SAM Rainsyសហស្ថាបនិកគណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ

សារព័ត៌មានអន្តរជាតិ បង្ហាញសុទិដ្ឋិនិយម ចំពោះគណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន ក្នុងការបោះឆ្នោត ថ្ងៃ ២៣ កក្កដា ២០២៣ / Cambodia’s Opposition Hopes for a Silent Surge in Upcoming National Election

ចែករំលែក ៖​

២០ មេសា ២០២៣ / 20 April 2023 - Two telling articles in English (*)

សារព័ត៌មានអន្តរជាតិ បង្ហាញសុទិដ្ឋិនិយម ចំពោះគណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន ក្នុងការបោះឆ្នោត ថ្ងៃ ២៣ កក្កដា ២០២៣។

ដកស្រង់ពី The Diplomat, 9 June 2022 និង VOA English, 15 April 2023 ៖

- "The sliver of optimism is the Candlelight Party, which traces its lineage back to 1995 when the country’s main political defier Sam Rainsy created the Khmer Nation Party, which was then (in 1998) renamed the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and then (in 2017) the Candlelight Party" មានន័យថា "សុទិដ្ឋិនិយម បណ្តាលមកពីគណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន បង្កើតឡើងដោយអ្នកប្រឆាំងល្បីល្បាញជាងគេ គឺ សម រង្ស៊ី។ ឈ្មោះដើម គណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន គឺគណបក្សជាតិខ្មែរ បង្កើតឡើងក្នុងឆ្នាំ ១៩៩៥, បន្ទាប់មក ប្តូរទៅជា គណបក្ស សម រង្ស៊ី ក្នុងឆ្នាំ ១៩៩៨ ហើយចុងក្រោយបំផុត ក្លាយទៅជាគណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន ក្នុងឆ្នាំ ២០១៧"។

- "A majority of the opposition votes went to the Candlelight Party rather than being spread out among smaller parties" មានន័យថា "ភាគច្រើននៃសម្លេងប្រឆាំងប្រមូលផ្តុំគ្នាទៅគាំទ្រគណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន ដោយមិនបែកពង្រាយឲ្យគណបក្សតូចៗ ថ្មីថ្មោង គ្មានបានការ"។

- "Clearly, Cambodians don’t like opposition parties that aren’t in some way associated with Sam Rainsy" មានន័យថា "ច្បាស់ណាស់ ជនជាតិខ្មែរ មិនទុកចិត្តគណបក្សប្រឆាំងណា ដែលមិនមានស្រមោល សម រង្សុី នៅពីក្រោយ"។

- "The Candlelight Party represents the most potent challenge to the Cambodian People’s Party in the upcoming national election in July" មានន័យថា "គណបក្សភ្លើងទៀន ជាគូប្រកួតដ៏ខ្លាំងក្លាជាងគេ សម្រាប់គណបក្សប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា ក្នុងការបោះឆ្នោតថ្នាក់ជាតិ ខែកក្កដាខាងមុខនេះ"។

(*) Two telling articles in English

Optimism is growing that the opposition Candlelight Party can achieve a strong showing in Cambodia’s national elections on 23 July 2023. This is despite the dissolution of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, which has been banned since 2017, and the systematic intimidation and imprisonment of those who dare to criticize the government.

The fact that such optimism still exists is a testimony to the attachment that Cambodians have for elections and the strength of their desire for a free and democratic future. This mood of optimism has been captured in the international press as shown here:

SUMMARY

The Diplomat

June 9, 2022

PUTTING A POSITIVE SPIN ON CAMBODIA'S LOCAL ELECTION

There are not many positives, or surprises, to take from the June 4, 2022 local election in Cambodia. The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) – which has ruled the country with an iron grip since 1979, and has tightened its political chokehold since 2017, when it banned its only real opponent (the Cambodia National Rescue Party or CNRP) – won the vast majority of commune councilor and chief posts up for grabs. The election itself was dogged by accusations of harassment and irregularities.

