Sam Rainsy (L) and Kem Sokha (R) (Photo: SRP)By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
13 January 2009
Leaders of the opposition Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties began two days of meeting Tuesday, as they sought to bring the two parties under a united front against the ruling party.
The merging of the parties was necessary to compete with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, HRP President Kem Sokha said, following a first round of meetings at Sam Rainsy Party headquarters in Phnom Penh.
The initiative comes six months after 2008’s national election, where the Sam Rainsy Party won 26 National Assembly seats and the Human Rights Party won three.
The CPP won a significant 90 seats, giving its parliamentarians a strong advantage to pass legislation in the National Assembly.
“The experience of the last election made us think about the union, to facilitate voters in choosing the right party,” Kem Sokha said. “We will merge into a united party, but we don’t know yet what the process we will choose.”
The main goal of the unity is to “change the governance of the nation,” he said.
Sam Rainsy did not comment following Tuesday’s meeting, saying only both parties would release a statement Wednesday and hold a joint press conference Thursday.
Both parties had hoped to align or join in the months ahead of national elections in 2008, but failed to find a compromise in leadership, party structure and other factors.
Kem Sokha said Tuesday officials would discuss the name of a unified party and action plan for a new party.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the ruling party did not consider the merging of the two parties a threat, but said the party was “confident” it could win the next election.
Ny Chakrya, head of investigation for the rights group Adhoc, said Tuesday the merger of the parties was a little late for the last election, but could make both parties stronger than their current situation as the country moves toward 2013 elections.
The merger would only work, he said, if the two parties do not betray each other, as has happened in the past with the Sam Rainsy Party and Funcinpec.
Such an “opposition coalition” could encourage people to turn out to vote, he said.
The merging of the parties was necessary to compete with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, HRP President Kem Sokha said, following a first round of meetings at Sam Rainsy Party headquarters in Phnom Penh.
The initiative comes six months after 2008’s national election, where the Sam Rainsy Party won 26 National Assembly seats and the Human Rights Party won three.
The CPP won a significant 90 seats, giving its parliamentarians a strong advantage to pass legislation in the National Assembly.
“The experience of the last election made us think about the union, to facilitate voters in choosing the right party,” Kem Sokha said. “We will merge into a united party, but we don’t know yet what the process we will choose.”
The main goal of the unity is to “change the governance of the nation,” he said.
Sam Rainsy did not comment following Tuesday’s meeting, saying only both parties would release a statement Wednesday and hold a joint press conference Thursday.
Both parties had hoped to align or join in the months ahead of national elections in 2008, but failed to find a compromise in leadership, party structure and other factors.
Kem Sokha said Tuesday officials would discuss the name of a unified party and action plan for a new party.
Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the ruling party did not consider the merging of the two parties a threat, but said the party was “confident” it could win the next election.
Ny Chakrya, head of investigation for the rights group Adhoc, said Tuesday the merger of the parties was a little late for the last election, but could make both parties stronger than their current situation as the country moves toward 2013 elections.
The merger would only work, he said, if the two parties do not betray each other, as has happened in the past with the Sam Rainsy Party and Funcinpec.
Such an “opposition coalition” could encourage people to turn out to vote, he said.
28 comments:
Just go forward with your plan; it's not late! It's even better right now, because in this term of Hun Sen's victory, he proves to the people that he will go nowhere better for them.
Merge the two parties, choose a good party name, and bring new blood in I am sure there is a chance that this party will win the next election.
A better name is SAMAKKI.
How about Rainsy Sokha Party.... RSP
people, stop your maverick, opposing ways; it's not necesary any longer. cambodia has returned to a prosperous and peaceful nation, so, why continue to have political struggle? because people will only see the trouble-makers in you, and probably nothing more. i mean, it's alright to continue to press for reforms in gov't, education, etc, but to continue to create trouble, unnecessarily is beginning to get old. please think about it! everybody only lives once in this lifetime, so please make the best of it before we all grow old, sick and dying.
i, as one of a khmer person, don't even know you that well. i do have a couple questions for you and your political party: what is your vision for cambodia? and how are your political party plan to achieve that? god bless cambodia.
