Hun Sen and the Opposition's New deployed Strategies

King Sihamoni and the CPP's entourage

Tear Banh the longest serving defense minister with his officers

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

As the CPP and the CNRP prepared for their final push to end a prolonged post-election crisis, Hun Sen has deployed his new strategy by using the King and the constitution as the final shields to legitimize his new created government without any input from the opposition. Hun Sen has publicly called for the armed forces to protect the King and the constitution later echoed by Tear Banh, the longest serving defense minister in the country. Meanwhile, the CNRP has renewed a call for another mass protest including the people congress and petitions to the UN to intervene into the election dispute. These are the new strategies that both parties are deploying before any final possible agreement can be reached.

To defense his dictatorial power with all means, Hun Sen, who is a knave, has even used a mathematics theorem as his strategy to protect his power in such a vulnerable situation. As the majority of the people have shown their discontents to his long dictatorial rule and even demanded him to step down, Hun Sen has nothing to defense himself from this popular demand besides using violent forces to suppress the innocent people. Mathematically, in a theorem of Geometry if a line parallels to the first of the two paralleled lines, it also parallels to the second line. Based on this theory, Hun Sen forced the King to approve his new government, and any one or group oppose his government  means they also oppose the King. Then when they oppose the King, they oppose the constitution so they are subjected to be punished by all necessary means including violent forces. This evil strategy was reiterated by Tear Banh that he would use the armed forces to protect the King and the constitution. Literally, in such a scenario, the armed forces will protect Hun Sen directly under a banner of protecting the King and the constitution while the people have nothing to do with the King and constitution but to demand Hun Sen to relinquished his undeserved power. The opposition should take this Hun Sen's latest strategy in to their account before making any unpredictable move, but if the opposition just choose to protest as usual, Tear Banh absolutely has no excuse to use the armed forces against the peaceful protest. Any move by the armies against the peaceful protest will grossly violate the constitution that Tear Banh himself has declared to protect with all cost.

A Possible Political Solution is in Sight

The CNRP 's elected lawmakers

The CPP's elected lawmakers

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

After nearly two months of defending their controversial election victory which has been officially rejected by the opposition, Hun Sen and his CPP have unilaterally wrapped up their wily game by creating the new government and the power structure in the new National Assembly without the participation from the CNRP. Such a bold move has put the new government into question among the people and the international community. However, this is a reality that the opposition have faced when the whole system in the country from village chief up to the King are under the CPP's control. There is no free and fair political atmosphere for the CNRP to move on but probably to capitulate with them at the end. Even though both sides have opened the doors for further negotiations, but the CNRP seem have not much leverages to maneuver against the heavy weight CPP any more. Any tough stand against the CPP will be more risky than beneficial for the party and the people, but to continue negotiation with the CPP may produce a more acceptable solution and benefit for the party in a long run. Now the CPP has divulged its offer while the CNRP has announced that any solution that protects the interest of the people will be considered.

The CPP See Its Strategy advanced with Uncertain Future

An uneasy smiling between the two rivals

the CPP Delegation

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

 Since it was installed by Hanoi as its proxy to rule Cambodia over 34 years, the CPP now faces a new reality for its invincible power for the first time. After the UN sponsored election in 1993, the CPP has continued to hold the power in the government without substantial opposition in the parliament, and now the balance of power has changed even the new government is expected to be the same as the current one. Even though the CPP has controlled nearly all aspects of the power structures throughout the country including the NEC and the CCC and massive efforts and extravagant spending on the election campaigns, the CPP has lost its 23 seats to the CNRP based on the current unfair election standard. But if it allowed the election to be free and fair, it would certainly lose its majority in the parliament undoubtedly. As most people suspected, the CPP had collusion with its controlled NEC to guarantee its victory no matter what. Now as the post-election crisis has reached its final stage, the CPP has used its new strategy by isolating and ignoring all the CNRP's demands and forcing the King to open the first parliamentarian session without the CNRP's participation. As the King faced an unpleasant choice to preside over the first parliamentarian session without the participation from opposition, who represent the majority of the people, has added another mess into the current crisis.

