Monday, November 04, 2013

Rainsy: we want say on governors


CNRP President Sam Rainsy greets supporters at a pagoda in Kandal province’s Kien Svay district on Saturday. Yesterday, Rainsy said his party should have a greater say in appointing provincial governors. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Rainsy: we want say on governors

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy yesterday said the next Phnom Penh governor should come from the Cambodia National Rescue Party, citing his party’s election dominance in the capital.

The idea – floated in a speech to hundreds of commune and district council members – came ahead of a planned meeting between officials from the two major parties tomorrow.

Rainsy has said the issue of how governors are appointed could be raised alongside his party’s core agenda relating to electoral investigation and reform.

Speaking at the CNRP’s Tuol Kork district headquarters, Rainsy said the opposition should be at the helm of the capital, where it won seven of 12 parliamentary seats at the July 28 election.

“We demand that the Phnom Penh municipal governor must come from the [CNRP] to respect the will of the people who want change,” he said.

He later toned down his rhetoric, however, telling the Post the appointment of governors in provinces dominated by the opposition at the election should require CNRP approval.

“As a principle, at least in the four provinces where the CNRP won the last election … we want to have a say in the appointment of the governor,” he said. “The majority of the people support the CNRP, so the CNRP must have a say.”

He added that in the long run, the CNRP would push for all provincial governors to be elected by popular vote. 

The ruling party now appoints governors through the Ministry of Interior.

Senior Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker Cheam Yeap said he was not aware that Rainsy had made demands for the City Hall position.

In previous meetings, Rainsy had wanted “checks and balances” and the National Assembly presidency, he said.

“It is his ambition, but it will depend on the CPP, who are the winners of the election [sic!]. Whatever he wants, he can’t just have.”

Tomorrow’s scheduled talks, the first official dialogue between the parties since top leaders met at the National Assembly on September 16, will involve “technical working groups”, and not high-level leaders.

Key CNRP requests include an independent investigation into election irregularities, electoral reforms based on United Nations and NGO recommendations, and the replacement of all nine National Election Committee members.

But yesterday Rainsy said that other issues, such as the appointment of governors, could also be discussed. 

“Talks will be open, any issues can be raised since there were no preconditions. So we will listen to each other,” he said.

“Maybe they will raise other issues [at the meeting] that we have no idea of … [so] we may raise this governor issue.”

Although the CNRP’s demands may appear popular, a growing number of opposition supporters have begun vocally expressing their dismay that the party is negotiating with the CPP at all.

In response to that yesterday, Rainsy clarified to his party members that negotiating with the CPP on reform did not amount to negotiating on joining the National Assembly.

“Please be aware of [the difference between] meeting and joining.… Just meeting to have a talk does not mean that [we] join [the assembly],” Rainsy said, stressing the CNRP would not join the parliament or any kind of ruling coalition with the CPP.

Tomorrow’s meeting – which will occur at the National Assembly – would be a “technical meeting”, which won’t make any decisions, Rainsy told the Post.

“They will just be preparing for decisions to be taken by the top leaders. It will facilitate direct talks between the top leaders to allow them to make decisions.”

The CNRP will insist that any future top-level meeting is publicly broadcast to enable “the people to … monitor and to follow the discussion”, he said.

Sak Sitha, a secretary of state at the Interior Ministry and a member of the CPP delegation, said talks could be fruitful if the CNRP really had the will to negotiate. “When we talk, whatever we agree together on we can reform. 

Any points where we have a lot of disagreement, we cannot reform,” he said.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not just provincial governors.
The CNRP must take the position given by Khmer people: the governor of Cambodia (Prime minister).

93 years old woman

Anonymous said...

ស្នៀតចរចា ប៉ះស្អិត-ហិតស្អុយរបស់សម រង្ស៊ី !

ស្នៀតចោរឆ្កែកន្ទុយខ្វៀនសម រង្ស៊ីពេលចរចុយ !

ស្នៀតចោរ "អង្អែលបណ្ដើរ លុញបណ្ដើរ"

ស្នៀតឪចែកអោយ "ចុយបណ្ដើរ ស្រែកបណ្ដើរ"

ស្នៀតសម រង្ស៊ី "ចរចាបណ្ដើរ ចូលរន្ធបណ្ដើរ"

ស្នៀតសើមហ៊ុនសែនសាប់ក្តិតសម រង្ស៊ីបណ្ដើរ-នោមដាក់ក្បាល នាយចរចា បណ្ដើរ !


*ឈ្នះ បានលុយនៅក្រៅគុក
*ឈ្នះ បានអំណាច ​ក្រោមពងយួនហ៊ុន សែន!

Anonymous said...

sounds like the cnrp is getting wiser. yes, there are many gov't posts for everybody, participate in some of them such as governors of provinces, phnom penh, etc. take advantage of the opportunity to help make a real difference for cambodia. cambodia needs all capable, educated, smart, competent leaders for all positions in gov't. keep talking with each other to find solution to some of the problems.

Anonymous said...

សម្ដេចអាពាល ហ៊ុន សែន
សាប់ក្ដិត អាភ្លើ សម រង្សី​!
សាប់ហើយ...សាប់ទៀត!
....សាប់មិនស្វាង!
សាប់ទាល់តែទន់ជង្គង់ លើកទង់ស..(ចរចាញ់)


Anonymous said...

keep picking up and dropping ideas CNRP. At the end, you end up with nothing. Pick a stance and stays with it. Don't run around like headless chicken.

Anonymous said...

ខ្មែរមួយចំនួនខ្លះបានដឹងជាមុនហើយថា មិនយូរទេពួក
សម រង្ស៊ី និង កឹមសុខា នេះនិង
ដល់ពេលចូលក្នុង បន្ទប់ចរចារបែងចែកអំណាចនិងកៅអីអង្គុយហើយ .....

ហ៊ុន សែន ធ្លាប់ចង្អុលសួរ សម រង្ស៊ី ថា

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៥៥ យកមិនយក? សម រង្ស៊ី យក សម្តេច
៥៥ យកមិនយក? សម រង្ស៊ី យក សម្តេច
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សម រង្ស៊ី ជាមេដឹកនាំមហាបាតុកម្មបង្គ្រប់កិច្ចមែន....

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និងជាអ្នកជួយទប់ជើងគ្រែអោយអា ហ៊ុន សែន!
ហើយពួកប្រឆាំងផ្កាប់មុខទាំងនេះគឺគ្មានបំណងធ្វើការ
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