Perspectives on Political Party and
Election in Cambodia
Completely recovering from
three decades war within the country, Cambodia is adopting the democratic
policy and free market system. More investment coming to this small kingdom,
but more infrastructure and law reinforcement should be done in order to
attract more investment, especially from Japan. Several elections were
conducted within fixed period mandate. However, Cambodia seems not to go well
with how the elections should be done rightly and how each political party
should cooperate to move forward for the development after completing the
elections. No political party in Cambodia today seems to show that kind of
care; many in Cambodia, but whether all parties have clear vision for future of
Cambodia yet. The powerful party seems to hold long-standing authority to win
all elections, but what is really behind this kind of victory. Election process
and registration should be more comfortable while many people losing their
trust since their name was lost or incorrect during the day of election causing
thousand of Khmer citizens not able to vote. Most Cambodian people going to
vote also supported this party in exchange of peacekeeping and stability, but
they also did not satisfy 100% what the government is doing. Getting
disappointed for the weakness of today government and all political parties,
more and more people did not go to vote while more Vietnamese people hold Cambodian
ID Card going to vote for only one party. Many people going to vote said there
were Vietnamese speaking their own language at the election stations noisily. The
question is why Vietnamese immigrating to Cambodia easily get Cambodia ID Card
and register for vote. The truth should be accepted that today it is surely
happening in Cambodia and how the government should response to this issue.
Many people in Cambodia are increasing their concern from day to day why the
government still ignores this big concern. At least, Cambodia’s government
should research totaling the exact population of Vietnamese in Cambodia
releasing to all local citizens to know since Wikipedia expected 2 to 3
millions in term of their population within this country. Another bad image of
today government is forcing people to leave their house without proper
compensation like finding other good place for citizens to live well with
utilities, school, hospital, and other necessary infrastructures. Tear of poor
people seems to fall down every day because of powerful election winners; some
said voting for the country representatives to develop the country, but each representative
seems to look down on voters after they won since they are so wealthy; all
should be aware that they win the election to serve people and not just to hold
higher position. Their mission is to bring the development for country and no
right to act proudly with their position looking down the local people.
Position given is not to measure how highly their status is, but how their
responsibility should be to serve people righteously. One more thing about all
parties after the election, winner of election, government, should not just
provide fund to their political member to run the development project while the
proposal of other political parties almost being ignored. The competition
should be only during the election campaign and all parties should come
together as think tank group for swift development after the election finished.
Not only the winners, losers also make a mistake in term of national
cooperation after the elections; some political parties just do what the foreign
country outsiders ask them to do for the sake of prestige in the country without
considering the stability for the country like asking donor not to fund the
development projects in this country in order to the force the government to
accept what might be partly right for government to take action, but they do
not. The government will never die because of that, but local people will be
affected seriously without that kind of projects to continue. Finally, all
political parties should reconsider the best way to cooperate after finishing
the election to perform well altogether for the development of Cambodia. Budget
in the hand of government is for all parties to use with development projects
throughout Cambodia and all proposals should be accepted if budget proposal is
surely qualified. “Please do your best for your country!” “Do not compete
for fame, but showing how well you are in term of development projects
achievement!” “Right or wrong is in your hand of cooperation to value
altogether!” “Accept the truth first and then finding the better solutions
later!”
By: POK
Panhavuth
