សមាជិកព្រឹ​ទ្ធសភារបស់​គណបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី ស្នើប្រធាន​ព្រឹទ្ធសភា​លើកការប្រជុំ​ពេញអង្គព្រឹ​ទ្ធសភា លើកទី១ នីតិកាលទី៣ ថ្ងៃទី១៨ ខែកក្កដា ឆ្នាំ២០១២

Want to take our picture? Go ahead...

Boeung Kak Lake residents gather in front of the Senate to hand over their petition (All Photos: Soveun Theng)

Are these photographers journalists or government agents in disguise?

SRP's Kong Korm letter to Chea Xim regarding political party position formula at the Senate

លទ្ធផលជាផ្លូវការ នៃការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសតាំង សមាជិក ព្រឹទ្ធសភា អាណត្តិទី៣ នៅថ្ងៃទី១៨ ខែកុម្ភៈ ឆ្នាំ២០១២ - Official results for the Senate Election

As indicated earlier, the SRP won 11 seats at the Senate and the CPP won 46. Overall, the SRP has a least a senator in all of the 8 senate regions in the country.

CCHR Case Study Fact Sheet Series - Buying Senate Election Votes

Dear all,

CCHR today releases the second fact sheet of 2012 in its "Case Study" series, a series which covers a broad range of subjects relating to human rights violations in Cambodia. This fact sheet examines the buying of senate election votes that was reported on 24 January 2012 and political corruption in Cambodia ("Buying Senate Election Votes") – please see attached in English and Khmer. The fact sheet will soon be available in both English and Khmer on CCHR's website at: CCHR Fact Sheets.

We hope that you find the fact sheet useful and interesting. If you should want to discuss the attached fact sheet, please don't hesitate to contact Ou Virak (at ouvirak@cchrcambodia.org or on +855 (0) 12 404 051) or John Coughlan (at johncoughlan@cchrcambodia.org or on +855 (0) 89 583 590).

Many thanks and kind regards,

CCHR

--

The Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) is a non-aligned, independent, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect democracy and respect for human rights throughout Cambodia. For more information, please visit www.cchrcambodia.org.

http://www.box.com/s/bvr3nvn6daidp548aaj4


http://www.box.com/s/y3po6jafdr05fnmslhfa

How much does the senate election cost?

SRP accuses ruling CPP of election vote-buying

Monday, 06 February 2012
Meas Sokchea and Bridget Di Certo
The Phnom Penh Post

In the wake of what the opposition Sam Rainsy Party has called unprecedented gains in the senate election, the party has said that “virtually every SRP councillor” was approached by ruling Cambodian People’s Party officials attempting to buy their vote in the election, a party statement issued yesterday said.

The statement said that in Kandal province, where Prime Minister Hun Sen lives and votes, SRP councillors were offered US$5,000 a vote to swing their support to the CPP.

“Many forms of intimidation were also used to frighten the opposition into voting for the CPP,” the statement said, adding that “virtually every SRP councillor in all provinces was approached by CPP officials and offered between $500 and $5,000 to sell their votes to the ruling party”.

The premier has publicly thanked the 179 SRP councillors he says voted for his party, despite the SRP’s allegations of rampant bribery including one taped vote-buying attempt in Battambang province.

Results of Senatorial Elections Prove That Corruption and Intimidation Cannot Destroy The Human Spirit

February 5, 2012

RESULTS OF SENATORIAL ELECTIONS PROVE THAT CORRUPTION AND INTIMIDATION CANNOT DESTROY THE HUMAN SPIRIT

CPP Prime Minister Hun Sen is reportedly furious with many of his government advisers and provincial governors who, before the January 29 senatorial elections, had assured him that the opposition SRP would not be able to win any senator seat. They had assured him that, in the worst scenario, the SRP would just be able to keep the two seats won by the opposition in 2006, thus leaving 55 seats for the ruling party out of the 57 seats up for grabs in 2012.

The rationale behind their reasoning and prediction was the following:

• Opposition leader Sam Rainsy is outside the country and SRP activists are demoralized and disorganized.
• Through vote buying the CPP would easily secure the support of more than 50 percent of the 2,660 SRP commune councillors who have the right to elect senators. If 1,000 to 1,500 SRP councillors effectively voted for the CPP, the SRP would be deprived of any senator seat, and the CPP would be in the “winner-take-all” position.

