Talks on table, PM says

Prime Minister Hun Sen arrives at the Stung Meanchey flyover, now under construction, where he addressed reporters for the first time since Sunday’s national election. MAY TITTHARA

Thu, 1 August 2013

May Titthara and Stuart White

P Penh Post

 

This article has been corrected. Originally it said that Prime Minister Hun Sen had welcomed an international investigation. He never said the word international. We apologise for any confusion caused.

In his first public remarks since Sunday’s vote, Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday that he would “welcome” an independent investigation into alleged election irregularities.
The announcement came just days after the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, civil society groups and the United States government called for a “credible” investigation into electoral defects with the participation of all parties involved – and after the government had already shut down such requests.
Hun Sen said that he had initially been informed that the NEC would handle all complaints, but said that he was open to cooperating with all stakeholders.

“If it is true, what I heard, then I think this is a positive thing that is opening the way to solving the remaining issues as per the law, but if the NEC thinks that it is necessary for political parties and civil society to participate, then the royal government and [Cambodian People’s Party] alike welcome such openness to show transparency and find a solution that is acceptable to all,” he told reporters, speaking at an infrastructure development project in Stung Meanchey.
Referring obliquely to a party stalemate in 2003 that delayed the formation of a government for 11 months, the premier went on to say that nonetheless, the National Assembly had always been eventually formed, and urged calm while official election results were tabulated.
“If incitement is created and makes the country fall into [violence], then the past spectre will come back,” he said. “Do people want that? I think no one wants that, and no one wants to pack their belongings and run.”
Hun Sen added that he was would be busy with his father’s funeral arrangements until the 100-day mourning period had ended, and that he had delegated negotiations to party higher-ups Sok An, Sar Kheng and Say Chhum. However, he would still be willing to sit down with the opposition personally, if need be, he added.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy yesterday said that the last time he had spoken personally to the prime minister was “so long ago, I don’t remember,” but called the overture “positive,” and urged a quick start to the investigation – “the sooner the better”.
“CNRP is always in favour of dialogue, but dialogue must be conducted on a sound foundation,” he said. “For the time being, sound foundation is the truth, or the search for the truth regarding election irregularities. So we have to expose the irregularities, to expose their nature, their scale…and their effects on the election results.”
CNRP chief whip Son Chhay echoed Rainsy’s sentiment, albeit more bluntly.
“We are in a position to find justice for the people first before any political negotiation can take place,” he said.
“We are not interested in making deals for our party’s benefit,” he added. “This question is so crucial for the sake of our country’s people…we have to deal with election fraud once and for all, find justice for the people before any political deals can be made.”

Independent political analyst Kem Ley agreed, cautioning against mass protests, and calling an independent investigation “the best option”.
“First we can talk about the technical errors, then we can talk about the political compromise, how to share power and all that,” he said, adding that CNRP could use proof of irregularities to secure legislative concessions and appointments – even control of the NEC. “This is a political compromise, not a technical correction [of missing votes]. If they choose a technical correction, that is the best option, but if you cannot, if every party cannot come to an agreement, they need to look at a compromise to share power.”
The international reaction to Hun Sen’s announcement was lukewarm, with the Australian embassy declining to comment, and the US embassy reiterating its “call for a full and transparent investigation that will be viewed as credible by the Cambodian people”.
The Japanese embassy said in a statement dated July 31 that it “hopes that the processes following the election such as response to complaints will be carried out in a fair, prompt, and peaceful manner through dialogue and cooperation between the people concerned”.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ABBY SEIFF

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Hun Sen welcomes investigation

Hun Sen greets workers at the Stung Meanchey flyover today in his first public appearance since the election. MAY TITTHARA

Wed, 31 July 2013

May Titthara

P Penh Post

 

This article has been corrected. Originally it said that Prime Minister Hun Sen had welcomed an international investigation. He never said the word international. We apologise for any confusion caused.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said this afternoon he would “welcome” an investigation into the contested results of Sunday’s election.
The remarks, his first public comments since the election, came after opposition leader Sam Rainsy announced the party had done far better than the preliminary government results had suggested and called for the premier to step down.

“For the sake of free and fair elections, I welcome NGOs, all political parties and the NEC to investigate this,” he told reporters, while speaking to workers at the construction site of a flyover in Stung Meanchey.
The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party has called for a joint committee made up of representatives of all parties and international monitors to review the results of Sunday’s election, which gave the ruling Cambodian People’s Party 68 seats to the CNRP’s 55.
The government had previously shot down such a proposal.
Hun Sen also said he would be happy to speak with Rainsy, saying “the CPP had an open heart to talk to the CNRP.”
Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said yesterday the premier's endorsement of such an investigation was a good step but that the CNRP were not interested in negotiating with the CPP until the probe had been completed.
"I think this is what we want, we need to have a proper investigation on this election to find justice for the people before any political deal can be made so I think if he agreed that is a good sign," he said.
Son Chhay stressed that Hun Sen could not ignore the findings of such an investigation if they did not suit him, as he had done in other cases such as the findings of United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia, Surya Subedi.
"If they find that he lost the election because of all the fraud he made, he must respect the finding," he said.
Shooting down rumours that he had fled, Hun Sen also stressed this afternoon that he would not “leave the country when my people are suffering” and said that no one from the party had fired him from the position of premier.

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CPP coordinated vote fraud: HRW

Election observers and NEC officials examine a ballot box in Kampong Cham province following Sunday’s National Assembly election. HENG CHIVOAN

Thu, 1 August 2013

Kevin Ponniah and Cheang Sokha

P Penh Post

 

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party “orchestrated” voter fraud during Sunday’s election, international research and advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
The group points to the false issuance of Identity Certificates for Elections (ICE), used by those who do not possess the required identification to vote, as well as multiple registrations of voters as evidence of malfeasance.
HRW has not issued a post-election statement on Cambodia since political violence broke out in 1998.
“Senior ruling party officials appear to have been involved in issuing fake election documents and fraudulently registering voters in multiple provinces,” Brad Adams, HRW Asia director, said.

With only one concrete example based on witness testimony for each claim, however, the group stopped short of saying its evidence proved widespread fraud throughout the country by the CPP.
“We’re worried that this is widespread and more investigation may well bear that out, but at this point everybody has to put their shoulders to the wheel and really dig into these issues,” Phil Robertson, the organisation’s deputy Asia director, told the Post.
Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, questioned how his party could have won the election by a sizeable majority if it was relying on electoral fraud.
“How could we have added more ballots to win? The CPP received more than three million votes and [the CNRP] received more than two million,” he said. “That NGO always listens and writes their reports from the opposition [perspective] . . . They have supported [the opposition] for a long time, not just now. We cannot accept Human Rights Watch reports.”
Minister of Information Khieu Kanharith was more to the point. “If we used fraud in the election, the CNRP would have won fewer seats,” he said.
HRW cites an anonymous CPP village chief who allegedly received direct instructions from party superiors, including a CPP central committee member, to issue ICEs in the names of registered voters who had either died or moved away from their local area.
A number of groups including HRW raised fears before the poll that the hundreds of thousands of ICEs issued could lead to so-called “ghost voters” defrauding the ballot box.
“Now, a CPP village chief has confirmed that this happened in his area,” Adams said.
The statement also alleges that senior civil servants, including Ngo Sovan, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice and a CPP candidate standing in Kandal, were registered to vote in multiple places.
Residents interviewed in Kandal’s Koki Thom district said they were threatened with arrest after complaining to election officials that Sovan and other CPP officials trying to vote there were not residents, HRW said.
Villagers also received death threats the following day from a group that reappeared in the village, the statement says.
Sovan, a former Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker who switched parties after the 2008 election, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
According to analysis of official National Election Committee data, he was registered to vote in Phnom Penh, Kandal and Svay Rieng provinces, the statement says.
Koul Panha, executive director at election watchdog Comfrel, said the statement touches on “”very specific” cases of fraud and that he was unable to say whether similar cases occurred on a systematic level.
“We lack some information about the details of ICEs . . . We just learned of some specific cases, but we can’t see the picture of how big the problem was . . . and how [widespread] its use was in the election.”
He did, however, confirm that multiple registrations were widely observed.
“We saw many [multiple] names, but we were not able to check whether they actually voted in many places. But we found many double or triple names of [government] officials [and] civil servants.”
HRW called for the international community to push for an independent investigation into election irregularities, a move that Prime Minister Hun Sen, after some three days of silence, welcomed yesterday.
“If Hun Sen endorses that, it would be great and we hope he would follow through with his pledge . . . If he follows through on his word it would be a positive [development] for Cambodia,” Robertson said.

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Extra seats won spread across country: CNRP

Aggrieved would-be voters take the stage outside CNRP headquarters to offer tales of how they were disenfranchised in Sunday’s National Assembly election. PHA LINA

Thu, 1 August 2013

Shane Worrell and Meas Sokchea

P Penh Post

 

The Cambodia National Rescue Party yesterday revealed a list of provinces in which it believes it has won more seats than the government’s 68-55 election results allow for.
Following the CNRP’s claims it had secured 63 seats – a figure president Sam Rainsy said could increase to 90 seats once polling irregularities are ironed out – lawmaker Son Chhay gave the Post elaborated on the extra “gains”.
Included in the list are Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kandal, Kratie, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap – but finer details are not yet ready for the public, Chhay said.
“We will organise a press conference to announce all the details. The plan is to bring all that information to Phnom Penh to recount and recheck first.”

