arm to the opposition, rights groups are concerned that Hun Sen's administration may move to thwart the opposition campaign.
"The deck is heavily stacked every day in Cambodia against anyone who dares to oppose Hun Sen," Phil Robertson, the deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, told RFA.
He said the CPP has openly said that if it loses the election, there will be civil war, suggesting possible CPP-instigated violence against the opposition and its supporters.
Sam Rainsy said he and CNRP Deputy President Kem Sokha were united in their zeal to wrest victory following their decision to merge their parties.
The CNRP is a merger between the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and Kem Sokha's Human Rights Party (HRP).
“We want the people to win and become the owners of their country,” Sam Rainsy said. “We are uniting the whole nation."
Kem Sokha said Hun Sen's party was trying to split the CNRP but their efforts would fail.
“We have the same goal, we have a slogan to be united to make changes. We are holding hands to end the people's current plight,” Kem Sokha said.
“This is a lesson [that we have already learned]. Nothing will split Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha," he said. The two parties tried to forge a union before the 2008 national election but failed after they openly criticized each other.
11 comments:
យើងខ្ញុំ សុំសួរថា ប្រសិនបើគណបក្សសង្រ្គោះជាតិ
មានវាសនានឹងទទួលជោគជ័យលើគណបក្សប្រជា
ជន តើ អាចនឹងមានសង្រ្គាមកើតឡើងទេ?ជាពិសេស
សង្រ្គាមស៊ីវិល
Let me share my own views with our other 2 Khmer KI-Media readers as follo:
1.
Anonymous said...
ខ្ញុំអត់យល់សោះហេតុអីបានជាមានខ្មែរគំាទ្រ
គណបក្សយួន(គណបក្សប្រជាជន)អោយនយួនលួចប្លន់និងលេបទឹកដីឯង សំលាប់ជាតិសាសន៍ឯង?
My view:
CPP as some Khmer already know ( but some don’t ) that CPP was created by youn Hanoi in 1951 by late Ho Chi Minh under the old name of CPP that the Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party or KPRP for short . So CPP or the Khmer People’s Revolutionary Party or KPRP for short was created by late Ho Chi Minh and installed to power by youn Hanoi in 1979 ( 7th Jan ) to exterminated Khmer ethnics.
All the answers to Khmer crisis and dangers are all in youn Indochina Federation as the owner of the following comment as follow:
Anonymous said...
Khmers,
But Hanoi won't afford and give up to loose Cambodia, then Lao from its grip of Colonization very easy.
How far Hanoi had processed its so called Vietnamese Indochina Federation following to fulfill Ho Chi Minh's dream.
Be aware of another Hanoi-Hun Sen's trap in this coming election.
Mr. Um Hak had his ligical analysis posted earlier. Did Khmer oppositionhad ready it yet ?
Sithan
4:01 AM
My view:
I agree more than 100% with above comment that ( quote: But Hanoi won't afford and give up to loose Cambodia, then Lao from its grip of Colonization very easy.
How far Hanoi had processed its so called Vietnamese Indochina Federation following to fulfill Ho Chi Minh's dream.
Be aware of another Hanoi-Hun Sen's trap in this coming election. end quote,
My views : But together ( all Khmer at home and overseas united together ) we can force yuon Hanoi to give up Cambodia ( it is easier said than done ) but we all Khmer united then we can.
To Mr. Sam Rainsy:
Please keep you promise .
When Mr. Sam Rainsy arrives in Phnom Penh on Friday 19 July 2013 has said to thousand to his supporters that ( quote: if the national rescues party lose this 2013 election he will not except this election result. End quote.
My last view:
I and many other Cambodian include those friend of mine ( who have been in the crow to go and give moral support to Mr. Sam Rainsy ) already know that the result of this 2013 election will not expectable because the cheating of NEC and other factors ) so Mr. Sam Rainsy must implement plan B.
Down ah Ho Chi Minh's dream.
Down Indochina Federation.
Cambodian, in the future, should jails the NEC
they are crooks like all cpp, hun sen are crook
HUN SEN, CPP can only get less than 20 seats if there is free and fair election
Even if CNRP win, Hun Sen is not going to up his seat or power that easy. Dictator is not afraid to die and is not afraid to send someone else to die or to die for him, especially when he is cornered. so embrace yourselves Cambodians, things just got started.
Anonymous said...
HUN SEN, CPP can only get less than 20 seats if there is free and fair election
10:19 AM
My view: I agree with the above comment:
HUN SEN, CPP can only get less than 20 seats if there is free and fair election
My views: CPP was created and installed to power by youn Hanoi to exterminate Khmer ethnics.
Dear all Khmer,
it is time to put all the senior of the so-called CPP leaders on trial on charge of genocide of Khmer people.
លោក 9:59 AM ហេតុអ្វី វិចាររបស់យើងខ្ញុំត្រូវ
បានយកមកចុះផ្សាយស្ទើរគ្រប់អត្ថបទពត័មាន?
No what ever result, CPP is still win. Do u lean from the 1993 election?
Bullshit!
The above idiot, just read Mr. Rohrabacher's lips: 'Hun sen is a vicious human being and he has to go'!
Losers never play it fair, that's what will make them losers in the end.
This violation on the rights of the opposition leader not to participate in the election will be documented and added towards the mountaint of evidents that the election is NOT free & fair!.
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