New Name: Khmer Sovereignty United Front Party (KSUSP. This means Real Peace for Cambodia.
Red-Ant.
How about PLP (Progressive Losers Party)?
1:38AM, stop barking in defense of a dictator, OK? As long as human race exists, so does politics. We are rationally thinking animals, not a dog like you. Your points of view belong to dogs.
I would like to request SRP & HRP three points to consider for this merge:
1. Democratic conceptions of society have always held that institutions exist to serve people, not vice versa. Institutions, therefore, are to be accountable to the people whose lives they affect.
2. Focusing on the poor and ignoring the system of power, privilege, and profit which makes them poor, is a little like blaming the corpse for the murder
3. When an institution, any institution, even the most socially valued one, is found to conflict with human needs, democratic thought holds that it ought to be changed or abolished. Accepting the system-blame approach is a necessary precondition to restructuring society along more human needs.
Good Luck !
To 1:38AM,
It's good for the country to have more than one political parties. One party-rule means dictatorship because the government can do whatever its want without having to worry that one day they may lose power. Do you want democracy for Cambodia? You can see that even now, with all those small parties facing the CPP, we hardly have democracy in Cambodia. If the CPP (or PM Hun Sen) wants some laws, that laws can be passed in a matter of days. How about the anti-corruption laws? How many more years will we have that important piece of legislature? My guess is that as long as the CPP is still in control, you may not see that law in your lifetime. The reason is how can you have thieves create laws to eliminate thievery? Without corruption there no way that any government employee can have nice villas, nice cars and a lot of money given his/her meager salaries. We need to have a really strong opposition party to push for reform, an opposition party that might one day take over the power from the CPP. If the CPP see that it might be their turn to lose future election then they will clean up their acts and a long over-due real democracy will be in Cambodia for all its citizens to enjoy. HRP and SRP made a very big mistake by not getting together before 2008 election. Now they should learn their lesson and get ready for future elections. If they really mean that they want to lead the country in a much better way, they have no choice but get together.
How can an average Khmer person stay out of politics when there are over one million yuons illegally live in Cambodia, and the Hun Sen’s government is doing nothing? In these days, if you are yuon, you can easily obtain a (Khmer) id card, but if you are Khmer expatriate, it is very hard for you to get an id card. Isn’t that unpatriotic, submissive to yuons domination?
People are quietly rebelling, but will soon take their rebellion to the street.
4.38 PM,
You are so dumb about opposition party's role. As someone living overseas, I thought you were smarter than passing this stupid comment.
Oppostion party is a checks and balances mechanism to keep govretement on track. they are part of a good democratic governance. They are not enemy of the state and people. but that is how many Khmer people see " opposition, prachhang, prachhang", it shows that Khmer people got a long way to go, as most are still ignorant, stupid, uneduated, just like thoe who are in power and oppressing right now.
may god bless and clean your ignorance infested brain.
I meant 1.38 am
ខ្មុំក៏បានទាយមុនពេលបោះឆ្នោតដែរ ថាលោក កឹមសុខាស្ទុះមិនរួចពីមួយឬពីរ នោះទេ។ លោកបានធ្វើនយោបាយ មិនស្គាល់កម្លាំងរបស់ខ្លួន។
i like the concept of check and balance in government sytem of cambodia. yes, cambodia needs this system in govt. god bless cambodia.
good move, finally! it's a good sign that someone has finally learnt. that said, i think even if they lose the next election, any gain in the number of votes and/or seats in parliament is always a good sign that show improvement overall. to quote the ancient khmer: " the churning of the sea of milk will always create and keep all in motion, the wind of inevitable changes." that is good for cambodia, i think. god bless all khmer people.
good move, finally! it's a good sign that someone has finally learnt. that said, i think even if they lose the next election, any gain in the number of votes and/or seats in parliament is always a good sign that show improvement overall. to quote the ancient khmer: " the churning of the sea of milk will always create and keep all in motion, the wind of inevitable changes." that is good for cambodia, i think. god bless all khmer people.