The CNRP Faces Its Dilemma But See Its Bright Future

The CNRP Delegation

Sam Raisey and Hun Sen's handshake

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
www.khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

After two rounds of taut negotiation, the CPP and CNRP have some sense of optimism which can help them to break a post-election political stalemate. However, the two parties, in principle, are still far away from each other on the key issue that both sides have to compromise on the CNRP's demand of creating an independent inquiry for election fraud, which fiercely rejected by the CPP. In such a predicament, the CNRP has faced its final dilemma--to drop this demand will alienate itself from its supporters; to continue pushing for this demand, it will face with unpredictable consequences as the time is running out to form the new legislature and the government. The CNRP may not drop that demand but is likely to swap for what can be tantamount to it. To swap the independent inquiry with the full reform of the NEC and the whole election process including all important national institutions may be more acceptable to the CPP . Nevertheless, the CNRP must not join the coalition government with the CPP under any condition, but it must take the key committee chairmanships and the president position in the Parliament while the CPP still takes control the government. This simple but practical formula will create a check and balance of power between the legislature and the government. When one party controls the legislature and the other controls the government, it will create a check and balance of power system which has been practised in most democratic countries in the world, especially in the US. Without such a system, the current government will not be accountable to the people as we have seen over the past 20 years.

Post-Election Political Deadlock has Reached a Tipping Point

King Sihamony

Prime Minister Hun Sen and Opposition Leader Sam Rainsey

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

The post election crisis has reached its tipping point this week, when the urgent and short meeting under our majesty King Sihanomy's mediation has produced no fruitful result or reduced any tension while the new round of talk was accepted by both parties. The first parliamentarian session is one week away while the new round of mass protest by the people is just few hours away. Does our majesty King Sihamony has any leverage to bring the two parties close to their agreement? Can the two parties reach a final solution without their painful concessions?

All the public eyes had focused on the first meeting between the two parties presided over by the King whose role is a mediator and a guarantor of national reconciliation and unity, but the meeting produced nothing beside the handling of the invitation cards to both parties' members to attend the first session of the newly elected parliamentarians, which is required by the Constitution. But the CNRP has strongly rejected the King's invitation, and vowed to boycott the parliament session until at least their minimum demand to find justice for the people has met. So far, the CPP have declared that the door of forming an independent inquiry to investigate the poll fraud has been shut, and they would be interested to talk with the CNRP merely on the procedure of forming a new government. How can the two parties reach their final solution if both sides insisted on their own terms?

Khmer Buddhism is Disgraced and Endangered by Tep Vong

Tep Vong Shows his friendship with Vietnamese head monk

Tep Vong visited Vietnamese Temple

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

Theravada Buddhism is one of the three denominations of Buddhism--Mahayana, Hinayana or Theravada, and Lamaism--has survived and prospered for centuries in only a few countries in the world: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Separately, Theravada Buddhism in Cambodia has prospered and practised by Khmer since the Angkor Era until today. But it has been endangered when The Khmer Rouge Regime had completely eradicated all religions during their rule followed by strictly controlled and interfered by the Vietnamese backed regime until today. Khmer Buddhism today has lost value and dignity, for this institution has been directly controlled by the ruling party (CPP), installing Tep Vong, an ignorance monk, as the Great Supreme Patriarch of the Khmer Buddhism for which he has absolutely not qualified or deserved based on his religious adept and merit.

Theoretically, the Communists have not endorsed or valued any kind of religions, for it is against their political ideologies; nonetheless, most Communist regimes in the world have not eliminated the religions but severely restricted and discouraged people to adhere them. The Russian Revolution under Starlin's rule and the Chinese Cultural Revolution introduced by Mao Se Tong had almost wiped out the religions from their countries before reviving by the new reform governments. Similarly, the Pol Pot Regime had persecuted and eliminated all forms of religion, especially Buddhism in which more than 95 percent of the people have adhered over centuries. After the Vietnamese invasion in 1979, the Communist Vietnamese while were persecuting their own religions at home, saw the revival of the religions from Pol Pot's eradication in Cambodia, namely Buddhism and Islam would provide them more political gain in their new land. Vietnam brought in a set up group of Khmer Buddhist monks and Khmer Islams to work along with the new Communist puppet regime in Cambodia including the current so-called  Great Supreme Patriarch of Cambodia, Tep Vong-- an unscrupulous and uneducated monk-- to propagandize for the new Communist regime as a savior of Khmer lives and Buddhism.

The CCC 's Credibility is in Question

The Cambodian Constitutional Council 

The opening of  safety bags "A"

BY ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម


The Cambodian Constitutional Council's rejection of the opposition's litigations for invalid ballot's recount in krate Province, and other provinces; and  instead the CCC has preposterously ordered the NEC to reprimand themselves and to punish their local officials for damaging the so-called safety bags "A" that might affect the election results is another explicitly proof that their credibility is questionable. Without the UN involvement and an independent inquiry, there is nothing the opposition can get their justice from such a futile and flagrant institution.