As a result of this reasoning, virtually every SRP councillor in all provinces was approached by CPP officials and was offered between US$500 and US$5,000 to sell their votes to the ruling party. This is a real fortune given the salary of a commune councillor that doesn’t exceed US$ 20 a month. This explained the confidence expressed by CPP officials in provoking the “betrayal” of most SRP councillors. This explained Hun Sen’s optimism.

In Kandal province where Hun Sen lives and votes, SRP councillors were offered the highest amount of money (US$ 5,000) to sell out to the CPP so that the Prime Minister would be very happy with the final election results… Many forms of intimidation were also used to frighten the opposition into voting for the CPP.

In the end, in spite of the prevailing extreme poverty and the very tempting CPP money offer, only 160 SRP councillors, out of 2,660, did sell out. The loyalty of the remaining 2,500 opposition councillors allowed the SRP to win nine additional senator seats, making Hun Sen extremely disappointed and very angry.

The provinces which resisted best to the CPP -- with zero defection -- are the following:

Kratie, Mondolkiri, Koh Kong, Banteay Meanchey, Oddor Meanchey and Pailin. The first three provinces are the scene of extremely brutal land confiscations and forced evictions. The last three provinces were strongholds of resistance forces fighting against the Vietnamese occupation army in the 1980s and the Phnom Penh regime in the 1990s (everybody remembers the battlefields of Svay Chek, Thmar Puok, Banteay Chhma, Banteay Ampil, Pailin, Anlong Veng, Trapeang Prasat, Samraong Chongkal, etc.).

In his final appeal to all SRP councillors who were going to cast their ballots, Sam Rainsy told them: “You are like volunteer soldiers going up to the frontline to defend your country. Volunteer soldiers fighting for their country always win over mercenaries who fight for money. Cambodia expects every one of you to do his duty.”

President Sam Rainsy’s patriotic appeal was largely heard. The 2,500 SRP councilors must be praised for their loyalty toward their country, showing that corruption and intimidation cannot destroy the human spirit.

SRP Members of Parliament

មួយ​ណា​ឈ្នះ​ពិត​ប្រាកដ? - Who's the real winner?

លោកស្រី ជូឡុង សូមូរ៉ា ពីគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី និងលោក ហ៊ុន សែន ពីគណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា

សៅរ៍ 04 កុម្ភៈ 2012
ដោយ ៖ សរ សោភ័ណ
សារពត៍មានសេរី

អ្វី​ដែល​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​ទទួល គឺ​ភក្តី​ភាព​របស់​សមាជិក សមាជិកា​របស់​ខ្លួន ក្រោម​ពាក្យ «ទិញ​មិន​លក់ សម្លុត​មិន​ខ្លាច» ហើយ​ដែល​ទឹកចិត្ត​ស្មោះស្ម័គ្រ​នេះ ជម្រុញ​ឲ្យ​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី​ដណ្តើម​យក​បាន​១១​អាសនៈ​ជាមួយ​កិត្តិយស​ថ្លៃ​ថ្លា។

ការ​បោះឆ្នោត​ជ្រើសរើស​សមាជិក​ព្រឹទ្ធសភា​អាណត្តិ​ទី៣​បាន​បញ្ចប់​ទៅ​ហើយ ដោយ​មេដឹកនាំ​គណបក្ស​ទាំង​ពីរ​ដែល​ចូល​រួម​ប្រកួត​ប្រជែង​ដណ្តើម​អាសនៈ​ក្នុង​ស្ថាប័ន​នីតិបញ្ញត្តិ​ជាន់​ខ្ពស់​មួយ​នេះ​សុទ្ធ​តែ​អះអាង​រៀងខ្លួន​ថា បាន​ទទួល​ជ័យ​ជំនះ​យ៉ាង​ត្រចេះ​ត្រចង់។ ជោគ​ជ័យ​ដោយ​សារ​តែ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កាន់​អំណាច និង​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​បាន​ទទួល​អាសនៈ​គួរ​ឲ្យ​ពេញ​ចិត្ត​ទាំង​អស់​គ្នា ដូច​អ្វី​ដែល​ខ្លួន​រំពឹង​ទុក​នៅ​មុន​ពេល​បោះឆ្នោត។