Chhay added that the CNRP had “two weeks to do it, but for me, two weeks is too long”.
Rainsy told the Post yesterday that if a joint committee investigates the irregularities and results from last Sunday’s election, it will discover the opposition has won between 80 and 90 seats in the 123-seat National Assembly.
His party’s final figures from the poll, which do not factor in irregularities, showed the CNRP had secured 63 seats – enough to govern, he added.
“[Sixty-three] is our figure ... our final result,” Rainsy said. “But I want to specify that ... if we re-adjust this figure for irregularities, disenfranchised voters and ghost voters, we would have won a much a larger estimate.”
“We do not have fully [a number of seats]. We want the committee to investigate. But we would have won more than 80 seats.” Rainsy went on to add that the figure could actually be as high as 90 seats.
“So I think Mr Hun Sen should step down now. The figures are against him.”
Rainsy’s words came after an address to hundreds of supporters at CNRP headquarters yesterday morning, ahead of remarks made by Prime Minister Hun Sen later in the day in which he expressed a willingness to submit to an international investigation.
During his speech, Rainsy called on the CPP “trinity” – Hun Sen, Senate president Chea Sim and National Assembly president Heng Samrin – to resign in shame after each of their provinces fell to the CNRP.
“They must step down,” he said. “Before the election, the CPP claimed it had five million votes. They received not much more than two million.”
After deputy leader Kem Sokha also spoke, those in the crowd, many with ID cards in hand, told their stories of being unable to vote.
Khieu Lay, an evictee of Borei Keila, who now lives at a relocation site near Oudong Mountain in Kandal province, said many in her community had arrived at the polling station to find their names missing from the voter list.
“Most of them were not allowed to vote,” she said. “So we need the CNRP, NGOs and the international community to intervene to urge the NEC to reopen polling so they can.”
CNRP lawmaker Mu Sochua said the NEC had a responsibility to deal with the people’s complaints.
“We are claiming that we have 63 seats,” she continued, adding the CNRP had tallied vote counts across the country to arrive at its figure.
“If the NEC keeps saying we have 55 seats, give us the proof. We have proof we have 63 seats.”
Preliminary government figures put the count at 68 to 55 in favour of the CPP, but final results aren’t due for another two weeks.
But Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker, said his party had not lost the election and it was the CNRP’s culture not to accept the result.
“You could hold this election 1,000 times and the CNRP would reject the results 1,000 times – even though it’s right,” he said.
NEC secretary-general Tep Nytha declined to comment on whether the CNRP’s results were in any way accurate, but said the NEC allowed political parties to submit evidence of irregularities between August 2 and 6, which it would then review.
The CNRP plans more events in which voters are invited to document their stories of not being able to vote.
In response to rumours the CNRP had, in fact, planned a mass rally if its requests for a committee are not met, Interior Minister Sar Kheng said yesterday he wanted the opposition to respect the law if anything was planned and suggested demonstrations be confined to Freedom Park.

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China gives guns and ammo

National Police chief Neth Savoeun (seated, right) and Li Zhuqun, China’s deputy chief of General Department for International Cooperation, sign an MoU at the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Thu, 1 August 2013

Vong Sokheng

P Penh Post

 

China on Tuesday officially handed over 1,000 handguns and 50,000 bullets to Cambodia at the General Commissariat of National Police at the Ministry of Interior, police said, while maintaining the aid had nothing to do with tightening post-election security.
A National Police press officer said, on condition of anonymity, that the donation of weapons was a bilateral cooperation deal that had long been in the works, and that the timing of the donation was purely coincidental, though analysts remained sceptical.

“It was an old deal for cooperation and strengthening security and public order between Cambodia and China, and the handover just coincided with the post-election [period],” he said. “It is not a secret, because the deal was posted on our website today.”
He said that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between National Police chief Neth Savoeun and Li Zhuqun, the deputy chief of China’s General Department for International Cooperation.
“Senior Chinese authorities said Cambodia and China are always united, and China has always helped Cambodia with both aid and diplomatic ties,” Savoeun was quoted as saying on the National Police website.
In response, the website quoted Li Zhuqun as saying that “China would like to praise the [good] relationship about social order” it enjoys with Cambodia.
National Police spokesman Kirth Chantharith could not be reached for comment.
Analyst Kem Ley maintained that it was “not the right time” for the handover, coming as it does on widely circulating rumours of political unrest, and went on to lay part of the blame at China’s feet.
“It’s not the time to show publicly about the military and all that,” he said. “The communist countries try not to find peaceful solutions; they always try to force things.”
China has a long history of giving military aid to Cambodia. They delivered 12 military helicopters to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces last month and paid for a new military institute in Kampong Speu province earlier this year.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STUART WHITE

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Following Cambodian presidential elections, UN rights expert appeals for calm

Surya P. Subedi, Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Cambodia. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

31 July 2013 – A United Nations independent expert today appealed for calm and reconciliation in Cambodia, following the country’s “largely peaceful” presidential elections on 28 July.
“Sunday’s general election was a display of maturity in democratic exercise in the country,” said the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Surya P. Subedi, commending all political actors for the restraint that they displayed. “I congratulate the people of Cambodia on exercising their right to vote in a largely peaceful manner.”

According to media reports, Cambodia’s opposition party rejected the results, saying it had won the majority and claiming there had been irregularities during the election, which has led to tension in the country.
“I now call for calm and political reconciliation in the greater interests of the nation and appeal for acceleration in the process of reform of State institutions, including the National Election Committee, to ensure greater respect for people’s rights, genuine rule of law and stronger democracy in Cambodia,” Mr. Subedi said.
The Special Rapporteur also appealed to the people and all political actors “not to succumb to racial hatred, whether in person or through other means such as social media, and to contribute towards building a tolerant, cohesive and liberal democratic society.”
Regarding the allegations of irregularities, Mr. Subedi called on the appropriate bodies to promptly and impartially investigate them, and urged the Cambodian National Election Committee to thoroughly account for every unused ballot paper.
Mr. Subedi recalled his own recommendations for electoral reform contained in a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2012, most of which had not been adopted before the polls. “Had these recommendations been implemented in time for the elections, the situation now would have been much better,” he stressed.
Special rapporteurs are appointed by the Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

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សេចក្ដី​ប្រកាស​ព័ត៌មាន​របស់​អគ្គស្នងការ​នគរបាល​ជាតិ បង្ហាញ​ថា ប្រទេស​ចិន បាន​ប្រគល់​កាំភ្លើង​ខ្លី​ចំនួន ១​ពាន់​ដើម និង​គ្រាប់​រាប់​ម៉ឺន មក​អោយ​អគ្គស្នងការ​នគរបាល​ជាតិ​កម្ពុជា។ ការ​ប្រគល់​កាំភ្លើង​ខ្លី​របស់​ប្រទេស​ចិន ដែល​កើត​ឡើង​ភ្លាមៗ​នៅ​ក្រោយ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​នោះ ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ពាក្យ​រិះគន់​ថា បាន​បំភិត​បំភ័យ​ពលរដ្ឋ និង​បាន​ជំរុញ​អោយ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​យក​ចិត្ត​ទុក​ដាក់​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា​ដោយ​ សន្តិវិធី។

ដោយ សុ ជីវី
2013-08-01 

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ស្ដាប់ ឬ ទាញ​យក​សំឡេង

អ្នក​វិភាគ​សង្គម​បាន​ចាត់​ទុក​ការ​ផ្ដល់​អាវុធ​មក​អោយ​កម្ពុជា ពី​សំណាក់​ប្រទេស​ចិន ភ្លាមៗ​នៅ​ក្រោយ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត ថា​ជា​រូបភាព​ដែល​ធ្វើ​អោយ​ប៉ះពាល់​ដល់​ទឹក​ចិត្ត​ពលរដ្ឋ ជា​ជាង​ការ​រក្សា​សន្តិសុខ​សណ្ដាប់​ធ្នាប់ ស្រប​ពេល​ដែល​ស្ថានភាព​នៅ​ក្រោយ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​នៅ​មិន​ទាន់​នឹងន​នៅ​ឡើយ។

