Sam Rainsy's letter to the EditorThe Cambodia Daily, November 11, 2008
GOOD GOVERNANCE SHOULD BE ALL-INCLUSIVE
Reports such as "Protests Continue Over ADB's Rice Distributions" (Nov 7, page 29) and "200 Protest as ADB Completes Rice Donations (Nov 6, page 27) reflect three interrelated problems that need to be seriously addressed through a comprehensive approach:
1- The increasing wealth and revenue gap between a political and financial oligarchy and the mass of rural poor, who survive near the starvation line, increasingly relying on handouts, in a country that boasts a relatively high "macroeconomic growth rate."
2- The need to check government corruption and official disdain for transparency and the rule of law that prevails at all levels of the state apparatus, from the Council of Ministers to village chiefs.
3- The absence of decentralization, meaning the failure to put in place procedures that would involve villagers at the grassroots level in decisions that affect their daily lives.
I would like to make a few remarks on the third issue, which few experts, analysts and observers have concentrated their attention on.
The current legislation on decentralization, meaning the devolution of power from the central government to elected local authorities, has existed only on paper since the first commune council elections in 2002.
The opposition SRP collected 25 percent of the popular votes at the last commune council elections in 2007. It has secured commune councillors in 85 percent of Cambodia's 1,621 communes. It has won commune chief positions in 28 communes, first deputy chief positions in 403 communes and second deputy chief positions in 963 communes.
According to the law, the first deputy chief is in charge of finance and budget, and the second deputy chief of public services and security.
However, except for a few SRP-affiliated commune chiefs, elected local officials from the opposition actually have no power whatsoever. The CPP authorities at the national, provincial, district, commune and village levels just ignore them or bypass them, thus stalling any system of checks and balances and making a mockery of decentralisation.
Therefore, in 98 percent of Cambodia's 1,621 commune councils that are headed by a CPP commune chief, the ruling party adamantly refuses to share power with the opposition.
Since the commune councils in turn elect village chiefs, virtually all the country's more than 15,000 village chiefs are also controlled by the CPP.
Village chiefs are like little kings in their respective villages. They are integral parts of both the state apparatus and the CPP machinery. They actually control the population through using and abusing their power in countless activity fields that directly affect the daily lives of villagers.
Political bias is often associated with corruption. Village chiefs select villagers who are entitled to assistance from national and international organizations, including the Red Cross, based on criteria that may have nothing to do with humanitarian considerations.
Regarding the ongoing protests over ADB's rice distributions, it was reported in one of the articles mentioned above that most of the complaints accused village chiefs of "bias and nepotism" in those chosen to receive rice and for excluding others from the beneficiary lists.
By violating the law on decentralization the CPP authorities block democracy at the grassroots level, which allows more and more irregularities and abuses to occur.
If, in each commune, all elected representatives of the people were properly informed, consulted and allowed to play their respective roles according to the law on decentralization and the spirit of democracy, the above problem of food distribution could be avoided. Many other and more serious problems could also be avoided.
The lesson is clear: The Cambodian government and the international donor community alike should abandon their ineffective piecemeal approach and start to solve problems from a comprehensive perspective by meeting conditions that are prerequisites of good governance: effective law enactment, effective decentralization and effective democracy at the grassroots levels.
Sam Rainsy,
SRP President
1- The increasing wealth and revenue gap between a political and financial oligarchy and the mass of rural poor, who survive near the starvation line, increasingly relying on handouts, in a country that boasts a relatively high "macroeconomic growth rate."
2- The need to check government corruption and official disdain for transparency and the rule of law that prevails at all levels of the state apparatus, from the Council of Ministers to village chiefs.
3- The absence of decentralization, meaning the failure to put in place procedures that would involve villagers at the grassroots level in decisions that affect their daily lives.
I would like to make a few remarks on the third issue, which few experts, analysts and observers have concentrated their attention on.
The current legislation on decentralization, meaning the devolution of power from the central government to elected local authorities, has existed only on paper since the first commune council elections in 2002.
The opposition SRP collected 25 percent of the popular votes at the last commune council elections in 2007. It has secured commune councillors in 85 percent of Cambodia's 1,621 communes. It has won commune chief positions in 28 communes, first deputy chief positions in 403 communes and second deputy chief positions in 963 communes.
