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New Political Parties Are Mushrooming in Cambodia


Political Parties Contested in July 2013 National Election
The late development of political behaviors of active citizens is worth noticing that within one year and five months only after the end of a year-long political deadlock (28 July 2013 - 22 July 2014) eight newly-established political parties have officially registered and a few more groups are considering to create political parties, most probably before the commune election 2017.  

The creation of NGOs working on human rights and democracy is being complicated due to the LANGO but the creation of political parties is very much easy and welcomed by the government. The opposition leader Sam Rainsy has monopolized the team “Democracy” and Mr. Rainsy and his party have already been perceived as the icon of democratic change in Cambodia by the grassroots supporters. Sam Riansy used to say without him and CNRP no one can challenge PM Hun Sen; this is definitely true in the current Cambodian political context but it's painful to hear so from the democratic leader. When leader believes he is the only one who can help, he tends to be irresponsible and unaccountable to voters.

Intellects and educated youth have lost aspiration of CHANGE driven by the opposition due to the poor leadership and uninspiring model of the leader (not ready to take risk but prefer to use remote control leadership from France).  However, No Choice! The political polarization has made the opposition remain strongly significant and the only potential rival of the ruling party CPP but the inner soul and devotion for democratic change of the mass has been undercut and diluted. We are not inspired and we don’t have a role model, from active citizen’s perspective.   

Yet, generally speaking, I believe that the vote of CNRP in 2018 is likely to be increased still given some 1.2 million new voters in 2018 and those are not able to be critical enough about Sam Rainsy’s leadership but see him as the only leader who can effectively challenge the status quo and the current ruling party. The side effect of Sam Rainsy’s escape is that the educated and informed active citizens have lost hopes and they have thought of creating political parties themselves. Plus, when intellects are not in line with the leadership of the change leader, it has no future of the change or the change has become less meaningful. Sam Rainsy is doing a win-lost politics with PM Hun Sen, having involved with personal revenge so Mr. Rainsy cannot make a peaceful change like Aung San Suu Kyi is doing. Cambodian people who have been fighting for change should be the ones who confront with Hun Sen not Sam Rainsy. Mr. Rainsy should be the facilitator of Change. Simply put, it should be Hun Sen vs. people who bring about change not Hun Sen vs. Sam Rainsy.      

Due to the lack of trust on Sam Rainsy’s leadership which I believe one of the few main reasons for mushrooming of new political parties in less than two years time, the youth, indigenous peoples and NGO leaders have established new political parties. 

Here are the new ten political parties: 

  1. Beehive Social Democratic Party (BSDP) of Mr. Mam Sonando 
  2. Grassroots Democratic Party (GDP) of Mr. Yeng Virak 
  3. Khmer Solidarity Party (KSP) of Mrs. Lak Sopheap 
  4.  Khmer Power Party (KPP) of Mr. Sourn Serey Ratha 
  5.  Cambodian National Justice Party (CNJP) of Dr. Heang Rithy 
  6.  Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Democracy Party (CIPDP) of Mrs. Yun Mane/Mr. Sroy Khet 
  7.  Cambodian Liberty Party (CLP) of Mr. Chea Chamroeun
  8.  Cambodian Youth Party (CYP) of Mr. Pich Sros  
  9.  Khmer National Unit­ed Party (KNUP) of Mr. Nhek Bun Chhay 
  10.  Khmer United Great Nation Party (KUGNP) of Mr. Nhem Vanthorn, former the secretary general of  Mam Sonando's Beehive Social Democratic Party 
Contesting political parties during the last July 2013 election: 

1.       Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) of Hun Sen
2.      Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) of Sam Rainsy
3.      FUNCINPEC of Prince Norodom Naranariddh
4.      Democratic Republic Party (DRP) of Sovan Panchaseila
5.      Khmer Economic Development Party (KEDP) of Huon Chamroeun
6.      Khmer Anti-Poverty Party (KAPP) of Kravanh Daran
7.      Cambodian Nationality Party (CNP) of Seng Sokheng
8.     League for Democracy Party (LDP) of Khem Veasna


Result of July 2013 National Election 
#ElectionKh #‎PoliticsKh‬ ‪#‎HunSen‬ ‪#‎SamRainsy‬ ‪#‎CPP‬ ‪#‎CNRP‬‪ #‎Politikoffee‬ ‪#‎YouthKh‬  

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