There are issues at hands during this election period, and politically speaking, the Cambodian people and the country itself has come along way since UNTAC 1993. Now there are only two main political rivalries that dominate the political spectrum of our nation, the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). There are many pundits who have somewhat predicted even before the electoral campaign kicked off, that the CPP will sweep the electoral map because of its enormous buying power, political structures, intimidations and affiliations at the commune levels. However, our Sam Rainsy Party has done a very effective job for years in building grassroots and networking supports. It has solidified our party bases, and we have been able to penetrate deeply to promote our righteous cause, even into the heartland of the CPP, itself. Recent defections of 20 local CPPs to SRP in Stung Treng has given us a lot of reasons to smile. We should capitalize on this positive development by taking it to the air again and again, and by encouraging other CPPs to follow suit or just simply vote for us, VOTE SAM RAINSY, with your heart on that election day.
Let's speak to the heart of the matter. This is where it gets tricky for the CPP - the heart of the people, the inner feeling, issues that has long disturbed them the most, something the CPP are deeply worried about. A powerful factor which is difficult to determine. This is what we called The Inscrutable Cambodian Mind, the unknown affect. We will soon find out after the election night, July 27, 2008.
Cambodian people has come along way since the past three elections, and they have become rather sophisticated in their approach to national election. They are familiar with all the lies, the handing out gifts tactic so on and so forth. They are polite and a lot less confrontational, but it looks as though this time they will vote their heart. I believe that they will prove all the pundits wrong, big time.
After all this election is not about Sam Rainsy, Hun Sen or anyone else, but it is about the people of Cambodia, about their economic security and the future of our nation. It centers on the livelihood and the welfare beings of all Khmers today and younger generations to come. It is about today's economic and political challenges of a country whereby the majority of people are facing hard times, high cost of living, gasoline price, high unemployment etc.. Most of our people and their youngs are facing bleak prospect of tomorrow due to a weak and incompetent CPP-led government which relies purely on systematic and institutional corruptions, even down to the local levels. The country is being run more or less like feudalism. Most officials in the government are more concerned with a quick rich scheme than serving the interests of the people and the nation. The wealth distribution gap between the rich and the poor are too far spread. Only a tiny small percentage of population has benefited from the post UNTAC era, and it has been 15 years now since the first election was held.
Today, our youth are somewhat demoralized over the rising costs of staple food, they are frustrating for unable to find work? Some college graduates have to bribe their ways out to get a position in return for a mediocre salary. Can't those young, energetic men be able to raise a family, buy a piece of land or a decent home on their own? With property value sky-rocketting, it estimated that it will take some of them 25 years of hard work and lots of saving just to be able to buy a piece of land.
Other questions including, can a poor family afford medicines when their loved one is sick? Can Cambodia be truly Cambodia for Cambodians, if our neighbouring countries continue to move border markers inside our land, disrespect our territorial integrity. Cambodia is shrinking by the day. The lakes have been mostly populated by illegal settlers, and so the border towns, provinces, where Cambodians will finally end up? Is anyone sure that their houses, their lands are safe from the hands of those local Lords, greedy authorities? Whose houses will be next? Which villages or towns will likely be on the future of land-grabber's hit lists? This illegal eviction problem still continue and people are scared. They will vote their heart.
For Cambodians, they will bring with themselves these questions when going to the poll on July 27. They will ask, do we want to subject ourselves, our family and the country to another 5 years of this highly corrupted, incompetent gov't? Hell, No.
So I say to all my compatriots at home that on that election morning, please go out there, exercise your rights, for once in your life, vote for the right reason, for the right cause, for yourself, for the sake of all Cambodians, our race and our nation, vote for change, for a better tomorrow, a much more confident and prosperous future. Cast your vote with confident and with a beautiful smile on your face as you are leaving the voting boot, because you just have voted for Sam Rainsy, and you just have voted for the survival of your country. We salute you from a distance shore. We can't vote and we are not allowed to vote, but the settlers can vote because they are more Cambodian than us.
My friends, it is the best and most righteous thing any Cambodian can do for himself, for their family and the country - that is to vote AGAINST the CPP. By doing so, we would have done ourselves and our country a great favour bv sending a strong protest and yet clear messages that we are not happy with they way the CPP-lead gov't has conducted itself - hanging on to its institutional corruptions, the handling of our economy, on-going land evictions, human rights abuses by local authorities etc.. and etc.. WE ARE SENDING YOU A MESSAGE, MR. HUN SEN. No more walking to Ta Khmao and setting up tents waiting for you to intervene while my kids go hungry, no place to stay, while rains are dropping on our heads, wet, cold and saggy. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. NO MORE LIES...............
Vote to have an honest government that will put an end to this entrenched corruptions once and for all? A government that will demand responsibilities and accountabilitites of its own government employees from tops to bottoms. A Cambodian government that will truly serve and protect our people's interests and the nation's from day one - a government that will work agressively to GROW JOBS inside the country for us, our family, and our youths.
Vote Sam Rainsy, because we will work earnestly to control your high costs of living, to build roads, hospitals and medical facilities nationwide in order to provide medical needs to your loved ones in time of sickness, any where, any place, at any time. You will never ever have to worry about bribing your ways in and outs ever again, even just for a few pills of medication. You don't have to sell anything to cure your loved ones. You will have a confident, honest, and compassionate government that really there to serve and protect your interests.
Make your voice heard out loud and let the rest of the country know that you want change by
VOTING SAM RAINSY ON JULY 27, 2008.
