CPP’s Win-Win policy turns out to be a Lose-Lose proposition for defectors

SRP defectors disappointed by false promises from the CPP

20 January 2011
By Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post
Translated from Khmer by Soy

CPP's

WIN-WIN

=

LOSE-LOSE

Phnom Penh – 3 SRP defectors who left to join the CPP have expressed their disappointment against the CPP which promised to give them proper government position, but instead, the trio did not receive anything.

Chim Rithisak, the deputy commune chief for Tuol Tompung 2 commune and former SRP party member, and two of his colleagues, Sam Rithy and Pich Kim Khon, told the Phnom Penh Post on Wednesday that they defected to join the CPP in 2007 through the intervention of two high-ranking CPP officials: Chea Chamroeun, currently a member of Parliament, and Chak Leng, the current secretary of state at the Council of Ministers.

The trio indicated that Chak Leng and Chea Chamroeun, who were responsible for local [party] strengthening in Koh Dach commune, Mouk Kampoul district, Kandal province, promised them proper government positions and they pushed the trio to influence other SRP party members to defect to the CPP with them. The trio added that after they defected to the CPP, they worked to influence numerous other SRP party members and activists to defect to the CPP. They indicated that more than 1,000 SRP party members defected to the CPP.

Hun Sen's gov't plan targets corruption: Another one of his false promises

Govt plan targets corruption

Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Written by Vong Sokheng and Sebastian Strangio The Phnom Penh Post

But opposition politicians, civil society predict more of the same

PRIME Minister Hun Sen has announced the official five-year plan for his government's coming mandate, highlighting human rights, corruption and the rule of law as key concerns. But opposition spokesmen say the new CPP-dominated government, voted in by the National Assembly Thursday, will have little impact on the Kingdom's endemic corruption.

"The government is determined to guarantee peace and political stability and improve the state of law in order to generate respect for human rights and democracy," Hun Sen said at the first meeting of his newly-appointed cabinet Friday. He also promised to maintain economic growth and reduce poverty by one percent per year.

Hun Sen added that the behaviour of politicians and their families was vital to building trust in government services. "The powerful and rich have to be educated not to buy vehicles and motorbikes for their children to race in the streets," he said, calling on civil servants to carry out their duties with "good morality".

"If you commit a bad deed, you will receive a bad deed, like [Khmer Republic president] Lon Nol, whose stroke paralysed half his body," he warned. "When you die, you cannot bring money [and] houses along with you."

However, Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Ke Sovannroth said the continuities between the old government and the new were more striking than the differences. "It is the fourth mandate of a new government, but the officials holding power are not new," she said. "It doesn't mean that they will work with a conscience to serve the nation."

Mar Sophal, head of the monitoring unit at election watchdog Comfrel, agreed that the new government's promises could not be taken at face value. "Every political announcement was good, but the individual officials have no real commitment to following up all these programs," he said.