The nine members of the CCC, virtually, at least six of them are the powerful members of the CPP: (1) Mr. Ek Sam Old, the President of the CCC, is a former CPP lawmaker from Prey Veng; he is the most arrogant MP the same as Chea Vun, when he disrupted and scolded the Opposition Leader Sam Rainsey in the past during a debate in the National Assembly without a reason. (2) Mr. Uth Chhorn, is a former CPP Auditor General; (3) Mr. Min Sean is another former CPP lawmaker from Prey Veng; (4) Ms. Chem Veiyrith, a daughter of Mr. Chem Snguon, a former CPP minister of Justice; (5) Mr. Prum Nhean Vichet, a former spokesman for the NEC; (6) Mr. Pit Taingsan is also a former CPP lawmaker. Along with these six CPP witch-hunts, the other three members are the quota from the Royal Palace, the three unscrupulous princes. Prince Chakkrapong, the most controversial politician who used to have close and odd relationships with Hun Sen. Prince Sirivuth, a former Forncinpec Foreign Affair and Interior Minister, and a close friend of Sam Rainsey before turning against him when he got position as the Co-Interior Minister. And Prince Sisovath Phandaravong, a hibernate and worthless prince. As we have seen, the members of this Constitutional Council, which have similar status and duties compared to the US Supreme Court, have done nothing to protect the rights and the will of the people but to manipulate the public in order to save the power for their Boss, Hun Sen who has increasingly become the most contemptible and controversial leader in Cambodian history.

Need the Most Acceptable Solution for Both Sides

The pro-democracy rally

The military police deployments

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

The time is running out for the CPP and the CNRP to solve the post-election crisis that has dragged on for months while the CNRP have softened their demand for the UN from arbiter's role to just observation role along with the Civil Society, but the CPP seem losing their interest to form any independent inquiry to look into this election fraud. But when the CNRP have set their deadline for mass protest, the CPP seem willing to reopen negotiation with the CNRP based on the current election results, which the CNRP have already rejected. The CPP, actually, have interested to negotiate with CNRP for sharing the power in the new National Assembly and creating the new government while the CNRP have demanded justice for the voters first before talking about the new government. To reach an acceptable solution, both sides must make some painful concessions in the next negotiation in order to move the country forward from the current political deadlock.

Before going into this discussion, we must recognize that this election is clearly not free and fair from its start to the end. The opening of the ballot safety boxes is just one small part of the whole systematic fraud verification, and nothing will affect the current election results unless all the ballots will be double checked and recounted. But NEC and the Constitutional Council, which flagrantly controlled by the CPP, have not intended to do so; they have just tried to finish their jobs or to manipulate the public. However, the CNRP have to force themselves to go through this procedure albeit they already knew that these institutions are unable to find them justice. Now the time is coming for the two parties to take a concrete step to breakthrough this political ice burg. The deadline for mass election protests is one week away and for the first new elected parliamentarian session one month away, so the two parties must soften their stand in order to avert such an unforeseen crisis. In such a critical moment, the two parties should search for exit strategies and saving face solutions while the will of the people and the democratic principle still being respected. Keep in mind that in peace negotiation, there is no winner or loser in the process but acceptable outcomes for all the involved parties.

The CPP's Political Ideologies are in Question

The CPP in 1979

The CPP in 2013

By ​​ ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

​​​​Cambodian People Party (CPP), the oldest political party in Cambodia, is a remnant of the Khmer People Revolutionary Communist party and the Khmer Rouge Regime. The CPP was revitalized and empowered by the Vietnamese invasion in 1979 allowing them to rule the country since then without clear political ideologies beside being faithful to Hanoi. So far, they have won the fifth election with controversial results showing no sign of any less than winning this election no matter what, for the CPP have had no clear political ideologies and the vision for the country but their personal power and wealth.

Remarkable Signs of True Democracy in Cambodia and Myanmar

The CNPR leader, Sam Rainsey

The NLD leader, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar 

The NLD supporters in 2012 election campaign, Myanmar

The CNRP supporters in 2013 election campaign

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

​       Currently the people of Cambodia and Myanmar are struggling their ways toward true democracy in their countries. For Cambodia, the democratic principle implanted by the Paris Peace Accord in 1991 has never prosperously grown to its potential but marred by the ruling party,the CPP which has never had a good will to further democracy instead to lead the country toward dictatorship. For Myanmar, the crackdown on pro-democracy movements, the house arrest of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, and the nullity of election results by the Military Junta in 1989 have held the country backward from a step toward democracy. But now both peoples have determined to bring true democracy for their countries, which they have cried for long enough. Nonetheless, historically, the political situations of the two countries have developed in different context.

