Cambodia: A banana democracy with a perpetual dictator

Cambodian Ruling Party's Plenum Reaffirms Hun Sen for PM Post in Next Terms

2010-07-22
Xinhua

The Cambodia's ruling party -- the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) on Thursday reaffirmed at it plenum Hun Sen's candidate for prime minister post for the next terms.

"The plenum reaffirms its endorsement of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen's candidacy for the post of prime minister for the next terms," announced the party's communique released at the ending of the 35th Plenum of the Fifth-Term Central Committee of the CPP.

Almost 900 party members from across the country gathered at its headquarters in Phnom Penh to have a two-day plenum started on Wednesday.

Party President Chea Sim, Vice President Hun Sen attended the 35th central committee meeting. This was the first meeting of CPP' s Central Committe this year and it usually assembles twice annually.

Last month, at the gathering to commemorate CPP's 59th founding anniversary, Chea Sim also reaffirmed party's decision to support for the candidacy of Hun sen for the post of prime minister for the following terms.

Hun Sen, 59, has ruled the country, as the prime minister for more than 20 years.

Cambodia is holding general election every five years. The last election was held in 2008 and the next one will come in 2013.

In last general election, the CPP won 90 seats out of 123-seat parliament, following by opposition Sam Rainsy Party with 26 seats, Human Rights Party with 3 seats, and two each obtained by Norodom Ranariddh Party and FUNCINPEC party.

CPP was found on June 28, 1951 and is, so far, the biggest political party in the country.

The CPP is now headed by Chea Sim who is also president of the Senate and Hun Sen is positioned as deputy chairman of the party while Heng Samrin is honorary chairman and also president of the National Assembly.

CPP officials agree to continue peaceful border resolution [-What else can the loud mouth CPP do against the Siems?]

The CPP logo seen through the eyes of Cartoonist Sacrava

21 July 2010
By Sok Serey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Click here to read the article in Khmer

High-ranking CPP officials indicated that, during the CPP 35th congress, it discussed and agreed to continue to resolve the border dispute and the Preah Vihear temple problems with Thailand with endurance and peacefully, as well as maintaining negotiations with Thailand etc…

At the same time, the CPP – which is ruling the country for more than 30-year – is also preparing strategy to include a number of youths as party members in order to win the upcoming 2012 commune election and the upcoming 2013 general election.

Close to 900 party members participated in the 35th congress of the party central committee in Phnom Penh. The 2-day congress will take place on 21 and 22 July.

Khieu Kanharith, minister of Information and spokesman for the CPP, told RFA on 21 July: “We preserve the situation and not let it turn into confrontation, not armed confrontation, and we continue to endure with negotiations. We saw the Thai strategy: turning the tense situation in Bangkok to the border problem. We must be clever on this problem, i.e. we must avoid having them use the border problem to lessen the [tense] situation in Bangkok.”

The congress is presided by Chea Xim, CPP president, and Hun Xen, party vice-president, but Heng Xamrin was absent as he is traveling overseas.

SRP MP Kim Suor Phearith said that he applauds the CPP strategy to resolve the border problem and the Preah Vihear issue with Thailand peacefully. Kim Suor Phearith said: “This [peaceful resolution with Thailand], the SRP supports it. The SRP always supports the resolution of disputes with Thailand, in particular, the issue of the Preah Vihear temple, through peaceful and legal means where we have the advantage over Thailand which is a country that invaded the Preah Vihear temple that belongs to us.”

Kim Suor Phearith also indicated that the opposition maintains a strategy that is similar to that of the CPP to attract young party members to support the opposition because of the increasing number of youths who are out of work.

CPP officials claimed that, currently, the CPP have more than 5 million party supporters.

On 28 June, during the 59th anniversary of the birth of the CPP in Phnom Penh, Chea Xim announced the party supports for Hun Xen’s premiership candidacy for the upcoming legislative mandates.

Later, on 18 July 2010, Hun Xen himself declared in Svay Rieng that he will present his candidacy to the premiership up until 2023 or 2028. At that time, the opposition party criticized such claim, saying that Hun Xen holds on to power for the longest time among all the countries in Asia.

