The youth vote could prove decisive in this month's election in Cambodia. In March, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen slapped down his main rival Sam Rainsy - accusing him of pointlessly "dragging in a youth movement" in an attempt to topple the Prime Minister. But while Sam Rainsy is banking on a mood for change among the young - it's far from clear whether Cambodia's youth will be able to mobilise their numbers to impact the result.
Presenter: Bill Bainbridge
Speaker: Sann Seakkin, Sam Rainsy Party Youth Member delegate; Koul Panha, Executive Director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections
(CAMBODIAN SONG): BAINBRIDGE: The song calls for political change in Cambodia and is aimed squarely at the country's huge cohort of under 30s. A post Khmer Rouge era baby boom means that more than half of Cambodia's eligible voters are aged between 18 and 30. Most of them have no recollection of the time when Hun Sen wasn't the Prime Minister. Youth discontent with the man who's been at the helm of Cambodian life in one way or another for 23 years is something the Sam Rainsy Party is trying to tap, not just with songs but with a push to promote young members of the party.
Sann Seakkin is the Rainsy Party's newly elected Youth delegate.
SEAKKIN: In the political platform of Rainsy Party one of the three political messages when Sam Rainsy takes the power Rainsy Party will provide appropriate jobs to the youths by fighting corruption first.
BAINBRIDGE: The 28-year old university lecturer says many of Cambodia's young are disenfranchised by unemployment and land grabbing, and he hopes to persuade them to choose Rainsy on polling day.
SEAKKIN: Some young Cambodian people come to join Sam Rainsy youth movement because they are part of ... land grabbing, because it is difficult to jobs.
BAINBRIDGE: At this western style hamburger restaurant in Phnom Penh there is some excitement about the opportunity to vote among this group of young graduates.
MALE GRADUATE: I'm 23 years old, I'm going to vote and it is my first time that I'm going to vote at a national election.
FEMALE GRADUATE: No it's not the same case, even now if you don't go to vote no one comes to your house and forces you or you are fined by any institution of the government. But you vote because you want to see a change, you want a better government, you want a better environment to live in. So you yourself have a voice.
ANOTHER MALE GRADUATE: I do hope that the new leader or yes maybe a new leader of the country and educate ...
ANOTHER FEMALE GRADUATE: Many young people feel disappointed with the political situation nowadays, and they may not go to vote because they think that political parties are similar, like same kind of policies and who play the game.
MALE GRADUATE: They always invite the SRP leader to celebrate the graduate ceremony, so I think SRP care more about popularity than the other party.
BAINBRIDGE: But the sentiments of this group aside the evidence suggests most young people feel remote from the political process.
Koul Panha is the Executive Director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections. His organisation conducted a survey into young voters last year. He says while young voters form a potentially decisive block, most feel disenfranchised from politics.
PANHA: They feel that they have no power to influence the politics and they don't know how to organise themselves. They understand about the importance of democracy but they don't know how to use the politics to get democracy.
BAINBRIDGE: Panha says he expects most young people come election day to be directed by the parents as to who to vote for, but he also says a smart campaign could attract a large swag of young voters.
PANHA: Youth is ready to change their decision to vote, that's why we see that youth most not have a decision yet on the voting. The party who are responding to the needs and the solution of the youth they will benefit from the youth vote.
BAINBRIDGE: Do you see any of the parties attempting to do that at the moment?
PANHA: Some parties they try to talk about the youth for example employment like SRP they talk about employment. Human Rights Party they talk about education and CPP they talk about new generation leadership. So I hope youth will decide which one is really the long term benefit to them also.
Presenter: Bill Bainbridge
Speaker: Sann Seakkin, Sam Rainsy Party Youth Member delegate; Koul Panha, Executive Director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections
(CAMBODIAN SONG): BAINBRIDGE: The song calls for political change in Cambodia and is aimed squarely at the country's huge cohort of under 30s. A post Khmer Rouge era baby boom means that more than half of Cambodia's eligible voters are aged between 18 and 30. Most of them have no recollection of the time when Hun Sen wasn't the Prime Minister. Youth discontent with the man who's been at the helm of Cambodian life in one way or another for 23 years is something the Sam Rainsy Party is trying to tap, not just with songs but with a push to promote young members of the party.
Sann Seakkin is the Rainsy Party's newly elected Youth delegate.
SEAKKIN: In the political platform of Rainsy Party one of the three political messages when Sam Rainsy takes the power Rainsy Party will provide appropriate jobs to the youths by fighting corruption first.