According to the law, the first deputy chief is in charge of finance and budget, and the second deputy chief of public services and security.
However, except for a few SRP-affiliated commune chiefs, elected local officials from the opposition actually have no power whatsoever. The CPP authorities at the national, provincial, district, commune and village levels just ignore them or bypass them, thus stalling any system of checks and balances and making a mockery of decentralisation.
Therefore, in 98 percent of Cambodia's 1,621 commune councils that are headed by a CPP commune chief, the ruling party adamantly refuses to share power with the opposition.
Since the commune councils in turn elect village chiefs, virtually all the country's more than 15,000 village chiefs are also controlled by the CPP.
Village chiefs are like little kings in their respective villages. They are integral parts of both the state apparatus and the CPP machinery. They actually control the population through using and abusing their power in countless activity fields that directly affect the daily lives of villagers.
Political bias is often associated with corruption. Village chiefs select villagers who are entitled to assistance from national and international organizations, including the Red Cross, based on criteria that may have nothing to do with humanitarian considerations.
Regarding the ongoing protests over ADB's rice distributions, it was reported in one of the articles mentioned above that most of the complaints accused village chiefs of "bias and nepotism" in those chosen to receive rice and for excluding others from the beneficiary lists.
By violating the law on decentralization the CPP authorities block democracy at the grassroots level, which allows more and more irregularities and abuses to occur.
If, in each commune, all elected representatives of the people were properly informed, consulted and allowed to play their respective roles according to the law on decentralization and the spirit of democracy, the above problem of food distribution could be avoided. Many other and more serious problems could also be avoided.
The lesson is clear: The Cambodian government and the international donor community alike should abandon their ineffective piecemeal approach and start to solve problems from a comprehensive perspective by meeting conditions that are prerequisites of good governance: effective law enactment, effective decentralization and effective democracy at the grassroots levels.
Sam Rainsy,
SRP President
20 comments:
This animal CPP never respect the law.
The county turned to the lawless country.
Even I don't like CPP...
I am sick of Sam Rainsy...
Can't stand anymore to see his fucking face !!!
Fucking liar and blah blah
Dear Mr. Sam Raingsy,
According to HUN SEN, one only lives and dies once - As such, He (HUN SEN) must be the only ruler of Cambodia because his GOD (the Viet/Yuon) puts him there. It is up to YOU and the Cambodian people to figure out the rest.
[Selon HUN SEN, on ne vit et meurt qu'une seule fois. Comme tel, HUN SEN lui, doit etre seulement le seul a regner car son Dieu a lui (Le Viet/Yuon) l'a place la au Cambodge. C'est a vous et le peuple Cambodigien de regler le reste.]
បើតាម អាហ៊ុនសែន គេរស់តែម្ដងហើយក៏
ស្លាប់តែម្ដងដែរ។ ដូច្នេះត្រូវមានតែវាម្នាក់
គត់ដែលជាអ្នកគ្រប់គ្រងស្រុកខ្មែរ ពីព្រោះ
អាយួនកន្តបដែលជាព្រះរបស់វាបានយកវា
មកដាក់បន្តុបនៅក្នុងស្រុកខ្មែរ។ អ្វីៗផ្សេងៗ
ទៀតមានតែលោក សំរង្សី ឯងនឹងប្រជាពល
រដ្ធខ្មែរជាអ្នកដោះស្រាយ៕
Well... if he's a really fair and democratic
person, He won't contribute to dispatch Funcinpec.
Funcinpec is the Core of democratic's parties.
Funcinpec is the party that act like a middlemen
when people had problem.
Sam Rainsy is a blah blah person.
You all see, after Funcinpec lost power,
there's a lots of problem. Especially land grabbing !
What Sam Rainsy has done to solve problem...?
Nothing. Nada.. Rien... Toh The
Now he's begging for Land Cruiser.
When Funcinpec was there, Sam Rainsy
got a Land Cruiser as the chief of the
opposition's party.
Now he wants a new one...
Like father Like son !!!!
