Monday, March 21, 2011

Opposition officials will not ask for Sam Rainsy’s replacement

20 March 2011
By Den Ayuthyea
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Oss Dey
Click here to read the article in Khmer

Opposition officials indicated that they will not ask the NatAss (National Assembly) to replace opposition leader Sam Rainsy, the MP from Kampong Cham province.

Yim Sovann, SRP spokesman, gave an interview to RFA on 20 March that there is no reason for the SRP to ask for a replacement to Sam Rainsy, President of the SRP, even if the NatAss ended the latter’s duty and rights as Kampong Cham province MP.

Yim Sovann indicated that the use of the justice system to sentence Sam Rainsy to 12-year in jail stems from Sam Rainsy’s help to farmers, preventing these farmers from losing their rice fields, and also from Sam Rainsy’s decision to protect [Cambodia’s] land against foreign aggression. On this issue, the ruling CPP intends to prevent Sam Rainsy from participating in the political process in Cambodia: “It’s a political intention to prevent President [Sam Rainsy] from participating in the upcoming election. President Sam Rainsy is a courageous man, he dared come out to defend our lands against foreign aggressions. He dared protect justice for the people, defend the land for the people, therefore, he is considered a hero. Therefore, there is nothing against the criminal law, nobody can stop our President from being a Member of Parliament. Therefore, we absolutely will not present another candidate to replace him.”


The stripping of Sam Rainsy’s rights could prevent him from presenting his candidacy to the next general legislative election.

Regarding this issue, Im Suosdei, the chairman of the National Election Cheating (sometimes known as National Election Committee) or NEC, indicated that up to 20 March, the NEC did not receive any request from the opposition to replace Sam Rainsy after the NatAss stripped the latter of his position: “According to the election law, if something happened, the party would ask for a replacement. We did not see such thing yet.”

The NEC indicated that the Cambodian electoral system leaves the decision rights to the party rather than the candidate himself. Therefore, the decision to replace or remove a MP remains with the party.

Nevertheless, Sam Rainsy announced to the news media that his party’s officials will not ask for a replacement to fill in his empty seat. He said that he still considers himself as a MP. Sam Rainsy indicated from France that the stripping of his duty as MP initiated by the NatAss is illegal.

Nevertheless, Im Suosdei indicated that whether Sam Rainsy will return to politics or not is not up to the NEC, but rather it is up to the ministry of Interior which is in charge of applying the law concerning political parties.

On 20 March, RFA could not reach Khieu Sopheak, mouthpiece of the ministry of Interior, over the phone to clarify on Sam Rainsy’s case.

Sam Rainsy was stripped from his duty by Heng Xamrin, president of the NatAss, through a declaration dated 15 March. The declaration removed Sam Rainsy from his duty rights a MP from Kampong Cham during the remaining of the 4th legislative mandate. The decision was made after the Supreme Court upheld the sentence issued against Sam Rainsy stemming from his removal of border stakes planted at border post no. 185, located in Koh Kban Kandal village, Chantrea district, Svay Rieng province at the end of 2009.

Sam Rainsy who is currently living in self-exile overseas, is also involved in another lawsuit by the government which accused him of falsifying public documents. The Phnom Penh municipal court sentenced him in absentia to 10-year of jail time and fined him of 100 million riels (~$25,000). Based on both lawsuits against him, Sam Rainsy is sentenced to a total of 12-year of jail time.

In spite of all the issues above, the public and civil society organizations in Cambodia indicated that, in a democratic country, the opposition leader should not see his rights to participate in the political process be stripped, furthermore he should have the rights to present his candidacy to the election on equal par with the ruling CPP party.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

we must stand firm our right of our people willing .and we keep go on fight our way to get our right ,hope one day we will be get better life to our people.

Anonymous said...

5:49
I'm on your side. Patience and strength will carry us through while we fight until our blood drips dry.

Anonymous said...

