Two opposition MPs could lose their right to participate in the 2013 election

SRP MP Mu Sochua (L) and Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (R)

11 June 2010
By Pech Bandol
Free Press Magazine Online
Translated in Khmer by Socheata
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy, representing Kampong Cham province, and SRP MP Mu Sochua, who is currently unfairly sentenced by the Phnom Penh municipal court, are expected to lose their right to participate in the upcoming 2013 general election.

Sam Rainsy, who is currently living abroad, is currently accused by the court of 4 other charges in regards to the uprooting of border stakes in Koh Kban Kandal village, Samrong commune, Chantrea district, Svay Reign province, on 25 October 2009.

Stemming from the charges of destruction of public properties and incitation to racial discrimination, Sam Rainsy was sentenced in absentia by the Svay Rieng provincial court to 2-year of jail time on 27 January 2010. He is currently facing two other charges from the Phnom Penh municipal court: disinformation and falsification of public document. These last two charges are now in the hand of the Phnom Penh court.

Even though the Svay Rieng sentence is being appealed by his lawyer and the additional 2 charges is in the hand of the Phnom Penh municipal court, the expectation is that Hun Xen’s court will not allow the opposition leader to go free. All these charges could lead to the loss of his right to participate in the upcoming 2013 general election.

As for Mrs. Mu Sochua, the SRP MP from Kampot province, she already swore in public that she will not pay the fine to Hun Xen as the Supreme Court ordered her. She strongly believes that the defamation lawsuit case is very unfair because, in the end, the victim who suffered insults ended up being sentenced by the court instead.

Nevertheless, numerous observers believe that this is a ploy by the CPP to uproot the opposition out the Cambodian political scene so that it can have an absolute dictatorial control of the country. Even though on numerous occasions the CPP tried to attract away SRP supporters by directly buying them out with money or by offering them positions, the SRP still receives support from the Cambodian people.

Hun Xen used to boast in public about his political strategy for the upcoming 2013 general election, he indicated that the opposition party will be represented among other parties, but the opposition party leader will not be allowed to join in this election.

This situation had been criticized by the European Union which indicated that: could it be possible to have an opposition party without an opposition leader? The EU also wondered if there is such a thing as a democracy without the presence of an opposition party?

Up to now, these questions went unanswered and there is great concerns about this bad situation for democracy in Cambodia as this can lead to a return of a dictatorial regime that existed in the not too distance past. It is only through a communist dictatorial regime that the current Cambodian leaders can continue to rule the country without impunity.