Ka-set's Pi Nis Pi Nous: Politics? A matter of dates …

23 July 2008
By Ka-Set
Unofficial translation from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the original article in French
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

On Tuesday 22 July, the Human Rights Party (HRP) organized at its party headquarters a religious ceremony to free all the citizens from the “forced” election promises they made to other parties in exchange for gifts. The objective was to “free” the voters so they can vote for the party of their choice. In front of about 300 participants and HRP leaders, the ceremony went on under the direction of a dynamic “achar” (Master of Ceremony). “Long life the Human Rights Party! Vote for the HRP and support the candidacy of Kem Sokha for premiership!” the achar shouted under the public clapping. The achar then said: “And, long life the 07 January!” Some clapping was heard, then a deep silence fell… The HRP president took over the microphone from the achar and made the correction: “Uh, it’s not 07 January [date of the fall of Phnom Penh to the Vietnamese], but 27 July!” Outside of the party headquarters, some were whispering while laughing: “This achar will not get any pay for his performance!”…

Ka-set’s Pi Nis Pi Nous (here and there)

14 July 2007
Ka-set
Unofficial translation from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

Say it with dollar bills, rather than flowers

Heard on the campus of the Royal University in Phnom Penh: “If I were the designer of the CPP logo, I would not draw a Tevoda (angel) sowing flowers, but distributing dollar bills instead!” The Tevoda-ATM: a new concept isn’t it?

One is never careful enough…

This scene took place in Siem Reap city. Two friends stop a fried banana street seller for a snack. They paid her, and the old women open her cart drawer where she kept her money to pull out the change. One of the customers noted that among the money bills, there was an identity card. “Why to you keep this ID in your cart?” the man asked. “I’m afraid my house got burnt, and it will take all my belongings along! So, I preciously keep near me all my paper works to be sure that I can go to vote on the 27!” Who says that Cambodians are not interested in the election?

Pi Nis Pi Nous - The headless snake and woman: Not among the winners!

08 July 2008
By Ka-set
Unofficial translation from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the original article in French
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

Heard in the office of a Khmer-language newspaper: Journalists were discussing among themselves about the uncertain future of the Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) and Funcinpec. “The NRP is like a headless snake, its president is nowhere to be seen! How can people have confidence in this party?” one of the reporters asked. “How about the Funcinpec? It’s like a sponge, filled with holes, and it’s also a puppet! Furthermore, it presents a woman [Princess Arunrasmy] as a PM candidate. A woman PM in Cambodia? It’s unthinkable!!!” another journalist said. A third one commented on the CPP strategy: “Now, the SRP is not only criticizing the CPP, but it also criticizes other parties. Meanwhile, the CPP looks at the tigers fighting and killing each others, waiting to eat the cake all by itself!”

Pi Nis, Pi Nous: A matter of taste and color, or the political mix up

Along the markets and cafés, during recess and in the streets, Cambodian people talk about politics, without any taboo restriction, and with such an eloquence that politicians would envy them. Up until 27 July, Ka-set will report freely and with sarcasm words heard during the election campaign, collected directly “pi nis, pi nous” (here and there).

To react to these “reports” or if you want to express your opinions, please forward them to us at the following email address: redaction@ka-set.info

07 July 2008
By Ka-set
Unofficial translation from French by Tola Ek
Click here to read the original article in French
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

Seen in a T-shirt shop in the capital: Since the launch of the election campaign, shops producing T-shirts, hats and election propaganda objects are working full time. So much so, that some are involuntarily (?) playing tricks on their customers. The following scene took place in one of the numerous T-shirt shops in Phnom Penh. While the shop owner was patiently answering the questions asked by a young journalist, a man suddenly walked into the store, he was furious, his hands were loaded with T-shirts bearing the Sam Rainsy Party logo. The T-shirts look fine, there was no mistake, the famous SRP candle shines bright on the blue background. However, there is a slight problem: the customer is a CPP party member, and he was expecting to find the CPP angel (Tevoda) picture on the T-shirts when he opened the box… Can you imagine the reaction of the unhappy CPP activists who were ready to parade when they discovered with surprise that they were wearing their adversary’s T-shirts instead? The owner apologized, saying that it was a mix up of boxes. In politics, like in clothing, every thing is a matter of taste and color…

Pi Nis, Pis Nous (Here and there)

04 July 2008
By Ka-set
Unofficial translation from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the original article in French
Click here to read the original article in Khmer

Along the markets and cafés, during recess and in the streets, Cambodian people talk about politics, without any taboo restriction, and with such an eloquence that politicians would envy them. Up until 27 July, Ka-set will report freely and with sarcasm words heard during the election campaign, collected directly “pi nis, pi nous” (here and there).

To react to these “reports” or if you want to express your opinions, please forward them to us at the following email address: redaction@ka-set.info

Party popularity depends on … the quality of the glue they use

A Phnom Penh woman reported: “On the first day of the election campaign, the walls of my house were plastered with CPP posters which I immediately tore them down under the unhappy eyes of those who posted them. Today, it’s the SRP which came to plaster their propaganda on my walls. This time, it took me 25 minutes to take them down! This means that the SRP’s glue is of better quality than the CPP’s! I am waiting for the HRP’s turn to compare the quality of their glue and I will decide to vote for the party which posters stick the best!”

Political miracle or how to increase the number of seats

The following was heard through various claims made by various political party leaders. Very gifted in increasing their promises, will the political parties be able to do the same for their number of seats at the National Assembly? If one were to believe the various party leaders, the upcoming MPs will have to perform some miracles. CPP MP Cheam Yeap maintained that his party will obtain exactly 82 seats at the National Assembly for the upcoming 27 July election. Kem Sokha counts on the election to obtain “at least 50 seats” for his party’s candidates. Khem Veasna, the head of the Alliance for Democracy, expects to obtain 5 seats, whereas Ban Sophal of the Society for Justice Party which has a more modest ambition, is certain to obtain at least one seat in Battambang. The tally from the above number of seats amounts to 138 MPs, whereas the National Assembly only counts 123 seats. Now, if we were to add the number of seats expected by the SRP – who believes that it will be a major winner – the Funcinpec, and the NRP, the number of MPs at the next National Assembly will be quite crowded. However, since the seats in the newly inaugurated National Assembly building are rather large, with some loss of elbow room, they can surely squeeze in all these MPs. In this manner, the enemies could become close neighbors…