អ្នក​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​សង្គម លោក កែម ឡី មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា ការ​រក្សា​សន្តិសុខ​ជា​ករណី​ចាំបាច់ ដែល​ប្រទេស​នីមួយៗ​ត្រូវ​ការ​ជា​ចាំបាច់​ដើម្បី​ការពារ​បូរណភាព​ទឹក​ដី។ ប៉ុន្តែ លោក​ពុំ​គាំទ្រ​ចំពោះ​ការ​ប្រគល់​កាំភ្លើង​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្ថានភាព​ដែល​កម្ពុជា កំពុង​ប្រឈម​នឹង​បញ្ហា​ប្រទាំង​ប្រទើស​នៅ​ក្រោយ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​នោះ​ទេ។
គេហទំព័រ​នៃ​អគ្គស្នងការ​នគរបាល​ជាតិ បាន​ផ្សព្វផ្សាយ​នៅ​រសៀល​ថ្ងៃ​ទី៣០ ខែ​កក្កដា ថា អគ្គស្នងការ​នគរបាល​ជាតិ នាយ​ឧត្ដម​សេនីយ៍ នេត សាវឿន បាន​ជួប​ជាមួយ​មន្ត្រី​សមត្ថកិច្ច​ជាន់​ខ្ពស់​នៃ​អគ្គនាយកដ្ឋាន​ សហប្រតិបត្តិការ​អន្តរជាតិ ប្រទេស​ចិន លោក លី ជូឈុន (Li Zhuqun)។ ក្នុង​ជំនួប​នោះ ចិន បាន​ប្រគល់​អោយ​ភាគី​កម្ពុជា នូវ​សម្ភារៈ​ជា​ច្រើន ដើម្បី​បង្កើន​ការ​ពង្រឹង​សន្តិសុខ ក្នុង​នោះ​មាន​អាវុធ​ខ្លី ១​ពាន់​ដើម គ្រាប់​ចំនួន ៥​ម៉ឺន​គ្រាប់ និង​សម្ភារៈ​សម្រាប់​រក្សា​សន្តិសុខ​មួយ​ចំនួន​ទៀត។
យ៉ាង​ណា សេចក្ដី​ប្រកាស​ព័ត៌មាន​របស់​អគ្គស្នងការ​នគរបាល​ជាតិ ពុំ​បាន​បញ្ជាក់​ទេ​ថា សម្ភារៈ​ដែល​ប្រទេស​ចិន ប្រគល់​អោយ​នៅ​ពេល​នេះ គឺ​ជា​ជំនួយ​ប្រភេទ​ណា​នោះ​ទេ។
វិទ្យុ​អាស៊ីសេរី ពុំ​ទាន់​អាច​សុំ​ការ​អធិប្បាយ​ពី​អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​អគ្គស្នងការ​នគរបាល​ជាតិ លោក​ឧត្ដម​សេនីយ៍ គៀត ច័ន្ទថារិទ្ធ បាន​ឡើយ នៅ​រសៀល​ថ្ងៃ​ទី៣១ ខែ​កក្កដា។
អ្នក​ជំនាញ​ផ្នែក​វិទ្យាសាស្ត្រ​នយោបាយ លោក សុខ ទូច មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា ប្រសិន​បើ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​យក​ចិត្ត​ទុក​ដាក់​ចំពោះ​ការ​រក្សា​សុវត្ថិភាព ពុំ​គួរ​អី​ត្រូវ​ប្រគល់​អោយ​យ៉ាង​តក់​ក្រហល់​នៅ​ក្រោយ​ពេល​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​បែប​ នេះ​ឡើយ។
មន្ត្រី​នាំ​ពាក្យ​ទីស្ដីការ​គណៈរដ្ឋមន្ត្រី លោក ផៃ ស៊ីផាន បាន​អោយ​ដឹង​ថា សម្ភារៈ​ដែល​ប្រទេស​ចិន ប្រគល់​អោយ​កម្ពុជា ពុំ​មែន​ជា​គម្រោង​ថ្មី​ថ្មោង​ទើប​ចាប់​ផ្ដើម​នៅ​ក្រោយ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​នោះ​ ឡើយ គឺ​បាន​ធ្វើ​តាម​គម្រោង​នៃ​ការ​រក្សា​សន្តិសុខ​ដ៏​ត្រឹមត្រូវ​មួយ។ លោក ផៃ ស៊ីផាន បាន​ហៅ​ការ​លើក​ឡើង​ពី​ការ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ​ចំពោះ​ការ​បំភិត​បំភ័យ​ណា​មួយ​នោះ គ្រាន់​តែ​ជា​ការ​ការ​បំភ្លៃ​ស្ថានការណ៍​ពិត​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ។
ចាប់​តាំង​ពី​មួយ​ថ្ងៃ​មុន​ថ្ងៃ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត ថ្ងៃ​ទី២៨ ខែ​កក្កដា កម្លាំង​សមត្ថកិច្ច​ចម្រុះ​មាន​ទាំង​កង​នគរបាល និង​កង​រាជ​អាវុធហត្ថ​លើ​ផ្ទៃ​ប្រទេស ត្រូវ​ដាក់​ពង្រាយ​នៅ​ក្នុង​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ ដោយ​សម្អាង​ហេតុផល​ថា ដើម្បី​រក្សា​សន្តិសុខ និង​សម្រួល​ចរាចរណ៍​ក្នុង​ក្រុង។ ហើយ​ការ​រឹត​បន្តឹង​សន្តិសុខ ក៏​បាន​បង្កើន​បន្ថែម​ទៀត​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត នៅ​ក្រោយ​ការ​ផ្ទុះ​ហិង្សា​រវាង​អ្នក​បោះ​ឆ្នោត និង​កម្លាំង​សមត្ថកិច្ច​នៅ​មណ្ឌល​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​បឋម​សិក្សា​ស្ទឹងមានជ័យ។ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ជា​ច្រើន​ចាប់​ផ្ដើម​ភ័យ​ខ្លាច​ចំពោះ​ស្ថានភាព​នៃ​ការ​រឹត​ បន្តឹង​សន្តិសុខ​ទាំង​នេះ។
ទាក់ទិន​នឹង​ជំនួយ​ផ្នែក​សព្វាវុធ ប្រទេស​ចិន ដែល​ជា​មហា​អំណាច​ដែល​ឈាន​មុខ​ទាំង​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច និង​សព្វាវុធ ជា​រឿយៗ​បាន​ផ្ដល់​ការ​គាំទ្រ​មក​អោយ​កម្ពុជា ជាអាទិ៍​កាល​ពី​ឆ្នាំ​២០១០ ប្រទេស​នេះ​បាន​ប្រគល់​រថយន្ត​យោធា​ចំនួន ២៥៧​គ្រឿង និង​ឯកសណ្ឋាន​យោធា ៥០.០០០​សម្រាប់។
សម្រាប់​អ្នក​វិភាគ​សង្គម លោក កែម ឡី បាន​បន្ត​ថា រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ត្រូវ​មាន​តម្លាភាព​រាល់​ការ​ផ្ដល់​សម្ភារៈ​ទាំង​នោះ។ លោក​បន្ត​ទៀត​ថា ការ​បន្លែបន្លំ​ណា​មួយ​រវាង​ជំនួយ និង​ប្រាក់​កម្ចី នឹង​ក្លាយ​ជា​បញ្ហា​សម្រាប់​សង្គម​ទាំង​មូល​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​អនាគត។
នៅ​ក្នុង​គម្រោង​ថវិកាជាតិ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១៣ ចំណាយ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ផ្នែក​សន្តិសុខ គឺ​មាន​ចំនួន ៣.១០០​លាន​ដុល្លារ គឺ​ច្រើន​ជាង​ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ ប្រមាណ​ជាង ១៤% ដែល​ចំនួន​នេះ​ត្រូវ​អ្នក​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​ផ្នែក​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​សង្គម លោក កែម ឡី ចាត់​ទុក​ថា ច្រើន​លើសលប់​ក្នុង​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​វិស័យ​នេះ។
អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​ទីស្ដីការ​គណៈរដ្ឋមន្ត្រី លោក ផៃ ស៊ីផាន បាន​ឆ្លើយ​តប​ថា ការ​ទាមទារ​ព័ត៌មាន​ពី​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ​នឹង​សព្វាវុធ គឺ​ជា​ផ្នែក​ដែល​ហាម​ឃាត់ ដ្បិត​ត្រូវ​ចាត់​ទុក​ថា ជា​ព័ត៌មាន​ប៉ះពាល់​សន្តិសុខ​ជាតិ។
ចំពោះ​អ្នក​ជំនាញ​ផ្នែក​វិទ្យាសាស្ត្រ​នយោបាយ លោក សុខ ទូច បាន​លើក​ឡើង​ថា ជា​បទ​ពិសោធន៍ ប្រទេស​ចិន តែង​តែ​បាន​ចំណេញ​ពី​ការ​លក់​សព្វាវុធ​ទៅ​អោយ​ប្រទេស​តូចតាច ដែល​ពុំ​អាច​គេច​ផុត​ពី​ជម្លោះ​ផ្ទៃ​ក្នុង ឬ​ជម្លោះ​ដែល​ឈាន​ដល់​សង្គ្រាម​ស៊ីវិល។
ករណី​ដដែល​នេះ ទាំង​អ្នក​វិភាគ​សង្គម ទាំង​អ្នក​ជំនាញ​វិទ្យាសាស្ត្រ​នយោបាយ​ជំរុញ​អោយ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ជ្រើស​រើស​យក​ មធ្យោបាយ​សន្តិវិធី​ក្នុង​ការ​ដោះស្រាយ​បញ្ហា ជា​ពិសេស​បញ្ហា​ដែល​បាន​ចោទ​ឡើង​នៅ​ក្រោយ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត ដែល​អាច​អោយ​កម្ពុជា បាន​បន្ត​ស្ថិត​ក្នុង​សន្តិភាព និង​មាន​ការ​រួបរួម​ដើម្បី​ប្រយោជន៍​ជាតិ៕

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អ្នក​វិភាគ៖ បដិវត្តន៍​ព្យុះ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​អាច​ផ្ទុះ​ឡើង​បើ​មាន​ហិង្សា​ក្នុង​បាតុកម្ម

កីឡាករ​តែង​ទាមទារ​យុត្តិធម៌​ក្នុង​ការ​ប្រកួត ហើយ​យុត្តិធម៌​នេះ​ពឹង​ផ្អែក​យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង​ទៅ​លើ​កម្រិត​នៃ​អព្យាក្រឹត្យ​ភាព ​របស់​អាជ្ញា​កណ្ដាល។ ដោយសារ​តែ​អាជ្ញា​កណ្ដាល​ក្នុង​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ត្រូវ​បាន​ទស្សនិកជន​ជាច្រើន​មើល​ឃើញ​ថា​លម្អៀង វប្បធម៌​ឡាំ​ប៉ា​តែង​តែ​កើត​មាន​ក្រោយ​ពេល​សម្រេច​លទ្ធផល។

ដោយ ចេង ម៉េងជូ
2013-07-31

RFA

ស្ដាប់ ឬ ទាញ​យក​សំឡេង

លោក​បណ្ឌិត សុខ ទូច អ្នក​ជំនាញ​វិទ្យាសាស្ត្រ​នយោបាយ នៅ​បន្ទប់​ផ្សាយ​របស់​វិទ្យុ​អាស៊ីសេរី នា​រាជធានី​ភ្នំពេញ កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​១ ខែ​មីនា ឆ្នាំ​២០១២។

RFA

ប្រសិន​បើ​ភាព​មិន​ប្រក្រតី​ត្រូវ​បាន​ដោះស្រាយ​ឲ្យ​ចប់​ស្រេច​បាច់​ មុន​ពេល​ចូល​សង្វៀន ទំនង​ជា​មិន​មាន​កីឡាករ​ណា​ហ៊ាន​ទាត់​ចោល​លទ្ធផល​នោះ​ឡើយ។ ចុះ​បើ​ការ​មិន​ទទួល​យក​លទ្ធផល​នាំ​ទៅ​ដល់​ការ​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ទ្រង់ទ្រាយ​ធំ តើ​នឹង​មាន​អ្វី​កើត​ឡើង?