Khmerization your opt its sound fair and accepatble,but your understanding about Sam, he was the best finance minister has ever had. that completly wrong, sofar I never heard Rainsy he talking about his finance profesional at all, Rainsy he only a bank employee in franch or the mortgager that make a living by service chargs or commission, he Rainsy never ever be able to run his own business, and as I see sir, Rainsy he is a failure in any walk of life. looke at the mess in SRP, KI, and many other newpapere he runed, his characteristic are fail in any feild he touch, no one see his superior or felt any presure, for the leader to get the jobs don he must be tough and boldly. he absolutly do not have that ability, he is a very very weak, messy and madness man I ever have had seen, wasn't he?. its very dangerouse to hire a man like him, sooner or later all employee will follow his bad, and messy,and lazyness character, good that Hun sen find out bad cancer cell early and kick Rainsy out, to stope him from ruining the whole nation. we need tough, hard working and caurage leader, not a gay or lady boy like rainsy. He Rainsy do not have disciplin and cleanliness in managerment he has no human skile or capacity to lead any one including his wife, he is very weak and lazy how you see hime as a good finance minister ever had, its ignorance claim and you know that yourself right?. Mike

Anonymous said...

The SRP still has another option: begging Hun Xen to bomd his own people, just like Kaddafi.

Kuoy Pichet

Anonymous said...

To all Khmer patriots,

Please beware! The Khmer Post Newspaper and Radio owner/director Meach Sovannara is a Hun Sen spy. He receives his funding from the CPP Party.

Just think, Sovannara is the only newspaper writer who can critize Hun Sen and at the same time can enter Cambodia freely! Something is not right there. If he's not with the CPP Party, Sovannara would be locked in jail or dead a long time ago! He's no Sam Rainsy!

Anonymous said...

Fuck OFF AH MICE or Mike what ever.

Ah Mike you are disgrace your CPP by lying to the readers,actually people like you AH MICE,have no fame and shame,as long as you get the dry bone from your master VIETNAM you start to kill your own families ,that no difference from the black clad s Pol Pot ,you sound and pretend to be smart but not if you are smart enough you are not be able to get used by ignorant khmer rouge Hun Sen and it CPP.
Put it in my point of view let Mr. Rainsy have some times to work as the prime minister for a year then impeach him later if it doesn't work ,you will see your mother fucker youn will send back to Vietnam by swimming and floating as 1970 Mars once again.
That enough for you to understand ah POOJ KHNOM YOUN.

Anonymous said...

They should really think of backup plan. Sam Rainsy will stay in exile for years to come. They better replace him with the like of Mua Sokhua or Sun Chayy. People will forget Sam Rainsy soon and the party will collapse if they don't replace him with someone else. Like Sam Rainsy said, there is not only one Sam Rainsy. He said there are million Sam Rainsys in Cambodia. So why so hard to replace Sam Rainsy with another Sam Rainsy.

Anonymous said...

When is HUN SEN going to be next? Hun Sen has abused and terrorized Cambodian people for years and even said "he will close the door and beat the dog". What Obama said is also direct to any dictator and this included HUN SEN. Obama said Gadaffi had no mercy to the those opposing him so Obama will not stand to see this continue in Libya.

Thanks Mr. President,

To all Cambodian please rise up! The world will not stand and watch us die..

Anonymous said...

Mike 7:56 AM, you are so judgemental about the education and experience of Sam Rainsy, aren't you?

Let me lecture you something green boy! A person, who acquired appropriate education from genuine educational instituions and occupied in Cambodian politics and public affairs for so long - starting from revolution, held ministerial position, MP and Opposition leader recognised by the international community, must be much better of than those who are currently in the government.

Your jugdment is not covered by all perspectives, but narrowed to the local circle, probably you used to be, I guess. A talent educated individually can be motivated to gain other expertises by employing his/her basic skills from high education.

Have you finished a degree yet? If yes, where did you comlete?

Anonymous said...

Mr. 7:56AM,

Hun Sen is the former member of KR. So what kind of experience and expert he had before he became a Prime Minister of Cambodia? What grade he done!!!

Anonymous said...

10:27
"A dim a dozen". It's an absolute fact that a degree doesn't really mean much nowadays. Don't you know that "nature passes nurture".