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(July 28, 2008/ Phnom Penh, Cambodia) The CALD and Liberal
International (LI) representatives concluded its five-day
election mission in Cambodia. Hon. Sam Rainsy, MP, leader of the
Cambodian opposition and former chair of CALD, expressed his
sincere thanks during a farewell dinner held at the historic Le
Royal Hotel. He recognized the presence of CALD and LI as part
of the greater network that promotes and sustains liberal
solidarity.
CALD, with the participation of LI, organized the mission last
July 22-28, 2008 in Cambodia. The mission was hosted by the Sam
Rainsy Party (SRP) with the support of the Friedrich Naumann
Foundation and lent support to the SRP, a CALD member party and
a presumptive LI full member, and to vigilantly monitor the
elections.
The participants were delegated into three teams after a
briefing dinner in the Cambodian capital. The Phnom Penh and
Kompong Cham team which joined the campaign of Sam Rainsy
included Hon. Jesse Robredo, Magsaysay Awardee for Government
Service, current Mayor of Naga City and member of the Liberal
Party of the Philippines (LP), Hon. Chuang Suo-hang, former
Member of Parliament and current Director for Policy Research
Committee of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan (DPP),
Mr. Roger Huang, Associate Researcher from the DPP Department of
International Affairs, Ms. Susan Simmonds, LI Vice Chair, and
Dr. Neric Acosta, CALD Secretary General. Sam Rainsy is the top
SRP candidate running in the agrarian centre Kompong Cham, the
largest constituency with 18 seats.
The Siem Reap team which included Hon. Butch Abad, former
Philippine Minister of Education, CALD Chair and LP President,
Mr. Henning Nielsen, Chair of the LI Human Rights Committee, and
Mr. Carlo Religioso, CALD Program Officer, joined the campaign
trail of Hon. Ke Sovannaroth, MP. Siem Reap, the gateway to the
temples of Angkor and the country’s spiritual and cultural core,
is a constituency with six seats.
Mr. Emil Kirjas, LI Secretary General, Mr. Gandhi Ambalam, chair
of Singapore Democratic Party and Mr. Paolo Zamora, CALD Senior
Program Officer, formed the last group which joined the Kampot
province campaign of Hon. Mu Sochua, MP, former Cambodian
Minster for Women’s Affairs and deputy secretary general of SRP.
Kampot, serene and laid-back city known for the famous Kampot
pepper, is a constituency with six seats. The Kampot group was,
likewise, able to visit Sihanoukville to meet with SRP candidate
Mr. Keo Phirum. Sihanoukville, a booming city and Cambodia's
main beach site, is a constituency with one seat.
A
group of Yale students lead by, Ms. Sam Rachel, daughter of Sam
Rainsy and Hon. Saumura Tioulong, MP, was also present to
provide support and volunteer work at the SRP headquarters.
In the 2003 National Assembly elections, the Cambodian People’s
Party (CPP) garnered 73 seats. The royalist Funcinpec Party
followed with 26 seats and SRP was able to secure 24 seats.
This year’s election is expected to change the political
landscape with both CPP and SRP expecting to further increase
seats due mainly to the weakened standing of the royalist
Funcinpec Party. The Funcinpec Party is expected to lose all
their seats, while new parties such as the Human Rights Party,
the Norodom Ranariddh Party, etc are expected to get a minimal
number of one to two seats.
Complaints and allegations of fraud attended election-day.
Thousands of eligible voters swarmed the SRP headquarters and
expressed their dismay for being delisted and disenfranchised.
In an interview with Ms. Marga Ortigas, a correspondent from the
Aljazeera International News, Sam Rainsy estimated that around
200,000 Cambodians were not able to exercise their right to
choose their leaders in Phnom Penh. He further added that this
unfortunate turn of events is uncharacteristic of a free and
fair elections and that the NEC should give the people of
Cambodia its chance to vote.
The four major political parties: Sam Rainsy Party, Funcinpec
Party, Human Rights Party, and Norodom Ranariddh Party, called
on the Cambodian public opinion and the international community
not to recognize the results of the yesterday’s elections which
were manipulated and rigged by the ruling Cambodian People's
Party (CPP).
The joint statement further asserts that the “illegal and
fraudulent practices are related to deletion of countless
legitimate voters” names and artificial increase in the CPP
votes associated with 1018 forms issued by CPP-controlled
authorities to illegitimate voters to cast their ballots for the
CPP, and that the public ought to condemn the tricks and
maneuvers
of the National Election Committee which is only a tool for the
CPP to organize a sham election and present a façade of
democracy.”
Asked about his opinion in the recent election, Dr. Acosta said,
“that while we had the exercise of democracy and the vigorous
expression of the public will, we note that the huge challenge
to curb entrenched practices of fraud and patronage which
continue to undermine fledging democratic institutions remains.”
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