If all the main opposition parties join together as one big party, the CPP will not win as many seats in 2013. maybe they still win, but less seats.
Khmer must see opposition parties as legal and part of country development, in fact they are, because without them Khmer people would feel scared and eerie, it would remind them of Pol Pot regime.
Also, the oppostion parties must stop using their parties just to earn a living for their small groups. They want to win or to just earn a living for their groups ?
The name must be changed from now on.
Internal demoracy within the parties must commence fiorst before selling themselves to the public. If you can't do this, you migt as well get out and give the country to the yuons for good.
In a developped country, win is wonderful, or lose is OK. It's the natural way playing game of politics. It's not like in Cambodia, when Hun Sen loses, he resorts to war against his own people, and that is the nature of low-life , uneducated rustic who got to power by betraying his country or stealing votes.
Go for it!!! So excited and proud of the two parties merging together! But of course, the party name should be changed. Solidarity is the way to go Mr. Sokha and Rainsy in gaining more votes, possibly winning the election! I am very optimistic indeed that this will work providing that you both don't cling to power and betray each other. Again, go for it!!!
It is kind a little late. Just two politicians can't even merged before the election in 2008. CPP has three, they are together over 25 years. That is why they are in power...
Hi everyone,
It seems to me that my last week plea for everyone to refrain oneself from using bad language works fine. Thank you all very much for making this happen and I'm really proud of you for conducting your discussion so politely. For example, a few people including me (2:42AM) disagree with the 1:38AM post but we get our point of view across very nicely. This is good start for a real and strong democracy. I am living in the USA. Before last year election and before Mr. Kem Sokha officially launch is HRP I was asked by a few close friends of mines who also became HRP high ranking officials to join them. My answer to them was that I would not waste my time and money for an almost lost cause. I told them that if all democratic parties don't join hands there no way that any particular opposition party can wrestle power away from the CPP who has very, very strong base in every aspects all over the country. I sincerely wish that one day Cambodia will have a chance to enjoy a true democracy like we have in my adopted country here too because I love Cambodia as much (or even more...) as I love the USA. I would love to see Cambodian politicians, after a long and hard fought campaign, shake hands and join hands to work together for the country just like we are doing here in the US. Someone might point out to me the the US democracy is 230 years old and in Cambodia our democracy is a 30 years old infant but; nothing can stop someone from dreaming, right?...
Have a nice day, everyone!...
What do you think if the new party name is Khmer Nation Party "KNP"? if this new party really created for serving Khmer People.
khmer reformist party?
Name of the party is not a problem not but it is the mechanism the approach reaching to the people dissident toward the gov.t policy. I mean people in Cambodia view opposition party still not a strong party or simply put not having its own capacity as a state party that can replace cpp yet. People might be worry about the chaos if opposition party is to win election. In this sense, opposition party must show "firm stance", build more network to reach out a wide range of people: intellectuals and experts especially. Open up more to reach these wise people and provide access and means to attract such people. Lip services do not work nor air promises. Get to work as I have raised several time, provide "services of guiding,initiating and implementing." Of course the opposition party need to earn money, to raise funds for its campagnes and so do people.
Yeah, but oppositions are also racists, and now day racist is no longer desirable on this planet.
i know, even this political group needs a lot of self reforms, too. first, they need to get their own house in order first before they try to win the election is order to lead cambodia. i'm beginning to wonder how are they going to lead cambodia to? what direction? and how good are their vision for cambodia and how are they going to do that without upsetting or resenting the khmer people because, nowadays, it's not really about the leader or the politicians anymore, it is about taking care of the people and the country. khmer people now in this new era can think and see for themselves who did what and how good their leaders are , etc, without fear and intimadation like in the past brutal regime. so, wake up, cambodia! god bless
Agreed, but never mind that. They are no leaders. Even if they win, the military wont take no order from fagots. They will coupe their asses and take over the country, and everyone will be in deeper shits, seriously. I mean think about it.
This is all a joke or a waste of time. That's all it is.
Post a Comment