Let the Games Begin!

Campaigning for Cambodia’s 5^th “democratic” elections has begun (officially from June 27^th to July 26^th)! A little background: After the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979) and the Vietnamese intervention/invasion that put Hun Sen (the 61 year old leader still in power today), the United Nations and other donors started pumping money and resources into Cambodia (billions of dollars). One of the, if not THE, most involved restructuring project that the UN has ever been involved in, known as the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia or UNTAC. The mission was to set Cambodia on the straight and narrow, on the good ole course to democracy. And with 90% of the population coming out to vote in the first ever democratic elections in 1993, the mission looked like a great success and was touted as such. However, the UNTAC seemed to leave it at that and when the elections proved to have narrow margins and no one coming up really ahead, a long power struggle followed. A power struggle that many have said was (read: is) saturated with corruption, intimidation, coercion, manipulation, etc. (For a great, heart-wrenching, powerful, well-documented, extensive history, I recommend reading Joel Brinkley’s Cambodia’s Curse.)

Fast-forward to today. I biked out to a Village Health Volunteer’s (VHV) home to conduct a community education session about breastfeeding and nutrition (a lesson that I had done successfully earlier in the week in a different village). After having confirmed the meeting the day before, I biked into the front yard and found the VHV watching some Thai soap opera (dubbed in Khmer) with her mother and two children. No pregnant, breast-feeding women in sight, because as the VHV informed me there was a big campaign rally/parade going on and the village was all turning out for it. So after getting a tour of the house and the rice wine production (I will post on this later…) I rescheduled the session and biked back home for lunch of fish soup and fried rice. On the way I passed a large gathering of people decked out in the Cambodian Peoples Party’s (CPP - the current ruling party, headed by Prime Minister Hun Sen, President of the Senate Chea Sim, and Chairman of the National Assembly Heng Samrin) signature white polo shirt and white baseball caps with the CPP logo on each. Twenty minutes later I walked out of my house after hearing cheers and honking, to see a line of people (dressed as mentioned above) as far as I could see on the right-hand side of the road cheering and waving to a parade of cars and trucks with CPP stickers and with people (mostly students) riding in the truck beds. It was a full on parade/rally CPP style originating in Siem Reap 30Km east and ending on the provincial border another 30Km from my town. (I later saw a smaller version for one of the 7 opposition parties.) It lasted 30 minutes or so and I lost track of the number of vehicles and people involved.

gotta get 'em early - a youngster sporting a CPP hat

CPP supporters cheering and waving for the parade - as far as the eye can see

In addition to this display, there are billboards devoted to party members and different political parties and as of 2 days ago the trees on the side of the road (plentiful in some places) have been plastered with information. While a good percentage of the rural population cannot read and/or write, to me this is not the most effective strategy, but I like it better than the blaring loudspeakers attached to the tops of cars and motos that scream as I ride by on my bike.

It will be an interesting month for sure. Security at different political offices and government buildings have been tightened. Road blocks and added traffic are assumed. The General Commissariat of National Police has announced that nearly 20,000 security forces will be deployed during the one-month election campaign and up to 70,000 forces during the Election Day (July 28^th) to ensure security for all political parties and voters. Eight political parties will be on the ballot, competing for 123 spots in the Parliament and the chance to run Cambodia for the next 5 years. The three major parties include the ruling Cambodian People's Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen, the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party led by self-exiled leader Sam Rainsy and the royalist Funcinpec Party headed by Princess Norodom Arun Rasmey, the youngest daughter of late King Father Norodom Sihanouk. 

the 3 major parties represented opposite my house

The National Election Committee has estimated that some 9.67 million Cambodians are eligible to cast their votes at 19,009 polling stations nationwide under the eyes of more than 7,700 domestic and international observers. In the last election (2008), Prime Minister Hun Sen's party won up to 90 seats, while the opposition totally won 29 seats and the royalist group won 4 seats. Most believe that the CPP will win handedly and Hun Sen has vowed to stay in the position of Prime Minister for another 14 years, at least.

We shall see. Will there be more of the status quo or is Cambodia ready for change?