Sacrava's Political Cartoon: Prime Minister Candidate

Cartoon by Sacrava (on the web at http://sacrava.blogspot.com)

Click here to read the related article

The CPP lacks human resource: It can only present Hun Xen as its sole PM candidate for the past 30 years

The conjoined CPP triplet (Photo: Cambodge Soir Hebdo)

The CPP reaffirms its confidence in Hun Xen

26 April 2009
By Pen Bona
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

“Hun Xen is still the CPP candidate to the position of prime minister following the upcoming general elections,” Chea Xim confirmed during his speech given yesterday in front of 564 participants to the CPP central committee yearly congress.

The president of the ruling CPP party underscored the vital role of Hun Xen in the CPP’s victory. “The Cambodian population supports both our party and our candidate for the prime minister position,” Chea Xim claimed while hailing his party’s victory at last year general election as a “great pride” following 30 years in power.

Following the July 2008 general election, the CPP won an absolute majority (90 seats over a total of 123 seats at the National Assembly), i.e. 17 more seats than what it won in 2003. 58-year-old Hun Xen occupies the position of prime minister since 1985 and he would preserve his position if the CPP would win the 2013 election, and also in 2018.

Even though he is the prime minister for the past 24 years, Hun Xen never wants to relinquish his position. Quite often, he said that, as long the Cambodian voters would continue to support him, he would remain available for his duty. Now, the CPP claims that it has more 5 million party members in the entire country, 250,000 of whom have recently joined the CPP from other political parties.

Cambodia's ruling party concludes 34th plenum

PHNOM PENH, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The major ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) here on Sunday concluded its 34th plenum with resolutions on a variety of topics right ahead of the upcoming local election on May 17.

During the plenum, CPP decided to add Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Keat Chhon, Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly, Vice President of Senate Tep Ngorn, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Kun Kim, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of RCAF and Commander-in-Chief of RCAF Infantry Meas Sophea, and National Police Chief Neth Savoeun, into the list of permanent members of its central committee, according to a statement following the meeting.

Meanwhile, the party manifested that the current Prime Minister Hun Sen will become its candidate for the premiership of next national election in 2013.

CPP also vowed to make concerted efforts to win the local election, the statement added.

The participants of the plenum also expressed their support for the peace and stability as well as the economic and social development of the kingdom, the efforts of the military force to defend the country and people, the joint governance of CPP and the Funcinpec Party, and some other national issues.

CPP has remained as the major ruling party of the government since peace was restored in the kingdom in 1993.

Cuba's Prensa Latina: The CPP considers Funcinpec as a reliable "opposing" party that will remain its "ally" !?!

Cambodia PP Draws Electoral Program

Phom Penh, January 14 (Prensa Latina) The ruling Cambodia's Popular Party (CPP) has devised here its electoral platform with a view to the coming general elections.

The CPP extraordinary congress held this weekend endorsed the CPP's development implications until 2013.

Nearly 900 delegates backed political reports that summarize the organization's procedures leading the Executive from 2003 to 2007, especially those regarding the country's stability and economic development.

Foreign press seems to consider that if CPP wins the coming elections Prime Minister hun Sen will continue at the head of the administration, which is considered essential for the Indochina nation's stability.

The majority Cambodian political force ratified the decision to continue allied with FUNCINPEC Monarchic party, which it considers a reliable opposing party, as stated in the documents.

By virtue of Constitution 1993, Cambodia is a parliamentary State, with monarchic representative democracy; the Prime minister is the government chief and King Norodom Sihamoni, and State Chief.

Over eight million Cambodians will attend summer elections in 2008.

The 2008 election does not start yet, but the CPP already announces that it will get 81 seats at the National Assembly

20 Funcinpec defectors show their faces at the CPP congress

Saturday, January 12, 2008
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Today, the CPP held its 2-day extraordinary congress, on 12-13 January, in order to strengthen the efficiency of its work, and to issue its 5-year development goal.