       Myanmar, the country that has similar size and the number of population (60 millions) with Thailand, had won its independence from Great Britain in 1948 and embraced itself with democratic principle that had been implanted by the  British Empire. But the country fell under the Junta rule in 1962 when the military coup led by General Ne Win,  had removed President U Nu ( a democratic elected president) from the power accusing him of too much favoring of Buddhism and many ethnic minorities in the country. The Military Junta has ruled the country in authoritarian style with socialism economy by nationalizing all the country mid-size and large businesses while allowing some degree of freedom in religion, small businesses,  organizations, and expression but very limited in politics. In 1989,the collapse of Berlin Wall and subsequently the whole Communist system in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union along with mass protest by the students had sent political messages for the Military Junta to reform their political system by allowing the first meaningful election in the country.

Egypt and Cambodia, the Two Crisis in Distinct Nature

Cambodian pro-democracy peaceful rally

Egyptian angry mob

the Muslim exstrmists fought back with security forces

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

            Cambodia and Egypt currently have faced the serious crisis but in different nature. Cambodia has faced the post-election crisis which caused by the systematic electoral  fraud committed by the ruling party, the CPP and its flagrant NEC. Distinctly, Egypt has faced the post-military coup crisis when the unpopular Islamist President Mohamed Morsi was toppled by the coup, and his supporters demanded to reinstate his presidency unconditionally. Incomparably, the current crisis in Cambodia will not yield in such a terrible outcome as seen in Egypt, for the roots of the problems are so different in nature. Also, the US's reactions toward Cambodia and Egypt's crisis has come up with different tones.
     
        After gaining independent from Great Britain in 1922 and military coup in 1952 ending the Royal Dynasty of Mohamed Ali, Egypt had been ruled by the quasi one-party system government backed by the military until the Arab Spring 2011 which toppled the authoritarian regime of President Hosni Mubarak who had ruled the country since 1982. During the Arab Spring or the Egypt revolution, the Circular Group spearheaded by the youth Movement along with the Muslim Brotherhood (the powerful underground movement during Mubarak's rule) had worked together to oust President Mubarak, but when the Mubarak's Regime collapsed, the Muslim brotherhood have emerged as the front runner in the first democratic election for the country. Eventually, the Brotherhood candidate, Mohamed Morsi won the run off election with a slim margin. The Circular and the Youth Groups were very disappointed with the election results, for they have felt that the Muslim Brotherhood had hijacked their revolution victory which they had fought hard for, and they also have viewed the new elected Islamist President Morsi as another Mubarak the same as most Cambodian people have branded Hun Sen as another Pol Pot. Nonetheless, the Egyptian people had to swallow the reality, the principle of democracy that they had sacrificed for.
   

Military Cooperation Postsponement with the US is a Coincidence

The joint ceremony between the US and Cambodian armies

The US Navy Commander visited Cambodia

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឃនកម្ម

        As Cambodian post-election crisis has intensified, the two parties have warned each other of consequences. The CNRP will call for the nationwide protest if their complaint of election fraud is not fairly investigated by the independent inquiry. In response, Prime Minister Hun Sen has deployed troops to encounter any possible demonstration against the election result. Simultaneously, he has ordered to temporarily suspend all military cooperation with the US and Australia. This coincident action by Hun Sen has raised some unanswered questions among the public. But there are two possible scenarios that have led to such a preposterous action: the fear of people uprising against his long dictatorial rule and a possible military coup from his own military generals.
 
      The excessive military deployment around the Capital City of Phnom Penh and some parts of the country is the pre-emptive strike Hun Sen has staged in order to intimidate the people to refrain from joining the possible mass protest and to put political pressure on the opposition to budge their demand. This is the conventional rule that Hun Sen has used against the opposition by showing up his forces along with negotiating tactics. If this strategy is unsuccessful, he may go back to his old Samkok Rule: to buy out and to break up the opposition as he had used against Son San party and Funcinpec successfully in the past 20 years. Now his old Samkok Rule seems useless and ineffective, for everyone is well aware of it, and the CNPR elected members are not Funcinpec or Sun San party in the past. Despite most of them are the remnants of the two old parties, but they are well-disciplined, experienced, courageous, and loyal members who have determined to bring change for the people and the country. Nonetheless, now their morale and loyalty are being tested again; we don't know how hard they can stand against the storm of  Hun Sen's Samkok Rule in the next few months; only the time can tell us.
         

