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Members of the ELDR-CALD Delegation visit the Sam Rainsy
Headquarters in Phnom Penh with (1st row, l-r)
Maysing Yang of DPP-Taiwan, ELDR Deputy Secretary General
Nicollo Rinaldi, MP Saumura Tioulong of SRP, LP Congressman
Neric Acosta, ELDR Leader Graham Watson, MEP, and Karla
Hatrick UK’s Liberal Democrats; (2nd row, l-r)
Dr. Ronald Meinardus of Friedrich Naumann Foundation, MP Sam
Rainsy, CALD Executive Director John Coronel and LP Sri
Lanka President Rajiva Wijesinha. |
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(P. Penh/ May
3, 2003) A combined delegation from the European Liberals,
Democrats and Reform Party Group (ELDR) and the Council of Asian
Liberals & Democrats concluded a three-day mission in Phnom
Penh, Kompong Cham City and other districts in Cambodia to study
the political situation in advance of the 27 July Cambodian
national elections.
Bearing in mind
the European Parliamentary Resolution adopted on 13 March 2003
linking EU aid to respect human rights the delegation was
jointly sponsored by ELDR and CALD, in cooperation with the
Liberal Democrat Party of the United Kingdom, the Friedrich
Naumann Foundation of
Germany
and the Sam Rainsy Party of Cambodia.
The combined
foreign delegation included HE Graham Watson, MEP and head of
the ELDR, Congressman Neric Acosta of the Liberal Party of the
Philippines, Assistant Minister Maysing Yang of the Democratic
Progressive Party of Taiwan, Dr. Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore
Democratic Party, Dr. Rajiva Wijesinha of the Liberal Party of
Sri Lanka, Dr. Buranaj Smutharaks of the Democrat Party of
Thailand, Mr. John Joseph S. Coronel-CALD Executive Director,
Mr. Nicollo Rinaldi-ELDR Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Ronald
Meinardus of FNF and Ms. Karla Hatrick of British Libdems.
The delegates
met EU and other diplomats (including Mr. Winston Mc Colgan, EC
delegate), representatives of the major Cambodian election
observation groups Thun Saray and Kul Phana of the Committee for
Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia or Comfrel and Ms. Pung Chiv
Kek, Hang Puthea and Sok Sam Oeun of the Neutral & Impartial
Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia or Nicfec),
the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (Mr.
Mark Wallen) and student groups (Front of Khmer Student
Intellectuals and Students Movement for Democracy). It also met
with the National Elections officials of Cambodia, including its
Secretary General, Mr. Im Suosdey.
While in Phnom
Penh, the joint delegation attended the congress of the Free
Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia with its
leader Mr. Chea Vichea commemorating the international workers’
day of May 1. A visit to the Watt Langka Pagoda was made to pay
a courtesy call to the Their Holiness, Yus Hot, Chhay Chhorvoan
and Pech Poeun.
The delegation
then proceded to Prey Veng Province and Kompong Cham City to
attend the campaign rallies of the Sam Rainsy Party.
During the last
day, a conference was held on the rule of law and justice. Among
the speakers were Mr. Watson, Congressman Acosta, Dr. Rajiva, HE
Sam Rainsy, Mr. Mc Colgan, Madame Kek, Mtr. Vathan Dara of the
Documentation Center of Cambodia and Mr. Surya Dhungel of UN
Cambodia Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights.
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