គណៈកម្មាធិការ​ជាតិ​រៀបចំ​ការ​បោះឆ្នោត​បាន​ប្រកាស​លទ្ធផល​បណ្តោះ​អាសន្ន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា​ទទួល​បាន​សម្លេង​គាំទ្រ​ ៨៨៨០ រីឯ​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី​ទទួល​បាន ២៥០​សម្លេង​ពី​អង្គ​បោះឆ្នោត។ លទ្ធផល​ដែល​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​គណនា​រួច​ទៅ​ហើយ​នោះ​បង្ហាញ​ថា គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​នឹង​ទទួល​បាន​៤៦​អាសនៈ ស្មើ​នឹង ៧៧,៨១% ហើយ​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី​នឹង​បាន​១១​អាសនៈ ស្មើ​នឹង ២១,៩៣%។ លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្រ្តី ហ៊ុន សែន បាន​ថ្លែង​ដោយ​មោទនៈ​ថា គណបក្ស​របស់​លោក​កើន​សម្លេង​៨០០ ពី​ការ​បោះឆ្នោត​ឲ្យ​ដោយ​មន្រ្តី​គណបក្ស​ហ៊្វុនស៊ិនប៉ិច គណបក្ស​នរោត្តម​រណប្ញទ្ធិ និង​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី ចំណែក​មន្រ្តី​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​គណបក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច​ពី​បទ​ទិញ​សន្លឹក​ឆ្នោត។ សាក្សី និង​ភស្តុតាង​មួយ​ចំនួន​ត្រូវ​បាន​លាត​ត្រដាង​ដោយ​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​ពី​ការ​ទាក់ទាញ​ទឹកចិត្ត​លើ​សមាជិក​ក្រុម​ប្រឹក្សា​ឃុំ​សង្កាត់​របស់​ខ្លួន​ក្នុង​តម្លៃ​មួយ។ ទោះ​ជា​ជួប​ប្រទះ​នូវ​ព្យុះ​ទិញ​ទឹកចិត្ត​បែប​នេះ​ក្តី ក៏​គណបក្ស​សមរង្ស៊ី​ ដែល​អាណត្តិ​មុន​មាន​ត្រឹម​២អាសនៈ បាន​ដណ្តើម​យក​រហូត​ដល់​ទៅ​១១​អាសនៈ រី​ឯ​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​ដែល​ប្រឹង​ប្រែង​គ្រប់​រូប​ភាព រាប់​ទាំង​ចំណាយ​លុយ​មិន​ស្តាយ​ស្រណោះ បាន​កើន​អាសនៈ​ត្រឹម​តែ​១​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ។

Thank you note to the SRP community

Three Topics in Sam Rainsy’s Interview With Radio France Internationale (RFI)

February 4, 2012

THREE TOPICS IN SAM RAINSY’S INTERVIEW WITH RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONALE (RFI)

In an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI) broadcast on February 4, 2012 opposition leader Sam Rainsy elaborated on three main topics:

Click the control below to listen to the interview

Click here to download the interview in MP3

- Senatorial elections: The opposition’s remarkable gains (from two to 11 seats) at the January 29 Senate elections represented a victory of the human spirit over intimidation and the power of money. The ruling CPP lamentably failed to weaken the opposition SRP, which appears stronger than ever and stands as the only force capable of challenging Hun Sen’s anachronistic regime and bringing back dignity to the Khmer people.

- Triangular relations between Cambodia, China and Vietnam: It is in the interest of Cambodia to support the legitimate sovereignty right of China over the Xisha (or Paracel) Islands and the Nansha (or Spratly) Islands in the South China Sea. The Cambodian people should gratefully remember China’s punitive military intervention against Vietnam in February 1979 following the invasion and occupation of Cambodia by the Vietnamese army the previous month. In the future,

only China can effectively help Cambodia defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity against expansionist Vietnam.

- Role of Cambodia as the new ASEAN president: Among other tasks, Cambodia should help Myanmar (or Burma) move further toward democracy. But ironically enough, whereas in Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has just been released from house arrest and allowed to run at coming national elections, in Cambodia the opposition leader has been forced into exile and prevented from running at coming national elections. Therefore Cambodia has shamefully become worse than Myanmar and cannot pretend to be a leader of any sort.

