Sam Rainsy (L), Ranariddh (C) and Kem Sokha (R)By Sophorn
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
A number of political party presidents expressed various reactions regarding the progress of the election for the upcoming 4th legislative mandate, when their competitor is not even present inside Cambodia.
Sam Rainsy, SRP President, said that he wants to see all the competitors having equal opportunity to present themselves to the voters, for example, in the case of Prince Ranariddh, a formula must be found where his lawsuit can be suspended temporarily so that he can compete in the election and so that the election is fair.
Sam Rainsy said: “For the competition to carry a weight, and that it bears importance on the Cambodian political arena, if a competitor is not present in the country, then the election has no value, you can say that it has no meaning as well. However, if the competitor is a minor one, then the situation wouldn’t change that much.”
Kem Sokha, HRP President, said that because the Cambodian court is politically biased, Prince Ranariddh lost his freedom to participate in the election, and this is unfair for the election.
Kem Sokha said: “Therefore, it could affect his freedom to participate in the election, because we can see that the court is not truly independent.”
However, Ok Socheat, an advisor of the Funcinpec party, said that the fairness or lack of fairness toward the prince during the upcoming election depends entirely on the prince himself, i.e. if he returns back to the Funcinpec folds again, then his problem will be solved.
CPP MP Cheam Yeap said that, even without the presence of the prince, the election can still be conducted with transparency. However, if the prince wants to obtain seats at the National Assembly, he should return back home to participate in the election.
Cheam Yeap said: “If the prince is not here, this does not mean that there is no transparency, even if he comes back, the transparency still wouldn’t be 100% either. This depends entirely on each political party only, and I believe that the prince should return back home, like the NEC and the election law stipulated if he must fight to compete to obtain seats at the National Assembly.”
Nevertheless, Tep Nytha, NEC secretary-general, said that the NEC made preparations for the election according to the law and the rules, and the personal presence of a political party president (during the election) has nothing to do with the NEC.
He indicated also that up to 11 May, there were 8 parties which registered to compete in the upcoming 27 July 2008 election.
Sam Rainsy, SRP President, said that he wants to see all the competitors having equal opportunity to present themselves to the voters, for example, in the case of Prince Ranariddh, a formula must be found where his lawsuit can be suspended temporarily so that he can compete in the election and so that the election is fair.
Sam Rainsy said: “For the competition to carry a weight, and that it bears importance on the Cambodian political arena, if a competitor is not present in the country, then the election has no value, you can say that it has no meaning as well. However, if the competitor is a minor one, then the situation wouldn’t change that much.”
Kem Sokha, HRP President, said that because the Cambodian court is politically biased, Prince Ranariddh lost his freedom to participate in the election, and this is unfair for the election.
Kem Sokha said: “Therefore, it could affect his freedom to participate in the election, because we can see that the court is not truly independent.”
However, Ok Socheat, an advisor of the Funcinpec party, said that the fairness or lack of fairness toward the prince during the upcoming election depends entirely on the prince himself, i.e. if he returns back to the Funcinpec folds again, then his problem will be solved.
CPP MP Cheam Yeap said that, even without the presence of the prince, the election can still be conducted with transparency. However, if the prince wants to obtain seats at the National Assembly, he should return back home to participate in the election.
Cheam Yeap said: “If the prince is not here, this does not mean that there is no transparency, even if he comes back, the transparency still wouldn’t be 100% either. This depends entirely on each political party only, and I believe that the prince should return back home, like the NEC and the election law stipulated if he must fight to compete to obtain seats at the National Assembly.”
Nevertheless, Tep Nytha, NEC secretary-general, said that the NEC made preparations for the election according to the law and the rules, and the personal presence of a political party president (during the election) has nothing to do with the NEC.
He indicated also that up to 11 May, there were 8 parties which registered to compete in the upcoming 27 July 2008 election.
