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Election Watch by Sophoan: Sport Footage for party campaign
Introduction:
Among other means to attract voters, political parties have always produced their short video sports to address policy, social change advocacy, development plan, governance, natural resource protection, political platform and leadership etc. I have watched video clips from Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and I cannot stop my hand from sharing them with everyone.
CNRP
There are three available clips of CNRP online. Each clip is depicting different stories and events. First clip described in details on the unification of Sam Rainsy Party and Human Rights Party by highlighting two prominent leaders: Sam Rainsy and Kem Sokha. The speech at the first solemn meeting after the creation of this unity describes the key policies party to be carried out if the party won majority to establish the government. The statement is reflecting the inability and injustice which are mushrooming under the current leadership of CPP. Those policies are summarized importantly such as implementing liberal democracy and the rule of law, independent judiciary, limit the mandate of prime minister into two mandates maximum and protection national sovereignty. The policy is concise into 7 key points such as increase wage and living standards of the people, offering monthly support fund to seniors, increase wage for labors up to 150$ per month, public servants wage increasing, rice price must not be less than 1000 riel, health care is free for low income people, create loan for students to complete higher education, and reduce the cost of gasoline, fertilizer and electricity etc.
The second video clip echoes the fever of Cambodian youths in supporting the CNRP as well as their gangnam style songs describing the key policy of the party.
For third video clip, those footage describe extensively on the courageous action of Sam Rainsy in protecting the land of the farmers at the border, injustice towards those people, violence act of the authority towards the people, the land conflict and forced eviction, and the deforestation under the leadership of current ruling party (CPP).
CPP
The video clip is a political ads which is undeniable on its logic. Highlighting the success from zero ground during the Khmer Rouge regime by showing tall buildings, paving roads and stability, is logically undeniable. Using commenting speech by sliding the photos including crediting as much as possible to the prime minister candidate, is considered good plan on marketing.
Conclusion:
The unification gave great philosophy to the CNRP on the agenda of national unity without categorizing any Khmer as enemy. CNRP has led an approach of diffusing new vision to develop this nation and this party has gained huge support on changing the leaders by mandating prime minister only two terms. Developing genuine democracy and the rule of law, bringing about independent judiciary, tackling corruption and sovereign integrity etc. are absolutely vital to the post baby boomers of Cambodia. The 7 key points have attracted baby boomers gigantically. However, the footage have not been professional edited and those footage don’t meet standard for public views.
While CPP has used the past memory of genocidal, year zero and civil war as the mean to attract voters, the displaying of new tall building, roads and stability have shared it huge vital voice as well. CPP’s short sport has been carefully checked and edited, the CNRP’s sports need to re-organize a little bit on both quality and quantity.
CNRP and CPP have two different political platform to attract voters: CNRP is diffusing new idea and vision to bring about positive change for this nation; CPP has strengthened its political status quo by using the strong mean of genocidal and civil war; or we can say CNRP is seeing the past as the great experience to push for today’s change for a better tomorrow while the CPP is dragging back to scare people about the past and give them a thought on the danger of changing.
However, according to records from other countries, the CPP’s approach is not relevant. If the CPP has no means of controlling the media, influencing on public servants including election committee, enjoy free ride of using public assets to run the election, the CPP has no chance to gaining votes from the people.
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Tags: Cambodia election, Election Watch
Policy Watch by Sophoan: Handling Corruption of CNRP by H.E.Yem Punnarith
Corruption has been strongly embedded in Cambodian society under the current ruling party, the CPP. Observers noticed that “the longer CPP ruled Cambodia, the longer corruption pandemic contagious within this society.” With this perspective, many civilized countries have changed the leaders as well as displaced the top officials to ensure they can cut off the creation of patronage system. But in Cambodia, the cells and patronage of corruption have been never lessened. The cells and patronage systems have been relentlessly increased for its political leadership of “crony capitalism” or “modern autocratic” or “clientele-patron system”.
