Reforms critical for ex-Alliance members

By Phi Thach

Several politicians doubt FUNCINPEC and the Sam Rainsy party (SRP) will ever win elections after having relatively gauged what will be their credibility with the public. The sudden collapse of the "Alliance of democrats" depicted a political campaign that has cast disagreement among the self-proclaimed democrats in terms of tactical errors since the introduction of a liberal democracy system in Cambodia. The new political way the two parties have just chosen had been blocked by this collapse that was the cause of their return to the original state of being at loggerheads with each other. They will likely conclude neither an electoral pact nor a political collaborative venture between them. Facing the fact that they cannot afford to solve growing internal problems, they are proceeding with reforms that are not yet clear. Nobody knows whether the parties' elites are behind this exciting prospect of reform. FUNCINPEC started implementing reform by decreasing the number of its deputy-secretary generals from more than twenty to six, and changing officials in the provinces - even though nothing worthy of comment happened regarding the new nomination to the above positions. Meanwhile, an interesting piece of news over a schedule to replace the SRP secretary general, and its steps toward reform, has mesmerized its members and local media. Supporters of the ruling party were gossiping about those initiatives by classifying them as nonsense. For instance, they usually said that: "No one from those parties can grasp to do such a reform because they are not strong, smart and wealthy enough to do politics."Practically, reform includes change, but change does not imply strictly reform. Each reform should be stirred up to action by prevailing "voluntarism" that is usually subject of the elite's business, and has nothing to do with the routine. The party's leaders will have to face a tense agenda and lead an effort to define and maintain the party's reforming system that reflects the new, revolutionary circumstances adequately to democracy. As a matter of fact, reform is planned for wining the next elections, if not other purposes. It is not limited to dealing with removing the party's officials and interchanging their posts and responsibilities. When shaping a series of actions or operations to perform the reform, a team, consisting of selective members with pluralistic features, in the know on effective functioning system of political party to advise on Cambodia's political evolution, would be properly created to be responsible for leading this heavy work. This team will have to study both on amending the party's statutes, and working out regulations and rules to ban personal and institutional dominance in order to improve the party's efficiency to gain strong and honest support nation wide. But, it is very petty of the party to hatch a plan of reform for self-interest. This is self-defeating. Reform is also expected to bring about new substantial and pragmatic knowledge of open-mindedness and transparency that helps people understand the values and issues related to politicians and parties. Should this mind transcend other partiesÇ limited advantage. By keeping a real perspective on election victory, political parties should be open to sincere and exhaustive debate between change and reform, as well as the subject of "voluntarism" that manages them to acquire remarkable ability to get things done.

Reform is absolutely imperative, and change is the name of the game for a modern Cambodia.

Phi Thach is currently a member of FUNCINPEC. He defected from the Sam Raisy Party in August.

Phnom Penh Post, Issue 13/26, December 17 - 30, 2004