NDI Gathers Parties for Debate Introductions

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
19 June 2008

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The National Democratic Institute on Thursday gathered representatives from each of the 11 competing parties to encourage them to discuss their policies in a "productive manner" ahead of scheduled debates for July's elections.

NDI is preparing to record and broadcast 22 debates among the parties, including eight on national television, to provide them "the opportunity to articulate their ideas freely and challenge those of their opponents in a fair and equal manner," said Jerome Cheung, Cambodia representative for the US-based group.

"NDI hopes that these debates will demonstrate that, while candidates from different parties have different policies and opinions, they can discuss these differences in a productive manner, free from violence or retribution," Cheung said.

NDI had scheduled a more than 30 debates, some of them only between the major parties, but revamped the format following complaints by minor parties.

In public forums in 2004 and 2005 held by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, ruling Cambodian People's Party supporters were interruptive and Sam Rainsy Party supporters provoked them through negative attacks, said Kem Sokha, president of the Human Rights Party, who was head of the human rights center when the forums were held.

This environment led to the failure of forums, as supporters of the two parties would nearly come to blows, he said.

He supported the view of NDI discouraging the use of attacks or negative words during the debates, Kem Sokha said.

Complaint Changes NDI Debate Schedule

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
18 June 2008

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The National Democratic Institute on Wednesday moved its political debates from a principle of "equity" to one of "equality," a move election and party officials described as a legally fair act.

The new debate schedule will ensure more time for smaller parties but will take away some time from debate between the major parties. NDI changed its schedule at the behest of the National Election Committee, which had received complaints from smaller parties that the previous schedule had been unfair.

"We changed our scheduled program debates to equality for all political parties and reduced the number of scheduled debates from 31 to 22," Ly Sothearayuth, a senior NDI official, said Wednesday.

Human Rights Party President Kem Sokha called the change "justice for political parties...which provides more interest to the voters."

"And this move will benefit free and fair elections in July," he said.

NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha welcomed the NDI decision, describing it as a "positive step in conformity with Cambodian election law and the principle of democracy for all political parties."

"NEC and NDI are moving to strengthen their cooperation to work toward free and fair elections," he said.

NDI Debate Schedule Comes Under Fire

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
10 June 2008

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The National Election Committee and the smaller of 11 parties competing in July's election say a schedule for aired debates by a non-governmental election group is unfair.

The smaller parties have complained to the NEC about the debate schedule of the National Democratic Institute, among the parliamentary candidates during the election campaign, by providing the "old parties" many more debates than the smaller parties.

There are 31 debates scheduled between the Cambodian People's and Sam Rainsy parties, 22 between the Funcinpec and Norodom Ranariddh parties, and two to three each between the other parties, including the Human Rights Party.

"NDI did not make any unfair or any political discrimination in the preparation of the scheduled debates for political parties," said Ly Sothearayuth, a senior NDI official. "We just instituted the scheduled debates following the criteria of proportionality and equity."

None of the smaller parties, including the Human Rights Party, has seats in national parliament or in any of the country's 1,621 commune councils.

NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said NDI's debate schedule violated NEC regulations and the principles of equality. NEC officials will meet to discuss this problem with NDI, he said.