BAINBRIDGE: The 28-year old university lecturer says many of Cambodia's young are disenfranchised by unemployment and land grabbing, and he hopes to persuade them to choose Rainsy on polling day.
SEAKKIN: Some young Cambodian people come to join Sam Rainsy youth movement because they are part of ... land grabbing, because it is difficult to jobs.
BAINBRIDGE: At this western style hamburger restaurant in Phnom Penh there is some excitement about the opportunity to vote among this group of young graduates.
MALE GRADUATE: I'm 23 years old, I'm going to vote and it is my first time that I'm going to vote at a national election.
FEMALE GRADUATE: No it's not the same case, even now if you don't go to vote no one comes to your house and forces you or you are fined by any institution of the government. But you vote because you want to see a change, you want a better government, you want a better environment to live in. So you yourself have a voice.
ANOTHER MALE GRADUATE: I do hope that the new leader or yes maybe a new leader of the country and educate ...
ANOTHER FEMALE GRADUATE: Many young people feel disappointed with the political situation nowadays, and they may not go to vote because they think that political parties are similar, like same kind of policies and who play the game.
MALE GRADUATE: They always invite the SRP leader to celebrate the graduate ceremony, so I think SRP care more about popularity than the other party.
BAINBRIDGE: But the sentiments of this group aside the evidence suggests most young people feel remote from the political process.
Koul Panha is the Executive Director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections. His organisation conducted a survey into young voters last year. He says while young voters form a potentially decisive block, most feel disenfranchised from politics.
PANHA: They feel that they have no power to influence the politics and they don't know how to organise themselves. They understand about the importance of democracy but they don't know how to use the politics to get democracy.
BAINBRIDGE: Panha says he expects most young people come election day to be directed by the parents as to who to vote for, but he also says a smart campaign could attract a large swag of young voters.
PANHA: Youth is ready to change their decision to vote, that's why we see that youth most not have a decision yet on the voting. The party who are responding to the needs and the solution of the youth they will benefit from the youth vote.
BAINBRIDGE: Do you see any of the parties attempting to do that at the moment?
PANHA: Some parties they try to talk about the youth for example employment like SRP they talk about employment. Human Rights Party they talk about education and CPP they talk about new generation leadership. So I hope youth will decide which one is really the long term benefit to them also.
1 comment:
Dear Khmerization;
Personally, don't think that SRP youth movement would gather much of supports from among youth population nation wide and make any greater impact on this up-coming election.
Youth population is having a common approach - A need for change, but, it is fact, that deep down they are divided and disagreed with each other on many frontiers particular those graduates with a secured job within the private, NGO and diplomat sectors [one who work at the foreign embassy in Cambodia] are happy with their current status, salary and other beneficial package received, those graduats without proper employment are frustrated, the under-graduate are yet to decide or take a stance or view on politic and the rural youth are indifferent or disenfranchise from politic as long as the livelihood in village they are living is being looked after by current or any future potential political party, whether it is big or samll are all aprreciated.
One of Phana's comment: "Some parties they try to talk about the youth for example employment like SRP they talk about employment. Human Rights Party they talk about education and CPP they talk about new generation leadership", is indeed attracting my attention.
So far during the campaign, SRP is strongly emphasizing and selling their policies to its supporters the issues related to land, inflation and providing appropriate job and reasonable salary.
In order to provide employment to youth population, one shall look into 1] how to creat employment - create of employment is something to do with either direct foreign investment or the existing businesses. If SRP platform and policy towards land issue particular those holding license to develop resort, agricultures Etc.. by all means, to reverse all decisions made and committed by the current administration then SRP will never get any supports from business sector.
SRP shall be more realistic about inflation which is global issue and trend at this moment. SRP might be able to bring down inflation rate slightly but can't see that it would remain low and under control foever, therefore it is only a short term measure. If SRP is going to implement the idea of one of it senior member made a while ago about abolishing imported tax and levies completely in order to have cheap fuel then SRP is out of touch with the real world as No government in the world would commit suicide by killing its revenue flow. MaCain is current object any tax holiday on fuel in order to please the consumers and potential voters imply because he can't see that it is an appropriate way to addressing the soaring fuel price.
Appropriate job and reasonable salary, but what is appropriate job and reasonable salary. Vietnam now is losing its ground to Cambodia in direct foreign investment and by all means I hope that SRP would rather take this opportunity to convince the potential or future investors that his party policy would welcome and guarantee a pleasant and viable environment for their investment.
New generation leadership. That's something new for CPP. My guess would be "Some new faces to ministerial posts".
mediawatch
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