Land disputes to dominate next year's election

PHNOM PENH, 28 November 2012 (The Cambodia Herald) - Land disputes are expected to be a hot issue in next year's election, overshadowing perennial issues such as illegal immigration, destruction of forests, corruption, and unemployment.

Prime Minister Hun Sen himself has acknowledged that the government's failure to resolve the issue will mean handing ammunition to opposition parties.

With this in mind, the prime minister has mobilized youth volunteers to help allocate land to people in rural areas.

He has also welcomed civil society groups and political parties to assist the government in resolving land disputes as long as they do not politicize the issues.

Land disputes nevertheless remain a good chance for opposition parties to drum up support ahead of the National Assembly elections in July.

During commune elections earlier this year, the opposition Sam Rainsy and Human Right parties gained some votes by campaigning on the issue.

Yet the ruling Cambodian People's Party still managed to win 3.6 million of the 5.8 million votes cast, with the rest going to the two opposition parties and the royalist Funcinpec and Norodom Ranariddh parties.

If the government succeeds in resolving land disputes, opposition parties are likely to find it difficult to win support in next year's elections.

The opposition parties are therefore now probing the weak points of the CPP as Hun Sen formulates his strategy for dealing with the issue.