ក្នុង​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​អាណត្តិ​ទី​៥ នេះ ការ​ដែល​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​មិន​ទទួល​យក​លទ្ធផល បាន​នាំ​ទៅ​ដល់​ដំណាក់​កាល​មួយ គឺ​គណបក្ស​នេះ​ស្នើសុំ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​បង្កើត​គណៈកម្មការ​ចម្រុះ​មួយ ត្រួត​ពិនិត្យ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ឡើង​វិញ។ ប៉ុន្តែ គ.ជ.ប ដែល​ជា​អាជ្ញា​កណ្ដាល បាន​បដិសេធ​មិន​ធ្វើ​តាម ហើយ​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ បាន​ប្រកាស​ថា នឹង​ដឹក​នាំ​អ្នក​គាំទ្រ​របស់​ខ្លួន​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ទ្រង់ទ្រាយ​ធំ ប្រសិន​បើ​មិន​មាន​ដំណោះស្រាយ។
ដោយសារ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ធ្លាប់​មើល​ឃើញ​ការ​បង្ក្រាប​ដោយ​ហិង្សា​ពី​សំណាក់​ រដ្ឋាភិបាល ក្នុង​ការ​តវ៉ា​មួយ​ចំនួន​កន្លង​មក ពួក​គាត់​កំពុង​ភ័យ​ខ្លាច​ថា អាច​នឹង​មាន​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​កើត​ឡើង ប្រសិន​បើ​បាតុកម្ម​ដែល​ដឹក​នាំ​ដោយ​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ មាន​លក្ខណៈ​ខ្លាំងក្លា ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ត្រូវ​បង្ខំ​ចិត្ត​ជ្រើស​យក​កម្លាំង​បាយ​ធ្វើ​ជា​ មធ្យោបាយ​បង្ក្រាប​ចលនា​បាតុកម្ម​នោះ។ បើ​សិន​ជា​ឈាន​ដល់​ដំណាក់​កាល​នោះ​ពិត​ប្រាកដ​មែន អ្នក​វិភាគ​នយោបាយ​យល់​ឃើញ​ថា រឿង​ធំ​មួយ​នឹង​កើត​ឡើង។
អ្នក​វិភាគ​នយោបាយ​ឯករាជ្យ លោក​បណ្ឌិត សុខ ទូច បាន​គាំទ្រ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​សិក្សា​លើ​ភាព​មិន​ប្រក្រតី​ក្នុង​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត ដោយ​មាន​ការ​ចូល​រួម​ពី​គ្រប់​ភាគី​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​ភាគី​ទាំង​ឡាយ​ទទួល​យក​លទ្ធផល​ដោយ​ស្ងប់​ចិត្ត។ បើ​មិន​ដូច្នោះ​ទេ អ្នក​នយោបាយ​អាច​ដោះស្រាយ​តាម​វិធី​មួយ​ទៀត គឺ​ការ​ចែក​ស្ថាប័ន​គ្នា​ដឹក​នាំ មាន​ន័យ​ថា មាន​គណបក្ស​មួយ​ដឹក​នាំ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល គណបក្ស​មួយ​ទៀត​ដឹក​នាំ​សភា ឬ​ជ្រើស​យក​វិធី​មួយ​ទៀត គឺ​ដឹក​នាំ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ជា​មួយ​គ្នា ហើយ​យក​គោល​នយោបាយ​របស់​គណបក្ស​ទាំង​ពីរ​មក​អនុវត្ត ដោយ​ទុក​ឲ្យ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ជា​អ្នក​ឃ្លាំ​មើល​ការ​អនុវត្ត​របស់​ភាគី​ទាំង​ពីរ ​វិញ។ ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ បើ​វិធី​ទាំង​ពីរ​នេះ​មិន​មែន​ជា​ជម្រើស​ដែល​ពួក​គេ​ចង់​បាន​ទេ ជម្រើស​ចុង​ក្រោយ គឺ​ប្រាកដ​ជា​ការ​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​របស់​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង។
លោក​បណ្ឌិត សុខ ទូច បាន​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា ប្រសិន​បើ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ចាំ​ផ្ទះ​ប្រើ​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​បង្ក្រាប​សន្ទុះ​នៃ​ការ​ តវ៉ា រហូត​ឈាន​ដល់​ការ​បង្ហូរ​ឈាម​នោះ នឹង​មាន​បដិវត្តន៍​មួយ​ដែល​លោក​ឲ្យ​ឈ្មោះ​ថា "បដិវត្តន៍​ព្យុះ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ"៖ «បើ​សិន​ជា​ករណី​រាជ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ ប្រើប្រាស់​កម្លាំង ហើយ​មិន​ទទួល​ស្គាល់ ប្រើប្រាស់​កម្លាំង​ទៅ​លើ​ជន​បាតុកម្ម ហើយ​មិន​មាន​ដំណោះស្រាយ ខ្ញុំ​ជឿជាក់​ថា ការ​បង្ហូរ​ឈាម​នេះ​នឹង​ក្លាយ​ទៅ​ជា​បដិវត្តន៍​ថ្មី នេះ​គេ​ហៅ​ថា បដិវត្តន៍​ព្យុះ​នៃ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ»។
អ្នក​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​សង្គម និង​ជា​អ្នក​វិភាគ​ឯករាជ្យ លោក កែម ឡី យល់​ឃើញ​ថា អំពើ​ហិង្សា​អាច​បញ្ចៀស​បាន អាស្រ័យ​លើ​សមត្ថភាព​របស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ក្នុង​ការ​គ្រប់គ្រង​ស្ថានការណ៍ និង​ស្មារតី​របស់​គណបក្ស​ធំៗ​ទាំង​ពីរ​នេះ ក្នុង​ការ​គិតគូរ​ពី​សុខ​ទុក្ខ​របស់​រាស្ត្រ៖ «ការ​តវ៉ា​វា​ជា​សិទ្ធិ​ របស់​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ ហើយ​ថា តើ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​មាន​សមត្ថភាព​គ្រប់គ្រង​បាតុកម្ម កូដកម្ម​ហ្នឹង​ដែរ​ឬ​ក៏​យ៉ាង​ណា? អា​ហ្នឹង​វា​ជា​រឿង​មួយ ហើយ​ខ្ញុំ​គិត​ថា ខ្មែរ​យើង​ទាំង​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន ទាំង​គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង បើ​គាត់​តម្កល់​ផល​ប្រយោជន៍​រួម ផល​ប្រយោជន៍​សម្រាប់​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​ខ្មែរ ខ្ញុំ​គិត​ថា អត់​មាន​បញ្ហា​អី​ដែល​ថា​ដោះស្រាយ​មិន​ចេញ​ទេ។ ហើយ​មួយ​ទៀត បើ​សិន​ជា​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ហ្នឹង​យុត្តិធម៌ ត្រឹមត្រូវ មាន​តម្លាភាព គណៈកម្មាធិការ​ជាតិ​រៀបចំ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ក៏​មិន​មាន​អ្វី​ដែល​ត្រូវ​ប្រកែក​ បង្កើត​គណៈកម្មការ​បន្ត​ទៀត ដើម្បី​តាម​ដាន​ត្រួត​ពិនិត្យ​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​មើល​ដែរ»។
លោក យឹម សុវណ្ណ អ្នក​នាំ​ពាក្យ​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ បាន​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ មិន​ចង់​ឲ្យ​មាន​បាតុកម្ម​កើត​ឡើង​នោះ​ទេ តែ​បើ​សិន​ជា​សំណើ​ឲ្យ​បង្កើត​គណៈកម្មការ​ចម្រុះ​ស៊ើប​អង្កេត​ភាព​មិន​ ប្រក្រតី​ក្នុង​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ត្រូវ​បាន​ទាត់​ចោល នោះ​ការ​ដឹក​នាំ​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ទ្រង់ទ្រាយ​ធំ​អាច​ជា​ជម្រើស​ចុង​ក្រោយ៖ «យើង ​ចង់​ចៀស​វាង​ណាស់​ការ​ដែល​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម ឬ​ការ​ធ្វើ​កូដកម្ម​នេះ។ យើង​ចង់​ចៀស​វាង​រឿង​ហ្នឹង។ យើង​ចង់​ឲ្យ​ភាគី​ទាំងអស់​មក​អង្គុយ​នៅ​លើ​តុ ដើម្បី​ចរចា​រក​វិធី​ដោះស្រាយ។ នេះ​ជា​គោល​បំណង​ធំ​របស់​យើង»។
លោក ឈាង វុន សមាជិក​សភា​នីតិកាល​ទី៤ និង​ជា​បេក្ខជន​តំណាង​រាស្ត្រ​មណ្ឌល​បាត់ដំបង របស់​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា បាន​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា រដ្ឋាភិបាល​មាន​តួនាទី​រក្សា​សន្តិសុខ​សណ្ដាប់​ធ្នាប់​សង្គម ព្រោះ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​បច្ចុប្បន្ន​ជា​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ស្រប​ច្បាប់៖ «រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ មិន​ទាន់​ចប់​ពី​តួនាទី​របស់​ខ្លួន​នៅ​ពេល​ដែល​មិន​ទាន់​បង្កើត​សភា​ថ្មី។ លោក​មាន​ភារកិច្ច​ការពារ​សន្តិសុខ​សង្គម សណ្ដាប់​ធ្នាប់​សង្គម ហើយ​និង​អចិន្ត្រៃយ៍​ភាព​នៃ​រដ្ឋ។ រដ្ឋាភិបាល​សព្វថ្ងៃ​ជា​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ស្រប​ច្បាប់ ដែល​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ឲ្យ​អាណត្តិ​ទី​៤។ លោក​មាន​សិទ្ធិ​គ្រប់​យ៉ាង​ដើម្បី​រក្សា​សន្តិសុខ សណ្ដាប់​ធ្នាប់​សង្គម​ជូន​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ»។
ក្នុង​សង្គម​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ ការ​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ជា​សិទ្ធិ​សេរីភាព​របស់​ពលរដ្ឋ។ ប្រធាន​មជ្ឈមណ្ឌល​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​កម្ពុជា លោក អ៊ូ វីរៈ បាន​មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា រដ្ឋាភិបាល​មិន​អាច​ហាម​ឃាត់​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​មិន​អោយ​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ក្រោម​ ហេតុផល​ថា ដើម្បី​ចៀស​វាង​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​នោះ​ឡើយ។ បញ្ហា​ដែល​គួរ​ឲ្យ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ គឺ​អព្យាក្រឹត្យ​ភាព​របស់​កង​កម្លាំង​ប្រដាប់​អាវុធ ដែល​មាន​ភារកិច្ច​រក្សា​សន្តិសុខ សណ្ដាប់​ធ្នាប់​របស់​សង្គម​ជាតិ៖ «បញ្ហា ​រាល់​ថ្ងៃ​នេះ ដោយសារ​ទាហាន ហើយ​និង​ប៉ូលិស​ហ្នឹង គាត់​បក្ស​ពេក។ បើ​សិន​ជា​គាត់​អត់​គិត​បក្ស​ទេ ជា​ទូទៅ គាត់​អាច​ថែ​រក្សា​បញ្ហា​បាតុកម្ម​បាន ហើយ​មិន​មាន​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​កើត​ឡើង​ទេ ប្រសិន​បើ​ការ​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ហ្នឹង​ដោយ​សម្រប​សម្រួល​ច្រើន​ទៅ អា​ហ្នឹង​ខ្ញុំ​មើល​ទៅ​អាច​ចៀស​វាង​នូវ​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​បាន​បាទ»។
លោក អ៊ូ វីរៈ បាន​បន្ថែម​ទៀត​ថា គណៈកម្មាធិការ​ជាតិ​រៀបចំ​ការ​បោះ​ឆ្នោត និង​គណបក្ស​ប្រជាជន​កម្ពុជា គួរ​យល់​ព្រម​ក្នុង​ការ​បង្កើត​គណៈកម្មការ​ចម្រុះ​ស៊ើប​អង្កេត​ភាព​មិន​ ប្រក្រតី​នៅ​ពេល​បោះ​ឆ្នោត​ឡើង​វិញ ដើម្បី​បញ្ជាក់​ពី​ភាព​ស្អាត​ស្អំ​របស់​ខ្លួន៕

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Opposition leader Sam Rainsy agrees to talks on disputed Cambodia election result

Auskar Surbakti in Phnom Penh and staff

Updated 4 hours 6 minutes ago

1 August 2013 

 

Photo: Sam Rainsy maintains his party has won the election (Newsline, file photo)

Cambodia's Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy has agreed to an offer of talks from Prime Minister Hun Sen to discuss claims of voting irregularities.

