Phnom Penh (Cambodia). 15/01/2009. Kem Sokha, leader of the Human Rights Party, and Sam Rainsy, leader of the Sam Rainsy Party, at the press conference about the alliance of both parties into the Democratic Movement for Change. ©Vandy RattanaKa-set
By Duong Sokha
23-04-2009
Land grabbing, economic crisis, falling farming products prices… The two political opposition parties in Cambodia, the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP) do have some leeway and have proved zealous in attacking the Cambodian government on all fronts over the past few weeks. The basis of their criticism is nothing new, but their method has nevertheless shifted: SRP and HRP are now singing from the same hymn sheet within the “Democratic Movement for Change”, an alliance formed in January 2009. Representatives of the two formations say they are proud of their new solidarity. Not only do they hope to put an end to several years of election failure but they also wish to make the ruling and rock-solid Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) sway in the next elections. But before then, they still have to go through another step: the merging of the SRP and HRP, planned for 2011.
The alliance: synonymous with “political and psychological success”
Sam Rainsy, president of the main eponymous Cambodian opposition party, is convinced: the creation of the Democratic Movement for Change (DMC) is a success. The SRP leader takes as evidence the many works both parties started in common since the alliance was sealed on January 15 2009. As they promised, representatives of both formations “continued struggling” together, particularly with common declarations in writing or press conferences often quoted in the media. In the space of three months, Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha zealously and openly advised the government to both take measures to counter the economic crisis and make decisions to put and end to land grabbing, two topics of utmost importance to the activists from both parties.
“Our collaboration is a psychological and political success and encourages those willing to change society”, the SRP president and MP for the province of Kampong Cham says. “Some said that we were not in the right state to work together and that we often argued, which is not true at all. However, our union strengthens us”.
HRP president Kem Sokha confirms those words with the same enthusiasm. In the context of their movement and within their respective parties represented at the National Assembly, SRP and HRP elected representatives tirelessly requested that the government solve land disputes and seize the land of speculators who acquired debt with banks, the HRP leader and also a Kampong Cham MP insisted on saying.
But that is not all. This tedious work of criticism and counter-propositions is but a prelude of what their collaboration could be, the two leaders of the DMC say. They are also audacious enough to bet that the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), led by prime Minister Hun Sen who has been dominating the political scene for three decades, has every reason to fear a merging of their ranks within the alliance, in the light of the upcoming 2012 communal elections and the 2013 legislative polls. “The current ruling party is very scared about the merging of our parties, because they are unable to solve the problems we mentioned to them, like land grabbing”, Kem Sokha claims.
Backed by the HRP, the SRP is all set for the May elections
The SRP, however, will go solo in the next local elections, held on May 17th 2009, since the HRP has been reduced to the function of observer. The polls will allow the appointment of the first councils in the capital, provinces, municipalities and districts and will be held according to the indirect suffrage. Current communal councils, who are affiliated to the CPP, FUNCINPEC, Nordom Ranariddh Party (NRP) and SRP will be the only ones allowed to take part in the polls. Despite that, Sam Rainsy is willing to take advantage of the alliance with the HRP to consolidate the status of the opposition in these new local bodies. Put aside from any position within the nine Commissions of the National Assembly after the July 2008 legislative elections, SRP and HRP elected representatives now intend to gather their efforts and resources by working on constituencies, as close as possible to the people.
“Although the HRP does not have any communal councils since they did not take part in the last communal elections [April 1st 2007 – the HRP was created shortly after], we do count on them to support SRP candidates. [HRP activists] could have some influence on the communal councils of other parties and encourage them to change their position [in favour of the SRP]”, Sam Rainsy explains. His formation currently has 2,660 communal councils out of the 11,353 called to cast their vote.
For the former Minister of Finance in Cambodia, the game is not over yet concerning those polls which will be dominated, whatever happens, by the CPP. For the May 17th polls, the Number One opponent is hoping to win between 700 and 800 seats out of the newly-created 3,235 council seats, in favour of the SRP, the only opposition party. Those predictions are slightly superior to those published in February by COMFREL, the local NGO for the observation of elections, who bet on 689 to 695 SRP elected representatives.
A decisive step
Although the CPP’s victory is foreseeable, May 17th polls are far from being devoid of any matters at stake, says Sam Rainsy, who sees a decisive step towards the next elections in 2012 and 2013. “Twenty-six MPs [i.e. the number of SRP members who were elected in the July 2008 legislative polls) is very few. This does not allow us to work on a regular basis with the people. Therefore those representatives within the councils of the capital, provinces, municipalities and districts will be every important and will be a great strength that will allow us to stand besides citizens of all categories, so as to solve the issues that worry the Kingdom: land-grabbing issues, the violations of Human rights and the economic crisis”, the SRP president details.
Sam Rainsy would like to think that this strategy will prove successful, with the support of the HRP. Kem Sokha, his partner within the Democratic Movement for Change, says he will support Sam Rainsy publicly but also in the field. “When I met SRP campaigners in the constituencies, I did everything to reinforce their beliefs so that they will still be hopeful for a potential victory, provided they gather and do not defect [to other parties]. As for our own activists, I gave them the order to collaborate with those of the SRP”, says the HRP president, whose party currently holds 3 MP seats within the lower Chamber.
Merging of SRP and HRP in three years’ time?
Despite the restricted aspect of the way polls will be conducted, May 17th will be a first test for the alliance between both opposition formations, before another decisive step. According to Sam Rainsy, both parties have the same ambition: establishing a common list of candidates with a view to take part, under a single name, in the 2012 communal elections and then in the 2013 legislative elections. “From 2009 to 2012, i.e. in three years’ time, we must reach that goal. And, in order to present a joint election register, we will have to merge within one and the same party”, the SRP president says. He reckons the merging could occur in mid-2011, i.e. six months before the communal elections. “We talked about it step by step and must determine the structure, organisation chart, management and the way work will be carried out, he details. The merging will be a definite result and will be, at that moment, of great dimension.
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