Cher M. Sam Raingsy,
Nous vous faisons juste savoir, ce nos parties que l'oversea sont célèbrent la mort de nos ememies Hok Langdy pendant 7 jours et 7 nuits avec le musics accompagnent toute la semaine long.
vivez des Etats-Unis, du Canada, de France, d'Australie et le Newzealand
Cher M. Sam Raingsy,
Nous vous faisons juste savoir, ce nos parties que l'oversea sont célèbrent la mort de nos ennemis Hok Langdy pendant 7 jours et 7 nuits avec le musics accompagnent toute la semaine long.
vivez des Etats-Unis, du Canada, de France, d'Australie et le Newzealand
Sam Rainsy's words have wholly based on empirical observation. Academic analysts have previously found that decentralization and good governance reform in Cambodia is just a step for controlling party to renew their power.
Culture of communist politics is to strengthen its power at the grassroots level, so the introduction of governance/decentralization from aids donors have been helpful to this basic concept. Aids donors have mismatched the concept of governance and decentralization in Cambodian context.
SRP would be the very important party to reveal the misbehavior and unwillingness of the controlling party. Now Sam Rainsy has his inspiring words but it might not be effective at all. To ameliorate the shortage of this genuine decentralization, civil societies and aids donors are the most effective drive.
Considerably, there are some few factors for SRP to develop itself to become the strong opposition party as well as to prepare itself to become government leader. 3 things to consider:
1. SRP has to be able to draw support as much as possible from rich people as well as lucrative private companies to donate money for its election campaign. Achieving this objective is crucial to win CPP. We can see that recently elected US president Barack Obama can surpass his rival Henry Clinton in accruing campaign donation. Money is the most important tool for SRP.
2. SRP has to change its behavior of too much self-esteemed of their internal few leaders. In this matter, we can see that SRP has never received any new well-educated members as well as those social elitists into their party or to become its members/activists at all. So what happen from inside SRP's outreaching policy? Is it too narrow minded or incapability of membership diversification?
3. SRP has to be wholly backed by some particular countries: China or US or other countries that wholeheartedly can lift this party up to become the government party. This might be the good proposal from SRP to find their life and death international alliance.
These 3 recommendations might be substantial for Sam Rainsy and his colleagues if they want their party to win CPP and lead the country in the future.
Sophan/Seng
University of Hawaii at Manoa
សួស្ដី លោក សេងសូផាន
បើលោកមិនយល់ទាស់ទេនោះ តើលោកអាច និយាយប្រាប់យើងខ្ញំទាំងអស់គ្នាពី ជំហរនយោ
បាយរបា់លោកបានទេ បាទ?
[Bien cher Mr. Seng Sophan,
Si vous ne trouvez pas d'objection, pouvez-vous nous dire votre tendance politique SVP? Merci.]
Dear Mr. Sophan Seng,
Would you be kind enough tell us your political stance if you don't mind, please? Thanks.
4:04am is Cham-Khmer, his political stance is Kaun Lon Nol.
Lon Rith the Khmer Republican Party.
I support your theory 4.04 am. SRP needs to change.
Good Governance should not included troublemakers.
Most people in this forum write in English. I wish everyone here write in English so I can understand yours too.
Ah Scam Rainxy should shut the fuck up. No one wants to hear from a persistent loser.
A good initiative from HE Sam Rainsy to address issues that are affecting people at the grassroots.
It would be good if he can elaborate in detail the "comprehesive persepective" he had in mind.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
You got to be kidding, Dr. Lao. Politician rarely elaborate anything in detail. They only know how to bitch and complain about their opponents.
Mr.3:41PM
Thanks for your comment. I wouldn't think there was any harm requesting or challenging politicians to elaborate on their ideas, is there?
Of course as citizens, we need to critize them, but we need to make demand on them as well. We need to complement them too.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Dr. Lao, the harm is giving yourself high blood pressure for nothing. Most politicians doesn't have answer to your question.
Mr.5:02PM
High blood pressure! No, I don't have it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
We should adopt a positive mind attitude, I would suggest. This attitude is good for your heart.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
The people fake khmer strategically want to divide us khmers to make us look small so that they can catch and abolish us in hardly-understandable methods.
khmer
Thanks Dr.LAO for your scholarly sharing with us!
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