Kem Sokha (L) and Sam Rainsy (R) signed an agreement for Democratic Movement of Change on 15th Jan, 2009.By Khmerization
Source: RFA
It's been a year since the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP) had entered into alliance and merger talks, but both parties have not yet reached the agreements for the merger, reports Radio Free Asia.
However, Mr. Nhem Ponharith, Secretary General of the HRP, said the results of talks in the last one year are positive and encouraging. "We still have very high hopes because, during the talks, we had agreed on 2/3 of our agenda and the 1/3 of our agenda still in discussions are related to legal and technical issues. But in principle, we will create one united movement with the participation of all other political parties that have the same political leanings toward nationalistic liberal democracy and with the participation of other immenent political personalities", he said.
Mr. Yim Sovan, spokesman for the SRP, admitted some disagreements still had to be worked out, but said talks in the last one year had resulted in positive outcomes. "For me, I remain positive. And details regarding technical and other issues in the lead up to the creation of a single party and the integration of other parties into the SRP, which is a second largest political party after the ruling Cambodian Pepole's Party (CPP), our technical teams are still discussing them", he said.
Mr. Khieu Kanharith, spokesman for the rulling CPP, said his party is not concerned about the merger of the SRP and the HRP. "There is no problem because I have always said in the past that before they had 500 Riels and divided with 10 people, so each will get 50 Riels. Now, they collected all that money back, but some of them had even spent the money already, so each of them will still get 50 Riels", he said metaphorically.
Both SRP and HRP planned to merge, at least have a single candidate list between them, before the commune election in 2012 and general election in 2013.
Source: RFA
It's been a year since the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and the Human Rights Party (HRP) had entered into alliance and merger talks, but both parties have not yet reached the agreements for the merger, reports Radio Free Asia.
However, Mr. Nhem Ponharith, Secretary General of the HRP, said the results of talks in the last one year are positive and encouraging. "We still have very high hopes because, during the talks, we had agreed on 2/3 of our agenda and the 1/3 of our agenda still in discussions are related to legal and technical issues. But in principle, we will create one united movement with the participation of all other political parties that have the same political leanings toward nationalistic liberal democracy and with the participation of other immenent political personalities", he said.
Mr. Yim Sovan, spokesman for the SRP, admitted some disagreements still had to be worked out, but said talks in the last one year had resulted in positive outcomes. "For me, I remain positive. And details regarding technical and other issues in the lead up to the creation of a single party and the integration of other parties into the SRP, which is a second largest political party after the ruling Cambodian Pepole's Party (CPP), our technical teams are still discussing them", he said.
Mr. Khieu Kanharith, spokesman for the rulling CPP, said his party is not concerned about the merger of the SRP and the HRP. "There is no problem because I have always said in the past that before they had 500 Riels and divided with 10 people, so each will get 50 Riels. Now, they collected all that money back, but some of them had even spent the money already, so each of them will still get 50 Riels", he said metaphorically.
Both SRP and HRP planned to merge, at least have a single candidate list between them, before the commune election in 2012 and general election in 2013.
7 comments:
SRP and HRP need the time to do everything.We hope that they will be one party!!!!
All khmer ought to support SRP and HRP to be one ,because the youn CPP destroy the khmer nation and until 2013 youn people will more than khmer poeple!!!
I will only support SRP/HRP merging if HRP is clear from CPP. I have heard that HRS is the puppet of CPP. While Mr. Khem Sokha was in jail, he talked in cell phone with Mr. Hun Sen and then I got release and form his party soon afterward. This technique has been used by Youns to achieve its goals. I call it the enemy striking within. If your party got infected by cancers, it will gradually destroying you eventually.
Correction:
then he(not I) got release and form his party soon afterward.
It is true that Sokha talked to Hun Sen on the cellphone. While he organized a Dharmayietra walk to Siem after he was released from jail, the CPP police stopped his Dharmayietra. Sokha said he got on the phone to Hun Sen and Hun Sen ordered the police to clear the way for his Dharmayietra to go ahead.
But, I don't believe that Sokha is a CPP or Hun Sen's puppet. We should not label him as such because Sokha is a very principled and brave man. He is a real nationalist and patriot. Democrats should not label each other anything.
It would be great if these 2 parties can merge, but they need time and trust is the main factor in this case because SRP had been cheated and betrayed by Funcinpec too many times that it is very careful about this sort of political alliance or merger.
Have you ever heard much from HRP voicing their concerns to CPP regarding national issues? Not much I have ever heard from HRP, why very strange. For example, have anyone ever heard HRP attacking CPP regarding Youns' encroachment of khmer land? This is a critical issue for khmer. Come on. Honestly, I like the idea of merging yet SRP must be clear of all that before initiate the move.
Both parties have almost similiar political platform however still doubtful that the two can merge as a strong one due to the fact that power sharing is too sensitive among the members and trust is still a big question
HRP said and opposed a lot of things the government does. It asked the government to monitor Viet immigration, check Viet citizenship, opposed the lifting of Mu Sochua's, Ho Van's and Rainsy's immunity etc. If HRP is a puppet of CPP or Hun Sen, they would not oppose such measures.
HRP's approaches are a bit different from SRP. It is not as aggressive as SRP. It does things quietly and slowly. I would have wanted the HRP to be a bit more aggressive, I mean more critical of everything the govt. does, but they think quiet diplomacy is more effective, may be.
Having said that, I wish the SRP and HRP can come to an agreement for the merger. True, trust and power-sharing are the main factors in the delay of the merger, but it can be worked out.
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