Vietnam vs China Over Cambodia

Chinese President Xi Jinping

Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
​khmerwathanak.blogspot.com

        Historically, China used to have good relationship with Cambodia perhaps since prehistory era. Many Khmer Kings or Queens and kingdoms' names were pronounced as Chinese such as Funan, zenla, and King Huntien or Queen Livyi and so on. And during Angkor Era, a famous Chinese Diplomat Chu Daoquan had stayed in the City of Angkor for about a year, and he recorded about the daily lives, culture, and the Khmer court around that time. And after Angkor Era, the relation with China apparently faded away; however, Chinese people came to settle in Cambodia permanently since then. Politically and militarily, during this time Vietnam and Thailand had dominated Cambodia; all Khmer Kings and Queens were crowned by the wishes of the two countries. But after Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953, China's relationship with Cambodia has quickly grown until today. For Vietnam, its century-influence over Cambodia was wiped out overnight when Cambodia was placed under France's protectorate in 1863. But the Vietnamese influence over Cambodia started to re-emerge after the end of World War II, in 1945 until today. Thus, Which country has more influence over the current regime in Cambodia?
   
       After aggressive economic reform from Communist planing economy to free market economy since 1980, China has proved itself as the second largest economic power in the world, just behind the US. As China economy has grown,  its power and influence have also spread across the region and the world. Cambodia that used to be a friendly state with China over a half a century, now has became a China's staunch ally in the region. In fact, China wants Cambodia to be its springboard in order to convey its political and economic influence into Southeast Asia  and eventually to replace the Soviet-US hegemony in the past. China used to spend billions of dollars to support Cambodian waring factions in the past from 1970 until the Paris Peace Accord 1991.    
   

Rarely Seen Systematic Electoral Fraud in the World

Voters line up in front of polling station

A man dropped his ballot into the box

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

    Electoral fraud is not uncommon in many countries around the world, but it has happened as isolated and unconventional. Usually election fraud has occurred at counting and projecting a final result or the ruling parties has gained more media's access than the others  such as the election disputes in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Former Yugoslavia, Venezuela, Liberia, Peru, Malaysia, Kanya and so on.  Distinctly, the election fraud in Cambodia has happened as conventional and systematic fraud rarely seen in any country in this world. Because the whole system of electoral process in Cambodia is deeply flaw from the beginning of registration and election campaigns to announcement of the final results.

    The whole election process has been marred by violence, intimidation, unequal media access, vote buying or bride, and the bias of the NEC. during the one month campaigns, the opposition supporters were intimidated, threatened, disrupted, and abused by the ruling party, the CPP. Many opposition activists were injured by throwing stones or other objects at, threatened by firing at the headquarter office, verbal and physical abused when they distributed the party policy fliers, and disrupted campaign processions by using loud speakers or to interrupt the processions from moving forward smoothly.

The Show Down Between the Peaceful and Violent Forces

Mobilized troop

Peaceful but powerful forces

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

    When the CNRP has planned mass protests against the unfair election result, Hun Sen has mobilized his troop in order to show up his muscles to the people. At the same time, Sar Kheng has repeatedly warned the opposition of potential severe consequences if the mass protests cause damaged to properties and public order. However, the verbal threats and the show off forces by the CPP will not deter or derail the will of the people who have determined to demand true justice and democracy for the country which has been ruled by the dictatorial regime over 30 years and has shown no sign to relinquish such the power grip.

     The key issue to this stand off between the peaceful and the violent forces is over the disagreement of the UN's involvement in the inquiry on the election fraud that conceivably committed by the CPP and their apparatus, the NEC. The CPP has claimed their victory based on the NEC's unofficial data and the chutzpah on their systematic electoral fraud as the public have witnessed. Meanwhile, the CNRP has claimed their victory too, based on their own data and the fairness of the result. So far, both claimants have firmly stood on their claims which have aggravated the political situation throughout the country. The CNPR have called for the independent inquiry into the serous irregularities with the UN as a mediator, but the CPP has repeatedly nixed the full participation of the UN in the investigation, for they have regarded as illegal action and violation to the country's constitution which clearly states Cambodia is a sovereign state. But the opposition and many political observers have not bought this CPP's justification and considered it as their political excuse to block the creation of the true independent inquiry. The CNRP has insisted the UN's full role as the mediator whom they have had only trust with.
 

Khmer Nationalism vs. Racism

A Symbol of Khmer Nationalism

 Khmer National Identity

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

  The words nationalism and racism are completely different in meanings and in practices, but some people have still confused the meanings of these two terms. Nationalism is always being promoted  and glorified by all the leaders around the world while at the same time, they have rejected racism. If the leaders lose sense of nationalism, those leaders are easily manipulated and swindled by the others. Nationalism is the covert agenda in international relations among the leaders around the world. Conversely, racism is totally nixed and condemned by all world leaders even though it had been practised in the past by some countries.