Listen to Sam Rainsy’s 10-minute interview in Khmer at http://tinyurl.com/6wpyhed

SRP Cabinet

Congratulations from SRP-NA on the Senate Election

Senate Voting Along Party Lines, as Expected: Analysts

SRP MP Tioulong Saumura following her senate vote (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer | Washington, DC

“How can the senators represent the people if the commune council votes for them.”

The Senate elections held over the weekend produced results as expected, analysts said Monday. But the polls, open only to already chosen members of local commune councils, don’t reflect the will of the people, election observers said.

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party received about 78 percent of the votes, with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party taking the remainder, increasing from two to 11 seats.

Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said the numbers showed voting along party lines, as expected, rather than commune councils extending the will of the people.

“There is no relationship like that,” he said. Some commune councils are unpopular over their handling of community problems like land disputes, he said.

Congratulations from SRP-France on the Senate Election

Letter to Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy from Civil Will Party of Mongolia

From democrats to democrats,

The Civil Will Party of Mongolia is a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats.

SRP touts senate gains

Officials count votes for the national senate election yesterday at a polling station in a school in the capital’s Boeung Trabek commune. (Heng Chivoan/Phnom Penh Post)

Monday, 30 January 2012
Meas Sokchea and David Boyle
The Phnom Penh Post

The Sam Rainsy Party was celebrating unofficial senate election results yesterday, claiming to have increased its number of seats in the upper house from two to 11 despite the incumbent government winning an overwhelming majority of the preliminary ballot results.

Early results showed the SRP had won 21.93 per cent of the vote. The ruling Cambodian People’s Party dominated as expected, with 77.81 per cent after initial polling by the National Election Committee ahead of official results to be announced on Saturday.

Fifty-seven of the 61 seats in the Cambodian senate are being contested in the election. Two of the remaining four will be appointed by the legislative house of parliament, the National Assembly, and the others by King Norodom Sihamoni.

In a vote derided by some analysts and observers as undemocratic because its participants are limited to commune-council members rather than the public, the SRP last night claimed a modicum of success.

Congratulations from SRP Finland on the Senate Election

The CPP is NERVOUS after it was not able to buy enough votes during the senate election

វិចារណកថា ៖ គណបក្សប្រឆាំង បាត់បង់សំឡេង គាំទ្រយ៉ាងច្រើន

Monday, 30 January 2012
ដោយ ៖ ជ័យ តារា
DAP-news

High-ranking SRP leaders are very happy about increasing their number of seats from 2 to 11 in the senate and they do not think about losing hundreds of votes at all (KI-Media note: In fact, DAP reported that the SRP lost about 200 votes out of a total of about 2,700 SRP commune councilors and MPs). This situation had been criticized by independent observers (KI-Media note: Since when does the CPP mouthpiece consider opinions by independent observers?) that the SRP is too happy to the point of forgetting its loss of hundreds of votes during the senate election and this is not a laughing matter (KI-Media note: How about the CPP not being able to prevent the SRP from obtaining 11 senate seats in spite of buying 200 votes?). At the same time, Mr. Sam Rainsy, President of the party, should find ways to arrange for his return to Cambodia before the upcoming commune and national elections so that he can compete with the CPP with transparency during the upcoming election. (KI-Media note: Now, the CPP does feel comfortable holding elections without the presence of the opposition leader’s presence in the country?)

នៅក្នុងការបោះឆ្នោត ជ្រើសរើសសមាជិកព្រឹទ្ធ សភាកាលពីថ្ងៃទី២៩ ខែមករា ឆ្នាំ ២០១២ បានបង្ហាញឱ្យឃើញថា គណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី ដែលជាគណបក្ស ប្រឆាំង បានបាត់បង់ សំឡេងគាំទ្រ ពីសមាជិកក្រុមប្រឹក្សាឃុំ-សង្កាត់ របស់ខ្លួន រាប់រយនាក់នៅទូទាំងប្រទេស។ ប្រការនេះ ត្រូវបានក្រុមអ្នកតាម ដានស្ថានការណ៍ នយោបាយ ក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ផ្ដល់ជា ទស្សនៈថា គណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី ត្រូវតែធ្វើការកែទម្រង់បន្ថែមទៀត ដើម្បីរក្សាការគាំទ្រពី សមាជិករបស់ខ្លួន ព្រោះការបាត់ បង់សំឡេងគាំទ្រពីសមាជិកក្រុមប្រឹក្សាឃុំ-សង្កាត់រាប់ រយនាក់ មិនមែនជារឿងធម្មតាទេ ក្នុងខណៈដែលការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសរើស ក្រុមប្រឹក្សាឃុំ-សង្កាត់ ខែមិថុនា ឆ្នាំ២០១២ កាន់តែជិតឈានចូលមកដល់។ ក្នុងនោះគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី គួរលះបង់ ចោលនូវវប្បធម៌ បក្ខពួកនិយម គ្រួសារនិយម ហើយមេដឹកនាំនៃគណបក្សនេះ មិនត្រូវធ្វើ អ្វីៗស្រេចតែអំពើចិត្ដតទៅទៀតឡើយ។