What was strange was the presence of about 20 former Funcinpec officials who joined the CPP and showed their face in this congress also. According to CPP and Funcinpec officials, these 20 or so Funcinpec officials occupy ranks of state secretaries all the way up ministers, and they were invited to participate in this congress.

According to officials from both parties, among the 20 Funcinpec officials present, were Mrs. Ing Kantha Phavy, minister of women affairs, Khun Haing, the minister of cult and religion, Kong Vibol, Ou Bun Long, and Chea Peng Chheang, state secretaries of the minister of economy and finance, as well as a number of other high-ranking officials.

This is the first time that such a large number of recent Funcinpec defectors participate in an internal meeting of the CPP. Nevertheless, CPP officials claim that they will still continue the cooperation with the Funcinpec in the future. Political analysts said that Funcinpec should find its own support for the upcoming 2008 general election (rather than just counting on the CPP alliance).

Political analysts said that if Funcinpec is tripped, and cannot gain a decent number of seats at the 123-seat National Assembly, to secure its solidity in the alliance with the CPP, the ruling party could make another choice. Analysts added that the CPP promise is a good thing for Funcinpec, but the reality is something else, as it can evolve with the changing situation.

At least 900 high-ranking CPP officials, from provincial levels and up, came to the 2-day congress. CPP representatives from around the country will review the results of the past 5 years and will then issue the policy for the upcoming 5 years, from 2003 to 2008. At the same time, the CPP will also review the preparation for the upcoming 27 July 2008 election.

The CPP plans to wrestle 81 seats out of the 123 seats in the National Assembly.

CPP directive: License for lawless land-grabbing suspended until April 2nd, the day after the commune election

05 March 2007
The CPP gives the right to Hun Sen to take care of land issues

Rasmey Kampuchea
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The 33rd congress of the CPP central committee gave the power to Hun Sen, CPP vice-president, to resolve the hot land issue.

Khieu Kanharith, the Minister of Information and CPP spokesman, told reporters after the end of the congress on 03 March, that the 33rd congress of the central committee focused its discussion on the preparation for the upcoming commune election. The congress asked its members that, at their return home, they should pursue their work. The main point of the congress was the giving of power to Hun Sen to resolve land issue.

Khieu Kanharith added that during the congress, Hun Sen issued warning to CPP officials who are involved in land issues, and telling them to get out of it immediately.

The 33rd congress of the CPP was held for one day on 03 March at the party headquarters in Phnom Penh, under the presidency of Chea Sim, Hun Sen, the CPP vice-president, and Heng Samrin, the party honorary president. It was also participated by 254 out 268 members of the party central committee.

In his opening speech, Chea Sim expressed the CPP pride which received successive victories in its march forward, he also greeted the common victory received by the country during 2006 such as: independence, stability, security, and social safety.

Chea Sim said that for the upcoming 2nd mandate commune election, as a party among the 12 parties represented in the election, the CPP is getting ready to follow the directives of the NEC in competing to win.

The congress approved the party goals set for 2007. It also discussed a number of important issues related to the 2nd mandate commune election. It also voted Hor Nam Hong and Bin Chhin to become new members of the party permanent central committee.

With the 2 new members, the CPP permanent committee has increased its number to 30. The congress also supports the ECCC work to judge crimes committed under the Khmer Rouge regime, as stipulated in the agreement between the government of Cambodia and the United Nations.

The congress clearly expressed the CPP standing in its continuation of close cooperation with the Funcinpec party, its partner, in order to obtain success in the application of the policy of the government of Cambodia during the 3rd legislative mandate.

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KI-Media additional note: In its Monday edition, the Cambodia Daily reported that opposition leader Sam Rainsy said that Hun Sen’s new power may be aimed at enabling him to weed out senior CPP party officials whom he considers disloyal, rather than serving the public interest. “If [Hun Sen] wants to remove any CPP officials, they will claim those officials are involved with land disputes,” Sam Rainsy said. Both Sam Rainsy and Prince Sisowath Thomico do not believe the sincere intent of the CPP in resolving land grabbing issues, and that the CPP’s claim merely reflects an election campaign message.