Hun Sen: Power is only for I, me and myself

Hun Sen rejects future political role for the SRP

By Leang Delux
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translation from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

In a speech given on Monday 17 November, Hun Sen announced to SRP representatives that they cannot count “on playing any important role within the National Assembly.”

Hun Sen launched another attack against the opposition party by removing any hope for the latter to obtain an active role at the National Assembly (NA). On 28 October, the NA permanent committee (controlled by the CPP) rejected a proposal by the opposition party which was aimed at providing an official role to political parties other than the ruling party at the NA.

The acceptance of this proposal would amount to an amendment to the NA internal rule. To the president of the NA permanent committee, “the proposal for the amendment of the internal rule was not undertaken in conformance with the procedure.”

At least, that was the [CPP] technical motivation to reject the proposal. To some members of the opposition party, they have been “cheated by Hun Sen so that they accepted to join the first NA session which was held on 24 September.” Hun Sen also provided a reply to these accusations in his speech: “I did not cheat anybody. It was you who seek to discuss with me, whereas I did not talk to you. You did not want to lose face, so you call on Oknha Kith Meng, and through his intermediary, you asked to change 26 articles on the 82 in the NA internal rule. Wait till your next life!” Hun Sen said in anger.

Hun Sen’s criticisms were not directly aimed at opposition leader Sam Rainsy, but to other officials. Hun Sen also recommended that Sam Rainsy “provides better advice to his party members.”

CPP Sweep Avails One-Party Rule: Analysts

By Pin Sisovann, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
10 November 2008

With the decline of royal family members in politics and with electoral regulations and state institutions favoring the ruling party, election observers and analysts said they fear Cambodia’s political system is losing its multi-party structure.

The retirement from politics of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, a longtime rival of the Cambodian People’s Party, has combined with an apparent loss of faith by many political figures who have decided to join the ruling party, said Thun Saray, president of the rights group Adhoc.

“Pressures” such as offers of positions and money in the government in exchange for political loyalty could result in an apathetic electorate, he said, and add National Assembly seats to the CPP, which already has 90 of 123.

“It could motivate non-analytic voters to vote for the CPP, up to 110 seats,” he said. “Thus, Cambodia would move to a single party.”

He cited the recent US election of Barack Obama, a Democrat, to replace George W. Bush, a Republican, as a healthy balance of political parties.

“Voters in the US alternatively vote between Republicans and Democrats, because they understand the politics leading their country,” he said.

The opposition, now both the Sam Rainsy and Human Rights parties, have not pulled votes away from the CPP, he said. The Sam Rainsy Party took 26 seats in July’s election, up two seats from 2003, but those votes came from Funcinpec’s base, Thun Saray said.

The Sam Rainsy Party’s growth has been stunted from years of infighting and defeat, he said.

“I worry that [SRP members] are tired with too-long opponents facing tighter pressure,” he said. “Their forces are too small and cannot gather more.”

The size was limited by financing and a loss of base support, he said.

“In the past, they could expand by grabbing supporters of Funcinpec,” he said. “They could not break the government or ruling party [supporters] to come as their supporters.”

Change will be possible when the electorate becomes upset with the ruling party, through perceived unfairness or increased poverty, he said, advising the two opposition parties to work together to enforce commune councilors, the backbone of their political strength.

However, Koul Panha, executive director for the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said a chance for change remains, with the CPP winning only 58 percent of the total votes. Division among opposition parties remains an obstacle, he said.

“The votes show that voting against the [ruling] government hasn’t fallen a lot,” he said.

HRP President Kem Sokha said Cambodia was polarizing.

“It is going in that direction, but it won’t come soon,” he said. “In two or three elections, there will be only two rival parties.”

He suggested all parties opposed to the ruling CPP “form a coalition, leaving party identity for awhile.”

“One day, the coalition will automatically become a party,” he said. “We, the Human Rights Party, would unite with democrats such as the Sam Rainsy Party.”

Such a coalition would level the political field and eventually lead to an inevitable rise of the opposition, he said.

SRP lawmaker Son Chhay said that, in his view, voters for opposition parties are united, but it was up to the leaders of the parties to strengthen their cooperation. More obstacles remain, he said, including state services and the courts that lean toward the CPP.

“As long as the courts, election bodies, ministries and departments serve only the ruling party, I worry Cambodiais heading for dictatorship,” he said.

National Assembly President Heng Samrin, of the CPP, has accused the opposition of taking itself out of the governing process by boycotting key ceremonies and sessions.

Nguon Nhil, deputy vice president of the National Assembly, also CPP, said Thursday the people were enjoying freedom of speech, and it was not possible for a single party to swallow the multi-party system.

Opposition official role: SRP proposal rejected

28 Oct 2008
By Leang Delux Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

The SRP wishes to see an official recognition of its opposition status through an amendment of the National Assembly (NA) internal rule. However, such a request must pass by an approval of a law, a CPP MP indicated.

Cheam Yeap personally confirmed to Cambodge Soir Hebdo that the SRP proposal aiming to modify the NA internal rule in order to recognize the official role of the opposition parties, was rejected on Tuesday 28 October, before the proposal was even examined.

The CPP MP, a member of the NA permanent committee, explains that “this proposal was made against the usual procedure rules,” while noting that the term “opposition party” does not appear in the kingdom’s constitution. Article 82 of the internal rule stipulated that a proposal for an amendment must be presented by at ¼ of the MPs. However, the SRP with only 26 MPs is far from reaching the ¼ number required.

Last week, the SRP sent a letter to Heng Samrin, NA president, to remind him about this amendment and to push the NA to examine it.

However, not all is lost for the SRP yet (none of the SRP MPs could be contacted to obtain their reaction about the decision made by the NA permanent committee). Cheam Yeap provided the steps that the SRP must take: “The party must present a draft law, because if the SRP is officially recognized as an opposition party, it could benefit from public funds benefit to accomplish its work. Now, the allocation of a portion of the national budget can only be done through a law.”

On 24 September, a few hours before the NA inauguration session, Hun Sen accepted the demand made by Sam Rainsy to officially recognize the role of the opposition parties. However, Hun Sen indicated that it is necessary to set up an ad hoc group to look into this proposal.