After suffering the worst election result in 15 years, the Prime Minister Hun Sen has extended an olive branch to the opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party, which has rejected the ruling party's results.
He also says he'd welcome an investigation into alleged voting irregularities, which has been demanded by the opposition.
Hun Sen's offer comes as as the opposition CNRP claimed that it had won Sunday's general election with a narrow margin of 63 out of 123 seats.

Audio: Sam Rainsy speaks with Asia Pacific (ABC News)

On election night, the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) announced it had won 68 seats to the opposition's 55.
Hun Sen has called on the opposition leader Sam Rainsy to compromise and to attend his proposed talks, which would look at forming a new parliament.
"I wish to stress that it does not matter which political party won the election - the important thing is that our nation won," he said.
"I have told three of my senior party members to negotiate with Sam Rainsy and I hope that the talks process will go well, but if needs be I will talk to Sam Rainsy by myself."
Sam Rainsy has told Radio Australia's Asia Pacific program he'll attend the talks, but maintains his party won the poll, not Hun Sen's.
"We accept the dialogue, but the objective is to establish and expose the truth - nothing less," he said.
"We can move forward only once the truth is recognised by everybody, and the truth is that the ruling party, after ruling Cambodia for 34 years, has lost this election and there is a democratic change underway in Cambodia."
Hun Sen also says he's open to the idea of a multilateral inquiry into the election led by the country’s election commission in order to show transparency and to come to a resolution that everyone can accept.
Sam Rainsy says the Opposition wants the international community and the United Nations to oversee the inquiry.
"Now that the ruling party accepts to join in this committee to investigate, so we are ready, we'll abide by any conclusion by the investigation committee," he said.
"We would expect the ruling party to make that same commitment."

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Cambodian PM says ready for talks with opposition

SOPHENG CHEANG 15 hours ago

31 July 2013 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodia's long-serving prime minister said Wednesday that his party was willing to talk with the opposition to resolve complaints that last weekend's general election was unfair. The gesture, from a leader not usually given to compromise, represents an acknowledgement that his opponents' strong showing in the polls could threaten his grip on power.
Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party has claimed that it won 68 parliamentary seats to the opposition's 55 in Sunday's election according to provisional official results.
However, the opposition, which increased its number of seats from 29 in the last National Assembly, could boycott the opening of parliament, leaving the lawmaking body short of a quorum and stymieing the formation of a new government.

Hun Sen spoke at his first public appearance since Sunday's polls, striking a conciliatory tone without making any major commitments. He said his Cambodian People's Party was ready to compromise.
The prime minister said that senior officials from his party were ready to open talks with their counterparts in the opposition, and that while he felt constrained from taking part because he was in mourning for the recent death of his father, he would talk directly with opposition leader Sam Rainsy if necessary.

View gallery."

President of National Rescue Party Sam Rainsy, right, gives a speech as his party's Vice President K …

His offer came after Sam Rainsy's opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party escalated its challenge to the election results, claiming it had actually won a majority of assembly seats. The party did not immediately respond to Hun Sen's remarks.
The party had already called for an investigation of voting irregularities, including registration problems that could have disenfranchised more than 1 million people. There have also been accounts of people voting who were not entitled to.
Yim Sovann, a spokesman for the opposition, said that that based on reports from party workers and election observers, his party had won at least 63 of the assembly's 123 seats. Sam Rainsy made a similar claim late Tuesday to a small group of reporters.
Speaking at the construction site for a flyover bridge in Phnom Penh, the capital, Hun Sen conceded that his party had lost seats, but said it led according to provisional results.
"Whether the number of seats in parliament increases or decreases is not important for us, but the main point is working for the sake of our entire nation," said Hun Sen, whose party had 90 seats in the outgoing assembly.

View gallery."

President of National Rescue Party Sam Rainsy, center, gives a speech during a public forum on the t …

He told reporters that Cambodians should settle the matter among themselves rather than rely on the assistance of other countries — a remark that could be taken as a dig against Sam Rainsy, who actively lobbies foreign governments and rights organizations for support.
Hun Sen said he had heard that the state National Election Committee — generally seen as pro-government and criticized for failing to address registration problems before the election — was inclined to support the opposition's demand to set up an independent committee to investigate election problems.
If this was true, he said, it was a positive development.
The opposition's complaints have been supported by a number of nonpartisan Cambodian and foreign groups.
U.S.-based Human Rights Watch charged Wednesday that the ruling party "appears to have been involved in electoral fraud" in the election, citing residents and ruling party officials it interviewed.

View gallery."

President of National Rescue Party Sam Rainsy gives a speech during a public forum on the topic of t …

"Senior ruling party officials appear to have been involved in issuing fake election documents and fraudulently registering voters in multiple provinces," Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, said in a statement. "And people from the party seem to have been turning up in places where they clearly don't live and insisting on voting — not to mention the many other claims of fraud around the country."
Hun Sen, who has led Cambodia for 28 years, has a reputation as a tough and wily politician. His party, with the aid of a pliant judiciary, might find a legal loophole to get around an opposition boycott of parliament, or could just continue ruling as a caretaker government, but would find its legitimacy under question at home and abroad.
The opposition's victory claim is evidently part of a strategy to keep pressure on the government, especially while there is still some foreign interest in the election. The United States said Monday that it was "concerned by numerous reported irregularities in the electoral process."
"We call for a transparent and full investigation of all credible reports of irregularities," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in Washington.
The opposition party has asked voters who were denied their ballots to offer their testimony at the party headquarters in Phnom Penh. About 500 turned up Wednesday morning.

View gallery."

Supporters of National Rescue Party gather to give their thumbprint as they complain that their name …

Sam Rainsy told the crowd that their collected complaints would be presented to the National Election Committee and other interested bodies.
"It is a tremendous moment in our history that despite the large-scale theft of votes, our party still won the election," he told the crowd, which chanted "Long live the CNRP."

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Cambodia election protest threatened

July 31, 2013

Lindsay Murdoch

South-East Asia correspondent for Fairfax Media

President of National Rescue Party Sam Rainsy speaks to supporters about issues arising from the election. Photo: AP

Cambodia's opposition has threatened to call nation-wide protests over Sunday's disputed victory by the party of strongman prime minister Hun Sen.
"If they do not accept our victory, we will hold nationwide demonstrations," said Sam Rainsy, head of the Cambodia National Rescue Party which is demanding an international inquiry into allegations of massive electoral fraud.
"There is a democratic change in the air," he said.

National Rescue Party supporters give their thumbprints as they complain that their names were not in the voting lists in July 28 election. Photo: AP

But Mr Rainsy, who returned to Phnom Penh from exile on July 19, has also repeatedly urged his supporters to remain calm amid a state of tense political paralysis in the river-side capital.

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Human rights groups, the United States and the European Union have expressed concern about irregularities in the election and backed opposition calls for an inquiry.
But Mr Hun Sen's government has rejected the calls and said it wants to quickly approve a new cabinet.
Mr Hun Sen, Asia's longest serving leader, has made no comment since his Cambodian People's Party (CPP) claimed initial counting showed it had won 68 seats in the 123-seat parliament, a sharp fall from its previous tally of 90.
If confirmed this would be the worst result for the party since Mr Hun Sen took power 28 years ago as the country emerged from decades of war and the Khmer Ruge's "killing fields" genocide of the 1970s.
Official results have not yet been released.
Ouch Borith, secretary of state at the Foreign Ministry, said more than 10,000 national observers and 100 international observers had found the election was free and fair.
"The opposition party should be asked to show clearly what evidence it has about the irregularities it alleges," he said.
Mr Rainsy, 64, claims up to 1.3 million names were missing from electoral rolls and complained of intimidation and lack of access to the media during campaigning.
The US has called on the country's National Election Commission to investigate "all credible reports of irregularities" while the European Union expressed concern about "shortcomings" that should be dealt with "swiftly and fairly." In a report released on Wednesday Human Rights Watch quoted residents and ruling party officials as saying the CPP "appears to have been involved in electoral fraud" and called for an independent investigation into credible allegations.
"Without this, it's hard to see how Cambodian voters can have confidence in the legitimacy of the elections and the new government that results," said Brad Adams, Asia director at the New York-based organisation.
Transparency International Cambodia said many voters were turned away from polling booths while many others turned up with temporary identification documents distributed by local councils.
The shock result for the government marked a generational shift and emergence of a powerful youth vote in the country and deep concern about corruption, patronage politics and land grabbing that has benefited Chinese and Vietnamese companies.
Mr Hun Sen,61, has maintained strong control over the military, police, state agencies and the media and had vowed to remain in power for another decade.
His government conducted post-election crackdowns in 1995, 1998 and 2005 and has been accused of widespread human rights abuses.
A 2009 US diplomatic cables leaked to Wikileaks said: 'When CPP leaders perceive a choice between pluralistic liberal democracy and order, stability and economic development, they will exploit that conflict to maximise their own power and pre-empt opposition challenges to their political authority."

