Hun Sen needs coalition
Although the official results of Cambodia's July 27 general election will not be announced until tomorrow, the National Election Committee released Saturday partial results of the poll, showing strongman Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) ahead in vote counts in several constituencies.
Ousted co-premier Prince Norodom Ranariddh, whose FUNCINPEC party came in second, and 10 other party leaders, including opposition leader Sam Rainsy, have claimed the election was rigged by CPP supporters and are demanding the irregularities be checked.
Despite occasional reports of human rights violations by Hun Sen's government, last month's election, according to most international observers invited to Cambodia to monitor the poll process, was essentially "free and fair to reflect the will of the people".
Hun Sen, in a bid to regain international confidence in Cambodia's political stability, has suggested a tripartite coalition to form a new government in Phnom Penh. His gesture of reconciliation -- made after meeting Cambodia's head of state King Norodom Sihanouk -- has not been accepted by both Ranariddh and Sam Rainsy.
The two even threatened to boycott the National Assembly unless they were assured of the fairness of the election and that new voting and recounts would be held in certain areas. They also alleged that CCP's supporters had intimidated and even terrorized FUNCIPEC followers and those opposing the ruling party, sparking fear of retribution by government troops who are largely controlled by Hun Sen.
Hun Sen, responding quickly to the allegations, called on his troops Saturday not to terrorize members of the opposition, saying that those who disobeyed his order would be punished accordingly. His appeal obviously reflects his serious offer to form a coalition government as he knows only too well that his CPP, despite its lead in the vote counts, will be short of the required two-thirds majority in the 122-seat parliament.
Assuming that his proposal for a coalition with opposition rivals can be realized, Hun Sen must come up with a clear political blueprint regarding the power sharing so as not to repeat the fatal power struggle he launched last year, which ended with the ouster of Ranariddh from the coalition formed as a result of the 1993 election.
Besides fair distribution of power, Hun Sen and the CPP should also assure the 11 million Cambodian people that the coalition government will do its utmost to regain the economic growth and prosperity achieved in 1996, when many multinational companies invested in the country because of its suitable political climate and great potential.
Hun Sen should also exclude leaders of the Khmer Rouge, the notorious regime which butchered nearly two million Cambodians during its reign of terror in the mid 1970s, and punish members of the military who have been implicated in terrorizing the rural people during last month's election campaign,
Unless concrete measures are taken regarding all these matters, many believe Hun Sen's credibility will remain weak and Cambodia teeter on as a political flash point in the region.