Phnom Penh Post, Issue 15 / 08, April 21 - May 4, 2006
The climate of political compromise between the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) continues to warm following a recent move to balance representation in the National Election Committee (NEC).
Two SRP officials will be added to the NEC ahead of commune and national elections scheduled for 2007 and 2008 respectively.
"Although there is still a big gap in competing with the ruling party, the SRP will win the election and step forward to hold power following 2008," Rainsy told the Post.
Currently, the five members of the NEC have officially resigned from their political parties and been elected by the National Assembly. Three are former CPP members and two are from junior coalition party Funicinpec.
According to Rainsy, the NEC will be increased to nine members; the CPP will hold five seats and the SRP and Funcinpec two each.
Serei Kosal, senior Minister from Funcinpec, said a discussion of NEC membership is on the agenda of the Council of Ministers meeting on April 21.
"It doesn't matter which political party they are from, the neutrality of the NEC depends on the conscience of the members," Kosal said.
Rainsy said it was unfair to have only members of the two coalition parties on the NEC and said this exclusion would lead to a lack of the checks and balances and negate transparency.
"I have requested Prime Minister Hun Sen and he has agreed with me on the proposal to reform the NEC," Rainsy said.
Some election monitoring NGOs have criticized the NEC's recruitment process and accused the committee of not being transparent and for favoring the ruling party.
The NEC bears the responsibility of planning, organizing and managing free and fair elections.
"I think there are no independent members of the NEC," said opposition parliamentarian Keo Remmy. "The reshuffle will improve checks and balances within the election process."
Rainsy maintains that Hun Sen is committed to improving the transparency and effectiveness the government, and has agreed to several requests submitted by the SRP to amend the Constitution and resolve land issues.
"We have a close relationship with the CPP based on the spirit of mutual respect and the interest of the nation," Rainsy said. "But, it is not a defection to the CPP. Our aim is to take over by winning the coming elections and to hold the power."
Rainsy said the SRP will not dispense gifts to the poor to earn votes. He said the SRP will also eliminate the culture of building schools, roads and irrigation to curry favor for political purpose.
He said the SRP will focus on the fight against corruption and push for transparency in financial management to promote national development.
Tep Nytha, secretary-general of the NEC, told the Post on April 19 that the reform of the NEC's composition is needed to amend Parliament's National Election Law.
"However, I think that the initiative to reform the NEC will not help to encourage effective work. It will be difficult to get a quorum to make a decision when there are more members and more ideas," Nytha said.
Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections (COMFREL), said the initiative for NEC reform would not be reflected by independence or neutrality, nor would it ensure free and fair elections.
"I think that the stakeholders have considered the NEC as representing political parties that won seats in the National Assembly — this does not represent a neutrality for all," Panha said.
He said in the current political system in Cambodia all institutions of the government have remained under the influence of political party leaders and therefore individual party members are not independent.
Sam Rithy Duonng Hak, chief of Cabinet for the SRP, said the assessment made by the party to target between 50 and 62 seats in the National Assembly after 2008 was based on optimism about the young generation. He added that the crisis in Funcinpec's leadership would encourage eligible voters to change their votes.
"Our political party will [overtake] Funcinpec when the royalists fail to carry out their original political platform such as the fight against corruption, creating jobs for people and illegal immigration," Hak said.
"Since Funcinpec formed its coalition with the CPP, there has still been widespread corruption and nepotism."
Nytha said that based on annual updates of voters lists following the 2003 national election, the NEC has found an increase of roughly 200,000 eligible voters each year.
He said that in national elections 2008 there will 7.1 million eligible voters.
Two SRP officials will be added to the NEC ahead of commune and national elections scheduled for 2007 and 2008 respectively.
"Although there is still a big gap in competing with the ruling party, the SRP will win the election and step forward to hold power following 2008," Rainsy told the Post.
Currently, the five members of the NEC have officially resigned from their political parties and been elected by the National Assembly. Three are former CPP members and two are from junior coalition party Funicinpec.
According to Rainsy, the NEC will be increased to nine members; the CPP will hold five seats and the SRP and Funcinpec two each.