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សញ្ញានៃភាពវឹកវរក្រោយការបោះឆ្នោតកើតឡើងជាថ្មី

ពុធ 31 កក្កដា 2013

RFI

គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ​ក្នុងយុទ្ធនាការឃោសនាបោះឆ្នោត

Siv Channa/RFI

ដោយ ប៉ែន បូណា

ដូច​ដែល​ក្រុម​អ្នកវិភាគ​បាន​មើល​ឃើញ​ជា​ស្រេច​ ភាព​វឹកវរ​ក្រោយ​ការបោះឆ្នោត​ទំនង​ជា​មិន​អាច​ចៀស​រួច​ឡើយ។ ​ទន្ទឹម​នឹង​ការ​ទាមទារ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការស៊ើប​អង្កេត​អំពី​ភាព​មិន​ប្រក្រតី​នៅ​ ពេល​​បោះឆ្នោត​ គណបក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​អាច​នឹង​ធ្វើ​បាតុកម្ម​ដើម្បី​បង្ខំ​ឲ្យ​គណបក្ស​កាន់អំណាច​ ទទួល​យក​​សំណើ​របស់​ខ្លួន។​ ប្រសិន​បើ​មាន​បាតុកម្ម​ប្រឆាំង​លទ្ធផល​បោះឆ្នោត​កើត​ឡើង​មែន​ ភាព​វឹកវរ​​អាច​នឹង​កើត​ឡើង​ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ​ដែល​បង្ក​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការភ័យ​ខ្លាច​ ជាថ្មី​ដល់​មហាជន​ទូទៅ។ ​តើ​គេអាច​បញ្ចៀស​ស្ថានភាព​វឹកវរ​ក្រោយការ​បោះឆ្នោត​បាន​ដែរ​ឬ​ទេ?

យុទ្ធនាការ​ឃោសនា​បោះឆ្នោត​រយៈពេល​ពេញ​មួយ​ខែ​​ដែល​បាន​ប្រព្រឹត្ត ​ទៅ​យ៉ាង​គគ្រឹក​​គគ្រេង​​​បាន​បិទ​បញ្ចប់​​ក្នុង​បរិយាកាស​ល្អ​ប្រសើរ​ជា​ ទូទៅ។ ​ចំណែក​ឯ​ថ្ងៃ​បោះឆ្នោត​ក៏​បាន​បញ្ចប់​ទៅ​ក្នុង​បរិយាកាស​សន្តិភាព​ដែរ​បើ​ ទោះបី​ជា​មា​ន​បញ្ហា​ខ្លះៗ​បាន​កើត​ឡើង​ក្នុង​អំឡុង​ពេល​នោះ​ក៏ដោយ។​ នេះ​ជា​អ្វី​ដែល​អ្នក​សង្កេតការណ៍​ជាតិ​ និង​អន្តរជាតិ​​បាន​មើល​ឃើញ​និង​បាន​កោត​សរសើរ​​ដោយ​ចាត់​ទុក​ថា​ជា​សញ្ញា​ វិជ្ជមាន​គួរ​ឲ្យ​លើក​ទឹកចិត្ត​សម្រាប់​ដំណើរការ​​លទ្ធិ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​នៅ​ កម្ពុជា។​

ប៉ុន្តែ ​ចំណោទ​ស្តីពី​ភាព​សេរី​ ត្រឹមត្រូវ​ និង​យុត្តិធម៌​នៃ​ដំណើរការ​បោះឆ្នោត​នៅ​តែ​ជា​បញ្ហា​ដ៏ចម្រូង​ចម្រាស​​មួយ​ ដែល​ជានិច្ចកាល​តែង​បាន​ក្លាយជា​ដើមចម​នៃ​ភាព​វឹកវរ​​​នៅ​ក្រោយការ​ បោះឆ្នោត។ ​ការបដិសេធ​លទ្ធផល​នៃ​ការបោះឆ្នោត​ស្ទើរតែ​បាន​ក្លាយ​ជា​វប្បធម៌​មួយ​ទៅ​ ហើយ។​ ដូច្នេះ ​ការបោះឆ្នោត​លើក​នេះ​ក៏​មិន​មែន​ជារឿង​ចម្លែក​ដែរ​ដែល​បញ្ហា​ដដែល​នេះ​កើត​ ឡើង​។ មូលហេតុ​ដែល​នាំ​ឲ្យ​កើត​បញ្ហា​វឹកវរ​ក្រោយ​បោះឆ្នោត​នៅ​តែ​ដដែល​ទេ​​ គឺ​ការ​​មិន​​ទុក​ចិត្ត​​ទៅលើ​​យន្តការ​​រៀបចំ​​ការបោះឆ្នោត ​និង​ចរិត​​មិន​​ទទួល​​ស្គាល់​​​លទ្ធផល​​ចាញ់​​​របស់​​អ្នក​នយោបាយ​​​ខ្មែរ។ ​

លើកនេះ ប្រសិន​បើ​ភាព​វឹកវរ​កើត​ឡើង​ដោយ​មិន​អាច​ចៀសវាង​បាន ​វា​ប្រហែល​ជា​មាន​ ទំហំ​ធំ​ធេង​​ពិបាក​គ្រប់គ្រង​ជាង​​លើក​មុនៗ​ទៅ​ទៀត។ ​ពិបាក​នៅ​ត្រង់​ថា​ ទន្ទឹម​នឹង​សន្ទុះ​នៃ​ការ​គាំទ្របក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​បាន​កើន​ឡើង​យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង​ សន្ទុះ​ទឹក​ចិត្ត​ពុះកញ្ជ្រោល​របស់​ពួកគេ​ជា​ពិសេស​គឺ​ក្រុម​យុវជន​តែម្តង​ ងាយ​នឹង​ឈាន​ដល់​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​ណាស់។​ ឧប្បទ្ទវហេតុ​​មួយចំនួន​ដែល​បាន​កើត​ឡើង​ក្នុង​ពេល​ឃោសនា​ និង​ពេល​បោះឆ្នោត​កន្លងទៅ​គឺ​ជា​ឧទាហរណ៍​ស្រាប់។​

ក្រុម​អ្នកវិភាគ​ស្ថានការណ៍​នយោបាយ​បាន​មើល​ឃើញ​ថា​ នៅ​ពេល​នេះ​អ្នកគាំទ្រ​គណបក្ស​​ប្រឆាំង​ បន្ទាប់ពី​បាន​បោះឆ្នោត​គាំទ្រ​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​ហើយ​ ពួកគេ​ក៏​កំពុង​ដាក់​សម្ពាធ​​ទៅ​លើ​គណបក្ស​នេះ​ឲ្យ​បន្តការ​តវ៉ា​រហូត​ដល់​ ទី​បញ្ចប់​ពីព្រោះ​គោលដៅ​របស់​ពួកគេ​គឺ​​ការ​ផ្លាស់ប្តូរ។​ ដូច្នេះ ​ជ័យជំនះ​របស់​​គណបក្ស​កាន់​អំណាច​គឺ​ជា​ការ​ខកចិត្ត​របស់​ពួកគេ ​បើទោះបី​ជា​​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​បាន​ទទួល​សំឡេង​គាំទ្រ​យ៉ាង​ច្រើន​ក៏ដោយ។ ​ភាព​ពុះកញ្ជ្រោល​នៃ​អ្នកគាំទ្រ​​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​គឺជា​សម្ពាធ​ដាក់​ ទៅលើ​មេដឹកនាំ​គណបក្ស​នេះ​មិន​ឲ្យ​បន្ថយ​ដៃ​​ក្នុង​ការ​តវ៉ា​នោះ​ឡើយ។​

ងាក​ទៅ​មើល​គណបក្ស​កាន់អំណាច​វិញ​ ការ​បាត់បង់​កៅអី​ដល់​ទៅ​ជាង​ ២០​ នៅ​ក្នុង​រដ្ឋសភា​គឺជា​បរាជ័យ​ដ៏​ធំធេង​មួយ​បើទោះបី​ជា​គណបក្ស​នេះ​នៅ​តែ​ អាច​បន្ត​ការគ្រប់គ្រង​អំណាច​ដដែល​​ក៏ដោយ។​ នៅ​ចំពោះ​មុខ​ស្ថានភាព​បែប​នេះ​ ប្រាកដ​ណាស់​ថា​ ការ​ធ្វើ​សម្បទាន​ណាមួយ​ជាមួយ​បក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​​ទំនង​​​ជារឿង​ដែល​ពិបាក​សង្ឃឹម ​ណាស់។

​ដូច្នេះ​ នៅ​ពេល​ដែល​ភាគី​ម្ខាង​ៗ​​ស្ថិត​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្ថានភាព​ក្រពុល​មុខ​រៀងៗ​ខ្លួន​ បញ្ហា​មិន​ងាយ​នឹង​ដោះស្រាយ​បាន​ឡើយ​ ផ្ទុយ​ទៅ​វិញ ​ជម្លោះ​បែក​ផ្សែង​ដែល​នាំដល់​អំពើ​ហិង្សា​ងាយ​នឹង​កើត​មាន​គ្រប់​ពេល​វេលា។ ​សូម​កុំ​ភ្លេច​ថា​អំណឹះ​តទៅ ​មាន​គណបក្ស​តែ​ពីរ​គត់​ដែល​ត្រូវ​តទល់​គ្នា​មួយ​ទល់​នឹង​មួយ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ រដ្ឋសភា។​

ដូច្នេះ​ នេះ​ពិត​ជា​ដំណាក់កាល​ដ៏​សំខាន់​មួយ​ក្នុង​ការសាកល្បង​អំពី​ភាព​ចាស់ទុំ​ខាង ​ប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ​របស់​អ្នកនយោបាយ​ខ្មែរ។​ ភាព​ចាស់ទុំ​ដែល​ជា​កត្តាកំណត់​​អំពី​ជោគវាសនា​របស់​​ប្រទេស​​កម្ពុជា​ ទាំងមូល។ ​ឥឡូវ​នេះ​ អ្វី​ដែល​ជា​សញ្ញា​ល្អ​នោះ​គឺ​ តុល្យភាព​អំណាច​​​នៅក្នុង​សភា ​ពោលគឺ​គណបក្ស​កាន់អំណាច​ និង​បក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​មាន​កម្លាំង​ប្រហាក់​ប្រហែល​គ្នា​ដែល​អាច​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​​ រដ្ឋសភា​មាន​លំនឹង​នយោបាយ។​

ប៉ុន្តែ ​តុល្យភាព​ក្នុង​សភា​នឹង​មាន​ប្រយោជន៍​ប្រសិន​បើ​គណបក្ស​​នីមួយៗ​ប្រើប្រាស់ ​វា​ឲ្យ​ចំគោលដៅ​ពោលគឺ​ដើម្បី​ការពារ​ផលប្រយោជន៍​របស់​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។ ​ផ្ទុយ​ទៅ​វិញ ​តុល្យភាព​អំណាច​នៅ​ក្នុង​រដ្ឋសភា​ងាយ​នឹង​បង្ក​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការជាប់​គាំងនយោបាយ ​ដោះស្រាយ​មិន​ចេញ​ប្រសិន​បើ​គេ​ប្រើ​វា​ដើម្បី​តែ​ការពារ​ផលប្រយោជន៍​ គណបក្សរៀងៗ​ខ្លួន។​