Can the Current Crisis Lead to the Similar 2000's Post-election Crisis in Former Yugoslvia?

Former Yugoslavia President Sloboban Milosevic

Strong Man Hun Sen

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

    As our post election crisis has aggravated toward the stand off between the oppositions and strong man Hun Sen, this situation can turn into the 2000's post-election crisis in former Yugoslavia, but it may turn into unpredictable outcome. Former President Sloboban Milosevic had ruled the former Yugoslavia from 1987 to 2000 before he was forced to step down by mass protests on accusation of election fraud. Mr. Milosevic had claimed himself as a winner with slim margin and demanded for a runoff election, but the opposition leader, Mr. Kostunica totally rejected Milosevic's demand and claimed he is the real winner. As the time has dragged on, hundreds thousands of protesters pouring into the Belgrade Square demanding President Milosevic to step down immediately. At the turning point, the protesters stormed the Parliament Building, state-run TV station, and  other command centers that caused Milosevic's patronage system to break down along with most security forces switched side to the oppositions. As Milosevic was pushed down to the corner, there was no guarantee exit for him but to step down without conditions.
   
      Is this the pre-image of the current crisis in Cambodia? No body knows for sure, but in the event that the current political deadlock has dragged on--the disagreement over the UN's role in the inquiry committee, the oppositions will have no choice but to call for the nationwide demonstrations in order to defense the rights and the will of the people as they had promised. And if Hun Sen and his party, the CPP have done nothing wrong as they claimed, they should not fear to let the UN's full participation in this inquiry. A small concession by Hun Sen can help to avert the country from this deep crisis and to reduce his political risk in the near unforeseen future. The real images of the post-election crisis in former Yugoslavia can be replayed in Cambodia if Hun Sen has continued to reject the will of the people as they clearly have spoken out that they cannot bear another five-years rule of his dictatorship.
 

Reality Check: The US Electoral System Vs. the Cambodia Electoral System

US Federal Election Commission, independence and professionalism

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

Election is the most common form used by the peoples around the world to choose their leaders to run the daily works for their country. However, in some countries, election is being manipulated by leaders or a group as a mean to legitimize their dictatorial rule. Namely,the election in Cambodia has been manipulated by the ruling party, the CPP in order to maintain their long term grip of power. In the Western Democracy, especially the US, the election process and results are nearly perfect and highly reflected to the will of American People. In contrast, the election process and the results in Cambodia are totally not reflected to the will of Cambodian people and so far away from western electoral standard. The following are the political and electoral systems of the the two countries.

The US Government and electoral systems:
-The form of government: Federal government with 50 states
-Political system: presidential system--the president is a head of state as well as the head of the government
-Electoral system: a single- member district:  only one seat to contest per district
-The president is elected every four years for two term limits from two major parties-- the Democrat and Republican with many smaller parties
-The senators are elected every six years and the House of Representative Members elected every two years without term limits.
-The electoral system is run by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Secretary of State in each of 50 states along with the State Canvasing Board
-The Federal election Commission administers and  enforces the election laws-- disclose financial information, limits and prohibition on contribution, and oversee public funding for presidential election.
-The FEC comprising of six members appointed by the President and confirmed by Senators to six years term.
-The Secretary of State in each state is the chief election officer and elected to four years term
-The Secretary of State is also the chair of the State Canvasing Board that has a duty to certify all election results.
-The State Canvassing Board has five members: two state supreme court judges, two district judges, and a Secretary of the State
-The Secretary of State works closely with county and local election officials, supervises vote registration, recount and other election disputes before going to court
-All ballots are counted by machines, any disputed result will be recount by hands
-The federal election Commission and the State election Boards are highly independent and professional up to standard and gain well trust from all parties and the people

Reality Check: Can the CPP and the CNRP Break this Political Deadlock?

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
 
  After  heat up exchanges of accusations and threats on each other, the CPP and the CNPR have formally agreed to create a joint independent committee comprising of the two political parties, the NEC, and observation roles from the civil society and the UN in order to investigate the widespread electoral fraud throughout the country. This is the first positive step to calm down the complicate situation after the CNRP and the people across the country have strongly rejected the provisional election results announced by the NEC and the CPP. nevertheless, to break this political deadlock, both parties must show their political will and honesty in order to solve this problem successfully.