Serei Kosal, senior Minister from Funcinpec, said a discussion of NEC membership is on the agenda of the Council of Ministers meeting on April 21.
"It doesn't matter which political party they are from, the neutrality of the NEC depends on the conscience of the members," Kosal said.
Rainsy said it was unfair to have only members of the two coalition parties on the NEC and said this exclusion would lead to a lack of the checks and balances and negate transparency.
"I have requested Prime Minister Hun Sen and he has agreed with me on the proposal to reform the NEC," Rainsy said.
Some election monitoring NGOs have criticized the NEC's recruitment process and accused the committee of not being transparent and for favoring the ruling party.
The NEC bears the responsibility of planning, organizing and managing free and fair elections.
"I think there are no independent members of the NEC," said opposition parliamentarian Keo Remmy. "The reshuffle will improve checks and balances within the election process."
Rainsy maintains that Hun Sen is committed to improving the transparency and effectiveness the government, and has agreed to several requests submitted by the SRP to amend the Constitution and resolve land issues.
"We have a close relationship with the CPP based on the spirit of mutual respect and the interest of the nation," Rainsy said. "But, it is not a defection to the CPP. Our aim is to take over by winning the coming elections and to hold the power."
Rainsy said the SRP will not dispense gifts to the poor to earn votes. He said the SRP will also eliminate the culture of building schools, roads and irrigation to curry favor for political purpose.
He said the SRP will focus on the fight against corruption and push for transparency in financial management to promote national development.
Tep Nytha, secretary-general of the NEC, told the Post on April 19 that the reform of the NEC's composition is needed to amend Parliament's National Election Law.
"However, I think that the initiative to reform the NEC will not help to encourage effective work. It will be difficult to get a quorum to make a decision when there are more members and more ideas," Nytha said.
Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections (COMFREL), said the initiative for NEC reform would not be reflected by independence or neutrality, nor would it ensure free and fair elections.
"I think that the stakeholders have considered the NEC as representing political parties that won seats in the National Assembly — this does not represent a neutrality for all," Panha said.
He said in the current political system in Cambodia all institutions of the government have remained under the influence of political party leaders and therefore individual party members are not independent.
Sam Rithy Duonng Hak, chief of Cabinet for the SRP, said the assessment made by the party to target between 50 and 62 seats in the National Assembly after 2008 was based on optimism about the young generation. He added that the crisis in Funcinpec's leadership would encourage eligible voters to change their votes.
"Our political party will [overtake] Funcinpec when the royalists fail to carry out their original political platform such as the fight against corruption, creating jobs for people and illegal immigration," Hak said.
"Since Funcinpec formed its coalition with the CPP, there has still been widespread corruption and nepotism."
Nytha said that based on annual updates of voters lists following the 2003 national election, the NEC has found an increase of roughly 200,000 eligible voters each year.
He said that in national elections 2008 there will 7.1 million eligible voters.
2 comments:
NEC needs to change Senatorial election law entirely including appointment by king or assembly.
NEC needs to put a lid on PM candidacy no more than 3 consecutive terms even if same party won the fourth term to prevent dictatorship from happening.
Suor sdey Chnam Thmey to all!
Per SRP-CPP relationship, I am a bit concern though. I do have a lot of hope on SRP to defend the poor and helpless Khmer.
We have witnessed already the effects the "marriages" of FUNCINPEC-CPP, the CPP had fundamentally diluted the FUNCINPECs and destroyed the party due to the leader's short-sighted and short-term gains.
For the long-term survival of the SRP and Mr. Kem Sokha's camp, all need to unify under the name of DEMOCRACY and for the sake of CHEAT KHMER! I advise that Khmer Democrats should not look for short-term gains, but aim for long-last gains. Cambodia has lost too much to her neighbours and is Khmer's last frontier. It is Khmer's long-term national interests that we guard this last frontier.
Per my observation, the Yuons are accessing to Khmer ports and lands at will at the moment. The border signings might look GOOD ON PAPERS, but in reality, Yuons(Viets) are already on both sides of these borders. Hun Sen (CPP) might be tough against Thais, but Viets(Yuons) have access to Cambodia 24 hours a day and anywhere.
Chey-Yoh Cheat Khmer!
by a Khmer Krom observer.
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