កាលពីល្ងាចថ្ងៃទី២៩ ខែមករា ឆ្នាំ២០១២ គណៈកម្មាធិការជាតិ រៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោត (គ.ជ.ប) បានបង្ហាញលទ្ធផលបណ្ដោះអាសន្នថា គណបក្សប្រជាជន កម្ពុជា ទទួលបានចំនួន ៨៨៨០សំឡេង ហើយគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី ទទួលបានចំនួន ២៥០៣សំឡេង។ តាមលទ្ធផល នេះបង្ហាញឱ្យឃើញថា គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា ត្រូវទទួលបាន៤៦អាសនៈ ហើយគណបក្ស សមរង្ស៊ីត្រូវទទួលបាន១១អាសនៈនៅក្នុងរដ្ឋសភា ប៉ុន្ដែគណបក្ស សមរង្ស៊ី បានបាត់បង់ សំឡេង គាំទ្រជិត ២០០សំឡេង នៅទូទាំង ប្រទេស ។ បើទោះបីបាត់បង់សំឡេងគាំទ្រយ៉ាង ច្រើនក៏ដោយ ក៏មេដឹកនាំនិងមន្ដ្រីជាន់ខ្ពស់គណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី បានបង្ហាញនូវសេចក្ដីរីករាយ ដោយសារ តែមានចំនួនអាសនៈ មានការកើនឡើងនៅក្នុងស្ថាប័នព្រឹទ្ធសភា ។ ប៉ុន្ដែសម្រាប់ ក្រុមអ្នកវិភាគនយោបាយ បានវាយតម្លៃថា ការបាត់បង់សំឡេងគាំទ្រពីសមាជិកក្រុម ប្រឹក្សា ឃុំ-សង្កាត់ របស់ខ្លួន នៅក្នុងការបោះឆ្នោតព្រឹទ្ធសភា គឺគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី អាច ប្រឈមនឹងបញ្ហា ធ្លាក់ចុះសម្រាប់ការបោះឆ្នោតជ្រើសរើសក្រុមប្រឹក្សាឃុំ-សង្កាត់នា ពេលខាងមុខ ។ ប្រការ នេះតម្រូវឱ្យគណបក្សសមរង្ស៊ី ធ្វើការកែទម្រង់មួយចំនួន ទៅតាមស្ថានភាពជាក់ស្ដែង ទើប អាចទប់ទល់នឹងការធ្លាក់ចុះ ប្រជាប្រិយភាពរបស់ខ្លួន ។

800 votes bought by CPP

29 Jan 2012
By Leang Delux
Radio France Internationale
Translated from Khmer by Teuk Si Iv Khmer

The election for the Senate ended on Sunday afternoon and it was conducted in an atmosphere of calm. That was what Im Suosdey, president of the National Election of Cheaters (NEC), claimed during a press conference that ended not too long ago. Im Suosdey indicated that based on preliminary results, the CPP lead the SRP by a large margin (KI-Media: Wasn’t it a foregone conclusion?). A CPP representative announced that his party received 800 votes from members of other parties.

According the report provided by the NEC, commonly known as the National Election of Cheaters, the CPP received a wide margin of votes over the SRP, even though this is just a temporary result. Furthermore, a CPP representative immediately announced during a press conference held about 1 hour ago that the CPP received 797 votes from members of other parties.

The NEC report indicated that 58 votes were unaccounted for due to people not going to vote. The total number of votes counted was 11,383.

Im Suosdey commented that the atmosphere of the election was calm and the election was conducted smoothly.