The political will of the CPP
-To win this election by all means
-To negotiate with the CNRP for sharing power in the new government
-Reject all foreigner involvements in the electoral inquiry committee while accepted the limited observation role of the UN
-To create the government alone
-Threaten to take away all the CNRP's seats and handle them to other parties if the CNRP boycott the first session of the National Assembly
-Threaten to organize their counter-demonstration against the CNRP's led demonstration
-Call for the people to stay away or not to join the CNRP's protests
-Expect to use maintaining rule and social order as an excuse to send the troops to crack down the protesters  as had seen in the past.
-Claim to win this election with 68 seats to 55 seats based on their own and the NEC's unofficial data
-Will create the same old government like the current one as we have already witnessed over 20 years

Reality Check: Which Party is in Favor of Winning this Election?

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

      Depending on our judgement and the reliable data, which party is in favor of winning this election?
-The CPP have claimed their victory over this election based on their own and the NEC's data-- 68 seats to 55 seats.
-The CNRP have also claimed this election victory based on their own reliable data from all polling stations throughout the country--63 seats to 60 seats without verifying on numerous irregularities yet.     The following factors have led both parties to claim the same victory:

The CPP's Strength:
-The oldest political party in the country, created in 1951 as the Khmer Revolutionary Communist Party originated from the Indochina Communist Party founded by Ho Chi Minh in 1930.
-Well-prepared and strong built network of support from grassroots up all over the country
-No new introduced policies but maintain the current ones and proud of their achievement
-All levels of local administrations from group leaders, village chiefs to provincial governors, military, police, courts under the CPP's control
-The CPP controlled NEC is the state apparatus to guarantee the CPP continuous victory.
-Financial strength-- the CPP get millions of dollars of financial support from their rich business tycoons, Okya and high government officials in exchange for their business privilege and positions
-Superior media access-- all TV stations, most radios and news papers under the CPP's control
-Election manipulation-- set up systematic electoral fraud via the NEC throughout the country, creating ghost lists, double and triple name lists, deleting voters' names suspected of the opposition supporters, making them difficult to register and to find polling stations, buying votes, and intimidation.

The CPP's weakness
-Has been installed by Vietnam and has ruled the country since 1979,  long enough for the people
-Most people have viewed that the CPP is a tool of Hanoi to swallow Cambodia in the near future, as witnessed in this election--All Vietnamese were allowed to vote freely while many Khmers had no names to vote.
-The CPP-run government is among the most corrupted regimes in the world
-Dictatorship, ruled by one man
-Unequal economic growth, the rich get richer while the poor struggle to survive
-No social justice for all, only a small privilege group
-Miscalculate the support from the people, especially the youths, Believing that power can create money and money can make black to White and white to black: a mentality of the CPP
-Lost faith and support from the people in all levels

The CNRP's strength
-Unity between the two democratic parties--the Sam Rainsey and the Human Rights Parties
-Gain popular support from all over the country
-Create the great 7 point policies for the people and the country
-promise justice, true democracy, and real independence for the country
-Restore Khmer sovereignty
-Gain strong support from all Khmer oversea and international community
-Financial strength : get financial support from regular members and donation from Khmer oversea
-Media access : get some coverages from independent radios and newspapers inside the country, many foreign radios such RFA, VOA, and FIR but dominated  on Internet network and social media --Facebook, Youtubes, tweeters and so on.
-Most election campaign done by volunteer works

The CNRP's weakness
-New created party
-No big sources of financial support
-No equal media access
-The party leader was barred from candidacy and vote
-Not enough time for the party president to campaign
-The party's activists are constantly harassed and intimidated by the CPP's supporters
-Not well-prepared and organized, for most works done by volunteers
-The party's unity has not reached out to all other Khmer group or parties -- the 6 other smaller parties have wasted about a half million votes that the CNRP needed to win a decisive victory.

Based on the above factors, can you (the reader) express your opinion on which party is in your favor to win this election? The CPP or the CNRP ?

Khmer Have Proven Themselves as the Descendants of Jayvaraman 7 in this Election

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម
  
        Since the first day of election campaign, Khmer all over the country have shown their courage and determination to demand for social justice, true democracy, and true national sovereignty from Hanoi's domination, that we have never seen in our modern history. During the election campaign, tens thousands of people especially the youths bravely volunteered to help the opposition (CNRP) campaign. During the election day, as people lost their faith to the authority as well as the NEC to guarantee the free and fair election result for them, they actively participated in many different important roles such as the ballot owners, election monitors, and fraud detectors that had made this election a historic event for the country.
   
