Observing the commune election of Cambodia this June 5, 2022, triggered many aspects of political pragmatism I have been advocating for. I wrote before on Sam Rainsy’s Exit and 3 Democratic Factoring to gauge sustainable democratization of Cambodia.

Now, through this several attractive speeches, Mr. Son Chhay articulates clearly on building political pragmatism to push against the odds of three poor targets by the dictatorship leaders in any society: 1. Making people hunger, 2. Making people fearful, and 3. Making people uncritical education. The debate and implementation success of the dictator originating in the embeddedness of people mindset of these 3 fallacies, and the ongoing divide and conquer chessboard through variety of tactics such as: spread rumours, dominating rumours media, threatening, and giving money as well as titles etc.

From this commune election, the maturity and well-informed citizens of Cambodia are visibly mushrooming and viable for closer engagement: reforming the National Election Committee and Judiciary System. The mature citizens are not sufficient without having strong teams of leadership, human resources, and fluid channelling funds.

When the NEC is central on people’s staring, the scenarios to push for actualization must be clear, strong, and achieveable:

1. NEC structure and bureaucrats: current structure and bureaucrats are clearly unacceptable because it has showed the same pattern: after coup d’état in 1997, the existing NEC built by UNs demolished, and the dissolution of CNRP in 2017, the new NEC established.
2. Justice system is known for its bias, partisan, corruption, and unprofessional. NEC personnel could not be neutral and professional whenever the current justice system is remained the same.

Proposal:

1. Upcoming national election 2023 is reflecting November 16, 2017 when CNRP was illegally dissolved and 118 key politicians of CNRP was banned from politics for 5 years by the Supreme Court, or a de fact to close aligned entity who is one of the Board of Director Members of CPP ruling party, Dith Munty. The next cycle of voters registration is planned for October 2022 to be ready for 2023 National Election, should those politicians join the vote?
2. CLP has become legit grassroots force of democracy, the plan for unity of all forces must be considerate by a comprehensive task-force.
3. New credible NEC must be chosen from capable individuals with independent teams to plan, organize, budget and implement.