ឥឡូវ​នេះ ​កុំថា​ឡើយ​ដល់​ទៅ​រដ្ឋសភា​ សូម្បី​តែ​លទ្ធផល​បោះឆ្នោត​ក៏​បង្ក​បញ្ហា​បាត់​ទៅ​ហើយ។​ បក្ស​ប្រឆាំង​បដិសេធ​មិន​ទទួល​ស្គាល់​លទ្ធផល​ និង​សុំ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការស៊ើប​អង្កេត​ដោយ​គណៈកម្មការ​​ចម្រុះ​ឯករាជ្យ​មួយ។ ​ប្រសិន​បើ​បក្ស​កាន់អំណាច​បដិសេធ​ ហើយ​បាតុកម្ម​នឹង​ផ្ទុះឡើង​មែន​នោះ​​គេ​ពិបាក​នឹង​ស្រមៃ​ណាស់​ថា ​នឹង​មាន​អ្វី​កើត​ឡើង។ ​ដូច្នេះ ​ពេល​នេះ​មិន​មែន​ជា​ពេលដែល​​ភាគី​នីមួយៗ​ត្រូវ​ពាក់មុខ​យក្ស​ដាក់​គ្នា​ឡើយ ​ តែ​ជា​ពេល​វេលា​ដែល​ត្រូវ​ជជែក​ពិភាក្សា​គ្នារក​ដំណោះស្រាយ​និង​ត្រូវ​ប្រើ​ ភាព​ទន់ភ្លន់​ដាក់​គ្នា​ឲ្យ​បាន​ច្រើន​បំផុត។​

ពិត​ណាស់​ថា​ នេះ​ជា​ស្ថានភាព​ដ៏​លំបាក​ពីព្រោះ​​ថា​ភាគី​នីមួយៗ​កំពុង​ក្រពុល​មុខ​ ប៉ុន្តែ​ សម្រាប់​អ្នកនយោបាយ​ បញ្ហា​ប៉ុណ្ណោះវា​មិន​មែន​​ធំដុំ​ពេក​រហូត​ដល់​ដោះស្រាយ​មិន​ចេញ​នោះ​ឡើយ។​ ផ្ទុយ​ទៅ​វិញ ​ការបណ្តែត​បណ្តោយ​ឲ្យ​ភាព​វឹកវរ​កើត​ឡើង​ វា​នឹង​បង្ក​ផលវិបាក​ធំធេង​ជាង​នេះ​ឆ្ងាយណាស់៕​​

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គណបក្ស​សង្រ្គោះ​ជាតិ​​បើក​វេទិកា​ឱ្យ​ប្រជាពល​រដ្ឋ​បញ្ចេញ​មតិ​ជុំវិញ​ការ​បោះឆ្នោត

ថ្ងៃ ពុធ 31 កក្កដា 2013
RFI

ប្រជាជន ​ជាច្រើន​នាំគ្នាប្រមូល​ផ្ដុំ​នៅ​មុខ​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ ក្នុងវេទិការ​​បញ្ចេញមតិ​ជុំវិញ​ការ​បោះឆ្នោត​ ថ្ងៃ​ទី ៣១ កក្កដា​២០១៣។​

@Chea Bunthoeun

ដោយ ជា ប៊ុនធឿន

មនុស្ស​រាប់រយ​នាក់​បាន​ប្រមូល​ផ្តុំ​គ្នា នៅ​មុខ​ទៅ​ស្នាក់ការគណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះ​ជាតិ​ នា​ខណ្ឌ​ទួលគោក នៅព្រឹកនេះ ដើម្បី​ចុះ​ឈ្មោះ​ឡើង​វិញ ចំពោះ​អ្នក​ដែល​មិន​មាន​ឈ្មោះ​បោះឆ្នោត សម្រាប់​ការបោះឆ្នោត អណត្តិ​ទី៥។ ក្រុម​ការងារ​គណបក្ស​បាន​រៀបចំ​​តុ​​ចំនួន ៦​ ដើម្បី​ឱ្យប្រជាជន​ ដែល​មានបញ្ហាជុំវិញ​ការបោះឆ្នោត​ឡើង​បង្ហាញ​ភស្ដុតាង​ដែល​បាន​ឆ្លងកាត់។

លោកស្រី មួរ សុខហួរ តំណាងរាស្ត្រ មណ្ឌលបាត់ដំបងរបស់គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ បាន​អះអាង​ថា ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋជិត ១ពាន់នាក់ បាននាំគ្នាជួបជុំ​ដើម្បីចុះឈ្មោះ ម្តងម្នាក់ៗ មាន​អ្នក​មួយ​ចំនួន មានកាន់នូវអត្តសញ្ញាណប័ណ្ណ និងអ្នកខ្លះបានកាន់លិខិតឆ្លងដែនផងដែរ នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្នាក់​ការ​គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ ខណ្ឌទួលគោក ក្នុងគោលបំណងចុះឈ្មោះឡើងវិញ ដោយ​សង្ឃឹម​ថា នឹងអាចមានការបោះឆ្នោត​ឡើងវិញ នៅតាមមណ្ឌលមួយចំនួន។
គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ​បានបើកវេទិកានេះឡើង ដើម្បីបង្ហាញពីភាពមិនប្រក្រតីមួយចំនួន ជុំវិញការបោះឆ្នោត កាលពីថ្ងៃអាទិត្យទី២៨ កក្កដា។ គណបក្សខាងលើបើកឱ្យប្រជាជន មកបង្ហាញភស្ដុតាងជុំវិញការបោះឆ្នោត ដើម្បីជំរុញឱ្យមានការបង្កើត​គណៈកម្មាធិការ​ចំរុះ​មួយ​សម្រាប់​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​ រកចំណុច មិនប្រក្រតីជាច្រើន។
លោកស្រី មួរ សុខហួរ បានឱ្យដឹងថា គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ បានបើកទ្វារ​ប្រមូល​ភស្ដុតាង​ពី​ប្រជាជន ដោយ​មាន​រៀបចំ៦តុ ដើម្បីឱ្យប្រជាពលរដ្ឋបង្ហាញ​ពីបញ្ហាផ្សេងៗគ្នា។
វេទិកាខាងលើបានចាប់ផ្ដើមបើកកាលពីព្រឹកមិញ សម្រាប់រយៈពេល ២សប្ដាហ៍ ដែល​គ្រោង​នឹង​បញ្ចប់ ថ្ងៃទី១០ សីហា ខាងមុខ។ ដោយលោក ស្រី មួរ សុខហួរ បានអះអាងថា បន្ទាប់​ពីការប្រមូលភស្ដុតាង​ពី​ប្រជាជន​មក គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ​នឹង​ចេញ​ជា​ របាយការណ៍​មួយ ផ្ដល់ជូន​គណៈកម្មាធិការជាតិរៀបចំការបោះឆ្នោត គ.ជ.ប. និង​សហគមន៍​អន្តរជាតិ​មួយ​ចំនួន។
សូមរម្លឹកថា បន្ទាប់ពីមានការប្រកាសលទ្ធផលបឋម នៃការបោះឆ្នោត នាថ្ងៃទី២៨ កក្កដា ដោយគណបក្សប្រជាជន និងគ.ជ.ប.​មក គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ​បាន​ចេញ​សេចក្ដីថ្លែង​ការណ៍​មួយ ​មិនទទួលស្គាល់លទ្ធផលជាបឋមខាងលើ។ គណបក្សសង្គ្រោះជាតិ បានស្នើ​ទៅ គ.ជ.ប. និងរដ្ឋាភិបាលឱ្យមានការបង្កើតគណៈកម្មាធិការចំរុះ ដើម្បីស្រាវជ្រាវ​នូវ​អ្វី ​ដែល​គណបក្ស​សង្គ្រោះជាតិ និង​សង្គមស៊ីវិល​មួយ​ចំនួន​អះអាង​ថា​មាន​ភាព​មិន​ប្រក្រតី​៕

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Meet the $100,000,000,000,000 man

July 31, 2013 - 6:12PM

The Sydney Morning Herald

Their economy in tatters, Zimbabweans have their best chance yet of ending Robert Mugabe's three decades of mismanagement.

Martin Sherrard
It's a cliche, but Zimbabwe was once known as the breadbasket of Africa. Now it's the basket case of Africa.
Its large-scale agriculture meant that it produced enough food for its people and there was a surplus that was exported.

No currency: Dirty, tattered US dollars have replaced the worthless Zimbabwe dollars.

But then the big farmers, all of them white, were beaten or murdered and driven off the land so the farms could be "indigenised". If you go looking for those farms now, they are covered in weeds, the machinery and infrastructure often sold as scrap metal because there was no other use for it.

Some of those evicted farmers moved to neighbouring Zambia,  setting up farms  and even exporting food to Zimbabwe.

But the absurdity didn't end there. Many thousands of farm workers, black Zimbabweans, were left unemployed in the "indigenisation" process, which contributed to an unemployment rate now estimated at 85 per cent.

Police vote at the special elections in Bulawayo.

The blame for this madness on a national scale can be pinned on one man: Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
With no food and no income, the economy imploded. The inflation rate passed 500 billion per cent in 2008 before going into the trillions, and the Zimbabwe dollar was worth less than the paper it was printed on.
Sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States didn't help, but the damage had already been done.

Jacob wears his Zanu-PF disguise in Bulawayo.

Yet Mugabe, who came to power in 1980 as head of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), the major force in the two-decade war against white minority rule, clings to power. He will turn 90 in February.
While the country is nominally a democracy, Mugabe has built up a reputation as a vote-rigger.
The last election, in 2008, was abandoned due to violence that claimed the lives of dozens of opposition  officials and many more ordinary Zimbabweans.

Morgan Tsvangirai at an election rally in the capital Harare.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change - Tsvangirai (MDC-T),  led the primary presidential election comfortably but pulled out of the run-off vote because of  violence against his  supporters.
A power-sharing arrangement brokered by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) the following year allowed  Mugabe to retain the presidency and  Tsvangirai (whose party won the most votes in the parliamentary election) to become prime minister.
The economy only stabilised after some MDC-T MPs took over ministries in 2009 - and the Zimbabwe dollar was killed off in favour of using foreign currencies.