       As we already have seen this election campaign marked the turning point for our country that never experienced this kind of election campaign in the past. Tens thousands of people pouring into the street  voluntarily helped campaigning for the opposition (CNRP) party courageously even the atmosphere was filled with intimidation from the ruling party. Because they are tired of the long corrupted dictatorship rule of the CPP which has been installed by Hanoi since 1979. The only hope for the future of the country is to change the current government that has served the Vietnamese interest over the Khmer's. As the Khmer, we are proud and grateful to all of our fellow Khmer brothers and sisters who have scarified their valuable time, energy, financial resources, and even their lives in order to save our motherland from Hanoi's domination and to bring a true democracy for our nation.
 

Massive Electoral Fraud Throughout the Country

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

       After a long month of excited but fearful election campaign, an unofficial result produced a very sad and disappointed news for Khmer inside and outside the country. The incumbent CPP which has ruled the country over 30 years with systematic network of intimidation and corruption still won the election. while the newly formed Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNPR) lost to a narrow margin. Most people has confidence that if this election was held in a free and fair atmosphere, the CNPR would win with landslide.        
    In a long calm and curious election day, people took in a long line to cast their ballots in hope of a great change will happen in the upcoming day. But in the late evening day, the CPP proclaimed their election victory with 68 seats to 55 seats for the opposition the CNRP. Many opposition supporters broke into tear in disbelief when an unofficial result was heard. This election result has reflected the massive fraud throughout the country such as deletion the name of the voters, double names, ghost list, the movement of Vietnamese, military, and government officials to vote in different places, and vote buying by the CPP.

The World Longest Serving Prime Minister Sees his Dead End

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

     Since the Paris Peace Accord in 1991, which was officially ended a long protracted war in Cambodia, there were many rival Khmer leaders competed one other to rule the country. But those many familiar faces have disappeared from Cambodia political arena except Prime Minister Hun Sen who has already  set a record for the longest serving prime minister in Asia and in the world if he wins again in this election. However, the record serving time as prime minister of Hun Sen has come up with many controversial questions.
   When Vietnam had invaded Cambodia in 1979, they installed two Khmer Prime Ministers previous to Hun Sen, Mr. Pen Sovann and Mr. Chan Chi. But these two Khmer leaders had lost their trust from Hanoi, and Mr. Pen Sovann found himself in Hanoi's jail in 1981 for more than a decade while Mr. Chan Chi was dead in Vietnam in 1985 without clear explanation. In order to occupy Cambodia successfully, Vietnam needed the faithful Khmer leaders to cooperate with them as their emperors needed the Khmer faithful Kings in the past. By 1985, Hun Sen, a young vocal foreign minister was anointed by Hanoi as the new Khmer Prime Minister to run the country while the war between the Khmer Resistant Groups and the Vietnamese Army was intensified. To win the guerrilla warfare in Cambodia, Hanoi used all strategic war plans which they had employed during their war against the US and  its South Vietnamese ally in the past.

This Election Set the High Stake for Khmer

By ខែ្មរវឌ្ឍនកម្ម

     For most people in the democratic world, the national election is a normal democratic process to choose their leaders based on the policy and ability of those leaders to run a daily work for the country. But in Cambodia, this election would be more meaningful than that. This election outcome will distinctly push the nation into two opposite directions: if the CPP continues to win, Khmer will live under the same dictatorship, and the fate of the nation will be endangered. But if the CNRP win, Khmer will get the true democracy and the nation will historically survive from Vietnamization. Thus, in the upcoming election, Khmer must look at these two key aspects that the two major parties stand for.
     The CPP which formerly created in 1951, a remnant of the Indochina Communist party created by Ho Chi Minh, has survived through many different circumstances until its final victory in 1979 supported by Vietnamese troop. Since then, this party has continued to rule the country until today and well prepared to maintain its power by all means as needed. These party is strong and powerful because Hanoi has played a key role behind the scene to direct all the CPP's policies. Without Vietnamese behind the stage, the CPP would be disappear since the UN supervised election 1993. In contrast, the CPP has grown stronger and bigger when it overwhelmingly took over 90 National Assembly seats in the previous election.  Most people have always asked themselves why the CPP got all the seats which they were not deserved. However, there are many factors that have guaranteed the CPP's continuous victory -- intimidation through its whole network in the country, registering and voting system is manipulated by the CPP's installed NEC, all illegal Vietnamese immigrants allowed to vote freely, buying votes through gifts and false promises are a common practice, all major media networks under the CPP control--In general, most aspects of daily lives of the country is systematically controlled by the CPP.