Note to the Diplomatic Community on the Current Political Situation in Cambodia

NOTE TO THE DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY

ON THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION IN CAMBODIA

At this time when several donor institutions and countries are examining conditions under which cooperation and trade agreements with Cambodia could be extended or renewed, the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) would like to remind or inform all friends of Cambodia of the following facts:

1-          The official results of the 28 July 2013 national elections, which the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) claims to have won, remain in dispute because of serious irregularities having possibly overturned the will of the Cambodian people.

2-          The CPP refuses any independent investigation into these irregularities in spite of numerous appeals from the international community supporting such an investigation (US Congress, European Parliament, Australian Senate, etc).

 3-          Because it cannot accept the CPP-proclaimed results of the last elections, which all independent observers consider as "not credible", the CNRP representing at least half of the nation, refuses to join the National Assembly. The latter, which is only composed of CPP members, has no legal existence because the Constitution states that Cambodia must follow "a system of liberal and plural democracy."

 4-          The current Hun Sen government, which represents an unconstitutional one-party state similar to the communist system brought to an end by the 1991 Paris Accords, cannot legally represent Cambodia.

 5-          In order to crush growing popular protest against election irregularities, government corruption, miserable living conditions, land confiscations and other human rights violations, the current Phnom Penh authorities have resorted to deadly violence. At least five striking workers demanding an increase of the minimum wage, were killed by the military police in January.

 6-          At the same time, the Hun Sen government has de facto suspended the constitutional rights to fundamental liberties such as the freedom of assembly. Any opposition peaceful gathering is immediately dispersed by the government’s armed forces.

7-          In order to resolve the current political deadlock, to prevent political instability and to confer legitimacy to any Cambodian government, the CNRP demands either an independent investigation of the last elections or a re-election before the end of the current parliamentary term (July 2018). Both demands have been rejected by the CPP.

 8-          Negotiations between the CPP and the CNRP on election reform are at a standstill because the CPP refuses to discuss any change to the composition of the electoral commission (or National Election Committee) which is central to the organisation of any future election and which is currently under the ruling party’s control.

 9-          The CPP’s tactics seem to only buy time and to cling on to power by any means and at any cost, thus jeopardizing the future of Cambodia, given that development and democracy must go hand in hand.

  

Sam Rainsy

CNRP President