But there’s a sliver of optimism. And that’s the Candlelight Party, which traces its lineage back to 1995 when the country’s main political defier Sam Rainsy created the Khmer Nation Party, which was then (in 1998) renamed the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and then (in 2017) the Candlelight Party.

In the end, the Candlelight Party won around 22 percent of the popular vote.

Why it matters is that more than a fifth of voters, despite the intimidation and the Candlelight Party only reforming last October (2021), voted for it. And let’s be clear: the popular vote is what actually matters.

What does this mean? Clearly, Cambodians don’t like opposition parties that aren’t in some way associated with Sam Rainsy. Of course, Rainsy isn’t formally associated with the Candlelight Party. If he was, the party would be automatically dissolved. But the third-placed Funcinpec and fourth-placed Khmer National United Party (KNUP) took just 1.2 percent and 0.8 percent of the vote, respectively.

Therefore a majority of the opposition votes went to the Candlelight Party rather than being spread out among smaller parties.

The big question now is what happens to the Candlelight Party. It could so easily be dissolved if the government wants. By law, political parties can be automatically banned if they have formal links with "convicts". Sam Rainsy has numerous trumped-up convictions to his name. Linking the party to him is unfair, but no court in Cambodia would dissent if that’s what the government alleged.

Apparently, the ruling CPP has done its own internal projections and reckons that at next year’s general election (in July 2023) it could secure 104 National Assembly seats to 21 for the Candlelight Party, based on Sunday’s popular vote. However, that’s unfair to the opposition group. It only reformed in October, has had little time to raise money.

If the Candlelight Party can stay alive until July 2023 and gain support as it is clearly now the country’s main opposition group, it would be in a much better position to challenge the ruling CPP."

Full text at https://thediplomat.com/.../putting-a-positive-spin-on.../

______________________________________________________

Voice of America

April 15, 2023

CAMBODIA'S OPPOSITION HOPES FOR A SILENT SURGE IN UPCOMING NATIONAL ELECTION

The Candlelight Party represents the most potent challenge to the long ruling Cambodian People’s Party, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, in the upcoming national election in July.

A noticeable party meeting in February echoed the raucous rallies of the dissolved opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), which garnered immense popularity and success in the 2013 national elections and the 2017 commune elections before it was dismantled by the country’s courts, sending many of its leaders into exile.

But some of its leaders stuck around, despite the continuing crackdown on dissent in Cambodia, and the Candlelight Party is the most prominent among a handful of rekindled opposition groups led by familiar faces.

Political success is a double-edged sword for the party. The more popular it becomes, the more likely it is to be targeted under new laws that make it easier for the courts to outlaw parties tied to "convicted criminals" such as Sam Rainsy.

Sam Rainsy, at 74 years old, remains the face of Cambodia’s democratic opposition. In October, Hun Sen threatened to dissolve the party if it maintained any connection with Sam Rainsy — forcing the party’s leaders to deny any ongoing connection.

“I have 100% confidence,” said Sorn Phearum, a 37-year-old member of the Candlelight Party's women’s movement. She told VOA Khmer that people like her, who have experienced unfair treatment from local authorities, are driven by the party’s commitment to social justice and equitable opportunity.

“I am not afraid, even of death. We’ve lost trust and confidence and hope in [the government]. We only have the Candlelight Party, which gives us hope to strive,” another party activist told VOA Khmer.

The party has pressed ahead with its work, with leaders traveling abroad to fundraise, meeting with grassroots activists and organizing a public event calling for justice for the victims of the 1997 grenade attacks on an opposition rally in Phnom Penh.

“There are these silent voters who will come out and vote for us. If you ask them publicly, they won’t say so. Why? Because they are afraid of intimidation by local authorities. They asked me not to show up at their house but said that they will vote [for the party],” Sorn Phearum said.

Full text at https://www.voacambodia.com/.../cambodia-s.../7051319.html