A Change of Guard

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Monday 2 March 2015

Parties finish draft electoral law គណបក្ស​ទាំងពីរ​ឈាន​ដល់​កិច្ច​ព្រមព្រៀង​ទាក់ទិន​នឹងវិសោធនកម្ម​ច្បាប់​បោះឆ្នោត


Sar Kheng (L) shakes hand with Sam Rainsy.

Mon, 2 March 2015
Putting a cap on months of negotiations, representatives from the Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party finalised a draft election reform law on Saturday, dodging a threat from Prime Minister Hun Sen to take the dispute over the law’s provisions to the floor of parliament.
The draft was completed in a top-level meeting at the National Assembly between CNRP president Sam Rainsy and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng. Both sides made apparent concessions on the disputed provisions, with the CPP agreeing to add two more seats in the National Assembly, and the CNRP allowing a controversial clause that would allow fines to be levied against civil society groups deemed to have made “serious” insults against political parties during the election period, an opposition spokesman said yesterday.
“I absolutely supported the deal with His Excellency Sam Rainsy, and leaders of the two parties worked with responsibility and all the remaining issues were finished,” Kheng told reporters after the meeting.
A joint statement from Rainsy and Kheng also appeared to at least temporarily sidestep a proposal made by Hun Sen for a provision that would force any party that refuses to convene parliament to forfeit its seats, a provision which would prevent the reoccurrence of the opposition’s year-long boycott of parliament after the 2013 election.
“With regards to ensuring the sustainability and regularity of national institutions to prevent deadlock after elections [in the future], the leaders of the two parties have agreed in principle to study this issue and will prepare to include it in some [unspecified] law,” the joint statement says.

The statement also announced a seminar to be convened in the future to allow for outside consultation on the draft law and the law on the new composition of the National Election Committee, which was also agreed to by both parties.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Rainsy credited “the culture of dialogue” with the law’s completion.
However, details on the law’s finer points remained scant yesterday. CNRP lawmaker and spokesman Yim Sovann said that the parties had agreed to 10 to 20 million riel (about $2,500 to $5,000) fines for civil society groups or NGOs that insult parties, and that the parties had agreed to add two parliamentary seats in Preah Sihanouk province, but he declined to comment further.
“For other details of the agreement, we will keep them for consultation during the seminar,” he said.
CPP negotiator Bin Chhin could not be reached yesterday.
Despite party leaders’ triumphal tone on Saturday, not everyone was pleased with the new law. Koul Panha, head of the election watchdog Comfrel, expressed concern not only over the clause restricting NGOs – which he called a “double standard” – but also at the general secrecy surrounding the law’s details and the manner in which it was drafted.
“Why do they require civil society organisations to be absolutely neutral while businesses can finance political parties without limit?” he asked. “[NGOs] should not be absolutely neutral. They should be encouraged to do advocacy.”
Panha also questioned the wisdom of allowing political parties who are seeking a leg up in future elections to draft a law on electoral reform, calling it a “conflict of interest”.
“They’re just thinking how they can benefit. They’re not so much thinking about setting a goal … [for] future elections.”

1 comment:

Anonymous said...


To my son Ah Chkuot Mam Sonando and Ah Lob Khem Veasna,

I've listened to your radio, your crazy voice, and your "matek prachea Pul Rath from your supporters Pram, Pram muoy Kbal" and I realized that you must be on drug for attacking incessantly the CNRP.

Can you make a comparison between the CNRP and the Yuon slave party CPP?

Which party is better? You should look beyond the tip of your nose and accept the fact that your stinky mouth has served only Yuon and its slave Hun Sen.

Your stupid association will never able to attract people to join you with erratic behavior.

I accept the fact that the CNRP has made unnecessary concessions to the Yuon slave party CPP, but we should not kill the CNRP for some mistakes it has made. It is a long road to liberate Cambodia from this evil Vietnam. We must have patience and perseverance.

I am not a CNRP's member, but it is unbearable for me to see you emulating or copying Sdach Chkuot Sihanouk’s demagogue by giving some Thnam Sreng, Thnam Phnek to people to come to listen to you attacking our own people.

Please think twice about the consequence of your actions if you really love Cambodia. The top priority is removing the Yuon slave party CPP first, then if you don’t like the CNRP’s leaders we can change them later.

93 Years Old Woman