LEGITIMACY OF THE STATE RELIES ON ELECTION IRREGULARITIES PROBE

Sam Rainsy

២១ មករា ២០១៤ / 21 January 2014 The Cambodia Daily

ក្នុងអត្ថបទចុះផ្សាយ ក្នុងកាសែត ខេមបូឌា ដេលី ថ្ងៃនេះ ខ្ញុំបានបញ្ជាក់ថា រដ្ឋាភិបាលលោក ហ៊ុន សែន សព្វថ្ងៃ មិនស្របច្បាប់ទេ ពីព្រោះកើតចេញពីរដ្ឋសភាដែលមិនស្របច្បាប់ខ្លួនឯងដែរ ។ ការបោះឆ្នោតកន្លងមកនេះ មិនឆ្លុះបញ្ចាំងឆន្ទៈប្រជារាស្រ្ត ដោយសារមានការលួចបន្លំសន្លឹកឆ្នោត (ដែលតម្រូវឲ្យមានការស៊ើបអង្កេត) ហើយរដ្ឋសភាសព្វថ្ងៃ ជាសភាឯកបក្ស ដែលផ្ទុយពីរដ្ឋធម្មនុញ្ញ ដែលតម្រូវឲ្យមានប្រព័ន្ធប្រជាធិបតេយ្យសេរីពហុបក្ស (គឺត្រូវមានគណបក្សនយោបាយ ចាប់ពីពីរឡើងទៅ ដើម្បីតំណាងឲ្យប្រជារាស្រ្តខ្មែរ)។

My “Opinion” published in The Cambodia Daily, January 21, 2014

LEGITIMACY OF THE STATE RELIES ON ELECTION IRREGULARITIES PROBE

In a speech on Saturday [January 18], Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a number of threats against the CNRP and implied that the opposition would be treated as an enemy of the state unless its parliamentarians-elect take their seats in the National Assembly (The Cambodia Daily, "Hun Sen Calls On CPP Voters To Defend His Government", January 20).

With regard to those threats I would like to ask the following questions: What state would we be the enemy of? Who would represent that state? With what kind of legitimacy would they do so?

National and international observers have pointed out that the July 28, 2013, election was not credible. For the CNRP it is not acceptable with the obvious distortion and the possible overturn of the will of the people.

Taking into account the uneven playing field and the surge of popular support for the opposition, the election clearly showed that the CNRP has been mandated by the Cambodian people to take part in the forming of a new government in order to implement a much-awaited democratic change.

In order to lift any doubt and to solve any legitimacy problem, an investigation into the election irregularities and an assessment of their impact on the poll result are necessary.

Why does Hun Sen's CPP continue to refuse such an investigation? [Why do they seem so afraid of the truth?]

Before taking our seats in the National Assembly, we absolutely require an independent investigation of the last elections. We believe that Cambodia can move forward only after exposing the truth about the last elections and ensuring and guaranteeing the respect of the people's will. 

Article 51 of the Constitution states: “The Kingdom of Cambodia adopts a system of Liberal and Plural Democracy.” The current National Assembly is only made up of members from the ruling CPP, thus symbolizing a one-party system. It doesn’t represent the whole nation and clashes with the concept of a plural democracy. [Such a one-party Assembly is clearly unconstitutional and can only produce an unconstitutional and illegal government with no legitimacy 

whatsoever].

Last week, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the European Parliament vindicated our stance by calling for an independent investigation into the above-mentioned election irregularities. Pending such an investigation, we call on the international community to deny any legitimacy to the current Hun Sen government and to condemn any further crackdown on Cambodia’s democratic forces.

Sam Rainsy

CNRP President