Robert Mugabe

Under MDC-T Finance Minister Tendai Biti, the economy has grown every year since 2009 - it's up 3.4 per cent this year and inflation is expected to fall to 3.9 per cent.
But the first election since 2008 begins today, with Mugabe saying he wants to bring back the Zim dollar.
Unlike the last elections, this time there has been no violence to speak of. But it's too early to tell if there will be vote fraud. It's also too early to tell what will happen if Zanu-PF refuses to accept defeat.

A man holds the $100 trillion dollar note.

On Sunday, MDC-T official Morgen Komichi was arrested after reporting to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission that marked ballot papers had been dumped. These papers were from separate polling for army and police  held two weeks ago. Police say they will detain Mr Komichi until he tells them who gave him the ballot papers (the police and army are unashamedly pro-Mugabe).
There are allegations in the local media that China is helping to bankroll Mugabe's election campaign, which contravenes electoral laws. But this is a small matter compared with the violence and fraud of  2008, and people in the street when Fairfax visited the country in  mid-July are confident that this election will finally bring change.
''Things will get better,'' Gideon says in Masvingo, in the country's south-east. He doesn't name any of the parties, nor the two main presidential candidates, but his tone says what his words don't.
When I talk to Jacob, a man in his mid-30s, in Bulawayo, he too avoids using names. He says that even though the economy has improved since the last elections, it is still tough. He has a daughter at kindergarten and can't afford the $US50 a term school fees, which will increase to $US200 a term by the time she reaches high school.
Jacob is wearing a Zanu-PF T-shirt with the party's slogan "Indigenise Empower Develop Employ" on the back and a picture of Mugabe on the front. I ask him why and he replies that "it's only a disguise".
There is a genuine fear of a return to the days before the 2008 elections, when the Zimbabwe dollar collapsed.
"There was no food in the shops," Jacob says. "Only toilet paper."
There was also violence, the reason for Jacob's protective colouring.
In the north-west of the country, at Victoria Falls,  touts are making a living out of the country's embarrassment, selling worthless Zimbabwe dollars as souvenirs.
Michael is selling a wad of Zimbabwe dollars for $US15, a collection of a dozen that includes everything from $1000  to $20 billion notes.
Michael is open about his intentions: he will be voting Tsvangirai. He says that even the ethnic Shona majority, who overwhelmingly voted  Zanu-PF in the past, have had enough of Mugabe.
"It's not about tribalism," Michael says. "There are lots of Shona who want change.”
The collapse of the economy has also led to a diaspora, and there are about 2 million Zimbabweans in South Africa, mostly doing low-paid jobs and sending money home. In the past few years there have been several murderous mob attacks on Zimbabwean and other migrant groups around Johannesburg, driven by claims that they are taking jobs away from South Africans.
I meet Peter in a village near Bulawayo. He has just returned home on leave from South Africa.
"I am a refugee there," he says. "But what can I do?"
He says he manages to survive because he is Ndebele, an ethnic group which uses the Zulu language, and he passes himself off as Zulu.
What Peter can't understand is the hatred. He points out that during the last decade of apartheid, the recently liberated Zimbabwe gave sanctuary to South African refugees. He doesn't say who he will vote for, but like everyone else, he wants change.
Mutare, in the far east of Zimbabwe, is Shona heartland. Mugabe is Shona, and has relied heavily on  Shona votes to keep him in power. It is a Saturday and the streets are almost deserted but on the outskirts of town, a crowd of 20,000  is attending a Tsvangirai rally at the football stadium.
The scene is repeated the following day at Masvingo, two hours' drive to the west. It is still Shona country, but Tsvangirai attracts a similar crowd to the  stadium there. There are scores of people wearing red shirts, the colour of the MDC-T.
 "We are going to see president Tsvangirai," one redshirt says.
At the rally, Tsvangirai is like any other politician.
“Vote MDC and you will live a better life . . . there will be plenty of money that you will not be able to finish spending," he says. "If you vote Zanu-PF, the Zim dollars will be back and you won't be able to buy anything, just like what happened during those days."
The reality of Zimbabwe's economy hits me at a shop in Masvingo. I am handed my change, and at first I wonder what it is. It is hard to make out the image of George Washington, or the number 1 that should be visible at each corner. It is a US dollar bill, grubby almost beyond recognition. The coins are South African rand. It's not as complicated as I first think - the rand is 10 to the US dollar, so there are a thousand cents to each greenback.
But dirty or not, it's stable.

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Feeling cheated

Cambodia's election

Jul 29th 2013, 10:55 by L.H. | PHNOM PENH

The Economist

NOT long after the prime minister, Hun Sen, cast his vote at a teacher’s college on July 28th, the first signs of trouble emerged. Allegations that the electoral roll had been rigged were coming in from across Cambodia and a riot was about to erupt on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh. The counting made it plain that Hun Sen and his Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) had won, and by a generous margin. But the opposition made substantial gains—as well as claims that the CPP had cheated.

It was a dramatic conclusion to a dramatic home stretch. On July 12th the government had issued a pardon to Sam Rainsy, an opposition leader who had exiled himself from Cambodia since 2009, while criminal charges were prepared against him. He made his homecoming on July 19th, when he was met by a jubilant crowd. They may have hoped that Mr Sam Rainsy’s presence could bring their party an outright victory in the polls, but he seemed to have known better. Even then, with a week to go before the election, he was threatening to have the results condemned if the rules weren’t changed.
When July 28th came round, some voters were angered to discover that their names were not on the rolls, or that other people had already voted under their names. Other rumours flew furiously: for instance that the CPP was shipping in Vietnamese from across the border to cast ballots.
“Khmer can’t vote—yuon can,” went up the cry on social-media sites and among many who were protesting against the CPP. Yuon means Vietnamese people in Khmer, the main language of Cambodia. Many regard it as a highly derogatory term. Two police vehicles were overturned and set alight. By nightfall troops were deployed, roads blocked and Phnom Penh’s lively rumour mill had gone into overdrive. It all made a tense atmosphere tenser.
By the end of preliminary counting, the CPP acknowledged that the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) led by Mr Sam Rainsy had picked up 55 seats, an impressive improvement on the 29 seats it had already held in the 123-seat parliament. The CPP won 68 seats for itself, down from 90, and so lost the two-thirds majority which had enabled it to rewrite the constitution. Minor parties, including the once-formidable royalist Funcinpec party, were obliterated.
Mr Sam Rainsy stayed true to form. Throughout the campaign he stoked popular anti-Vietnamese sentiment, and with it a familiar fear of hegemony on the part of Cambodia’s big neighbour to the east. Mr Sam Rainsy’s critics in Cambodia say his rhetoric verged on being xenophobic. The Vietnamese embassy issued a rare statement that accused him of using racially charged rhetoric to score political points.
That is even more a shame for the fact that he probably didn’t need it. This election was decided on more practical issues. The opposition’s greatest advantage was the anger that has been mounting against the massive land concessions that are granted to Chinese and Vietnamese companies; a widening wealth disparity; and gross corruption that favours the politically connected.
These issues were made more potent by the emergence of a powerful youth vote. Demographic change has altered the political landscape; those born as Cambodia’s civil wars were ending two decades ago are just now coming of age. Being too young to remember the 1980s and ’90s themselves, they tend to be unmoved by Mr Hun Sen’s main argument: that an opposition victory could spell a return to civil conflict.
Armed with smartphones and social media, the youth went to the barricades for the CNRP. This made for an especially lively campaign, and in turn diminished the relevance of the government-friendly media. Its propaganda machine, in the end, was capable of little more than preaching to the choir.
The opposition has rejected the results formally and demanded that an independent committee be set up to investigate the irregularities and their impact on the poll. One day after the polls closed, independent election monitors said it was too early in the counting process to determine whether the vote was free and fair. The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel) noted some worrying irregularities, including the use of ink that was supposed to be indelible—to prevent people from voting more than once—but in fact washed off easily. Comfrel also noted the disappearance of some names from the voter lists prepared by the National Election Committee, and the fact that strangers were spotted loitering about some polling booths.
Mr Sam Rainsy told a hastily arranged press conference that the opposition was not trying to bargain its way into government. “What we are interested in,” he said, “is to render justice to the Cambodian people.”
Meanwhile Mr Hun Sen, who over 28 years has established himself as the longest-serving elected leader in South-East Asia, was staying tight-lipped. He has been handed a stark choice: Reform the CPP, or dig in his heels. Any real reform would have to include laying down a clear path for succession. If he insists on maintaining the status quo then civil unrest is almost certain, whatever may be said about future elections.
(Picture credit: AFP)

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Opposition claims majority win

Wed, 31 July 2013

Shane Worrell

P Penh Post

 

If a joint committee investigates the irregularities and results from Sunday’s election, it will discover the opposition has won between 80 and 90 seats in the 123-seat National Assembly, Cambodia National Rescue Party president Sam Rainsy said today.
Rainsy told the Post that his party’s final figures from the poll, which do not factor in irregularities, showed the CNRP had secured 63 seats – enough to lead the country – but an investigation would put that figure much higher.
“[Sixty-three] is our figure ... our final result,” he said. “But I want to specify that ... if we re-adjust this figure for irregularities, disenfranchised voters and ghost voters, we would have won a much a larger estimate.

“We do not have fully [a seat number]. We want the committee to investigate. But we would have won more than 80 seats.”
He went on to add that the figure could actually be as high as 90 seats.
Because of this, Rainsy said, Prime Minister Hun Sen should offer his resignation because “the figures are against him”.
In a press conference Monday, Rainsy and CNRP deputy leader Kem Sokha rejected the government’s call of a 68-55 Cambodian People’s Party victory, claiming irregularities had cost them victory.
They called for a joint committee consisting of the CPP, CNRP, the National Election Committee, NGOs and the United Nations to investigate.
Speaking today at CNRP headquarters, where those prevented from voting were invited to share their stories, opposition lawmaker Mu Sochua said the CNRP had tallied vote counts across the country to arrive at its figure.
“We are claiming that we have 63 seats,” she said. “If the NEC keeps saying we have 55 seats, give us the proof. We have proof we have 63 seats.”
Preliminary NEC figures would put the count at 68 to 55 in favour of the CPP, but final results aren’t due for another two weeks.

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