Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 65
Courtesy of Inquirer.Net
This part (65), Mr. Sophan Seng described and appreciated the recent Philippine election in which Filipinos overseas increasingly voted during this time.
From Phillipine to Cambodia: Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV)
Recently, Fillipinos overseas voters have used their right to vote in Phillipine election. The turnout figure is very outstanding.
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 62
This part (62) broadcasted in April 24-25, 2016, Mr. Sophan Seng continued to articulate on the statement of HE Sik Bun Hok, president of the National Election Committee (NEC), to include migrant workers to register to vote and to vote per se in Cambodia upcoming election ie. commune election 2017 and national election 2018.
According to this announcement, it is a good news for migrant workers working domestically and internationally. Mr. President must state it clear that migrant workers in Thailand, South Korea, and many other places outside Cambodia could register and vote in their sites without interrupting to travel back to Cambodia to register as well as to vote.
Mr. Sophan Seng is appealing the President of NEC and NEC’s members to seriously articulate and implement the inclusive voters registration and to undertake the voting boots at their nearest places while working overseas. Further more, Mr. Sophan solemnly requested NEC to undertake Cambodians overseas absentee voting so that all those Cambodians overseas can actively participate in building the future of Cambodia.
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 61
This part (61), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed on the “Cambodian voters from overseas” that are differentiated by their resettlement mandate.
For those who are living in foreign countries permanently such as Cambodia diaspora members in the United States, Canada, France, Australia, and many other parts of the world, they should be facilitated to vote in Cambodia elections. There are approximately 500,000 or half million Cambodians overseas among those diaspora who have hugely contributed for nation-building of Cambodia.
Cambodian citizens who are temporarily living oversea are migrant workers, students, soldiers stationing in South Africa, and government officials. There are approximately 100,000,0 or 1 million Cambodian temporary living abroad. Those people are entitled to vote in all Cambodia elections.
On behalf of a Cambodian oversea, I am disappointed by Hun Manet who was interviewed by VOA Khmer recently about the rights to vote of Cambodians overseas.
His father and Hun Manet seems have no political will to facilitate easy access for Cambodians overseas to exercise their rights to vote. He and his father have the same reason to not allow Cambodians overseas to vote as those reasons are typical technical issues. If we are going to discuss technical issues, we could learn from Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, or we can establish our own mechanism.
Intention to obstruct Cambodians overseas to vote in Cambodia elections is a violation over Cambodia Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations in which Cambodia is a covenant.
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth 59
This part (59), Mr. Sophan Seng analysed on the recent public statement and press conference by Comfrel or The committee for free and fair elections in Cambodia. According to the press conference, Mr. Michael who is one of the advisory board members stressed that the ongoing practices of authoritarian countries which have used election as a pretext to renew their power, and Mr. Pannha who is director placed doubts on state’s inference with current national election committee (NEC).
Mr. Sophan highly agreed with Michael that through academic researches and real world politiks, many authoritarian countries are conducting elections to legitimize their power. Often, those countries including Cambodia under PM Hun Sen leadership, they have always attempted to threat and intimidate the voters through using public speech on both explicit and implicit threatening. More than that, they have always used judiciary system to favor their political agenda.
For what Mr. Pannha said, Mr. Sophan observed that NEC that was created by 4 members from each political parties are not in equilibrium of power because 4 members from government-led party CPP could enjoy the free ride of both conducting daily business without intimidation and fear of political reprisal at all. For 4 members from opposition party, CNRP, they are mindful in all movements and they are easily been feared, distracted, and faced political reprisal in all time. The bad working environment for 4 members from opposition party is also significantly caused by the ongoing biased court of Cambodia.
At the end, the lacking of political will of Hun Sen leadership to include Cambodians overseas to vote, is another attempt showing that election is just a mean for his long term grip in power in Cambodia.