Listening the Corruption Policy addressed by H.E.Yem Punnarith from the CNRP, the core mechanism to tackle corruption have been expounded and clarified concrete solution. For instance, to halt the corruption among public servants unless the government increase their salary at the level of living standard as well as be able to compete with the goods inflation. To halt the corruption among the elites and the powerful, the independent court as well as the independent unit of corruption body must be established etc.
Further to above concrete solution, the political will with tangible policy has been addressed as the representative repeatedly affirmed on the strengthening the rule of law and the good governance if CNRP won the election.
The speaker eloquently pointed key points of cause and effect of corruption. Speaker might have not enough time to mention on the importance of change the leader as well as to displace the key positions in the government in a regular basic as part of a concrete mechanism to tackle corruption top-down or vertical line, not horizontal ground.
For the ruling party who has controlled the country for more than two decades and the status quo is their key political maneuver to be cared has repeatedly theorized that corruption is existing in everywhere in every country in which it is part of the greed of human behavior, but for the new democratic movement and humanism they have relentlessly addressed the issue as unacceptable and search all methodology to handle with this social virus (corruption).
Let go to vote altogether all Khmer compatriots on 28 July 2013!
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Tags: Cambodia election, Election Watch
Policy Watch by Sophoan: Economy Policy by other parties
Watching another parties addressing their economy policy for another 1 hour and 8 minutes make me a little bit exhausted but give me some sight on leadership existing within those small political parties. Of course, I am primarily intending to keep discerning only two prominent rival parties: Cambodia National Rescue Party and Cambodian People’s Party.
First candidate is from Funcipec Party, the representative described keenly on key issues to develop economy. The written paper is extensive and attractive. However, I don’t see other parties have mainly focused on economy policy. Those representatives keenly addressed the whole theme of the party which sometime might be not in the focus on the question of “Economy Policy” if the party won the election.
Some representative(s) boringly read the paper in which can distract the electorates who are closely following the policy of each party for their final decision-making.
All Khmer compatriots please go to the poll to caste your vote this 28 July 2013 collectively.
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Tags: Cambodia election, Election Watch
Policy Watch by Sophoan: Economy Policy of the CPP addressed by H.E.Ouk Rabun
After watching the economy policy of the CPP addressed by H.E.Ouk Rabun who is the permanent member of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), the address is detailed, clear and well organized. The policy written in the paper is sliced into pieces regarding economy plans if the CPP won election. Of course, if one has anticipated the CPP which is the ruling party since 1997, the policy in each election has not changed much. This election mandate, the CPP has publicly announced that they will carry out the old policy but new implementation approach.
The address in this time, the policy is attractive and achievable, but audience has placed doubts on its political will and concrete implementation. Lesson learned from previous elections, the similar policy has been publicly addressed but after the CPP won, there have been grossly unproductive to what party promised. There are some progress within the policy, but there are many flaws and violations over the policy such as the land concession, the forest management, the non-transparency of mineral and natural resources bidding, the corruption unit which is not independent and neutral in handling with corrupted officials, the widening gap of people’s living standard, the inability to collect national revenue especially tax to use for national development, the inability to pay back debts, the craving for more foreign loan without worrying the future adversity of this country and many more. In contradict to inclusive growth and equity economic development, the CPP has successfully built its strong political patronage for future strength of political power.
While maintaining the political status quo has been well aware among the ruling elites of the CPP, the unfair games in each election have been plentifully produced by the CPP although those games are not abiding by the National Constitution, the Democratic Principles and those games were extremely criticized by the foreign observers.
Thus, I appreciate the paper work of this policy and hope the CPP can implement it accordingly if they won the election. Let stay tune to hear other party’s economy policy.
Don’t forget to caste your vote on July 28, 2013.
Posted in Economics, Education, Leadership, Politics, Social | Comments Off on Policy Watch by Sophoan: Economy Policy of the CPP addressed by H.E.Ouk Rabun
Tags: Cambodia election, Election Watch, Policy Watch