Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association

Another Minor Party Joins Alliance Towards the Future to Defeat the Ruling CPP

Yem Ponhearith, president of Kampuchea Niyum Party, speaks during the International Human Rights' Day celebrations at his headquarters in Phnom Penh, on December 10, 2021. (CamboJA/ Khuon Narim)
Yem Ponhearith, president of Kampuchea Niyum Party, speaks during the International Human Rights' Day celebrations at his headquarters in Phnom Penh, on December 10, 2021. (CamboJA/ Khuon Narim)

A minor party, Kampuchea Niyum Party, running on a pro-democracy platform to advocate for human rights and restore freedoms, is now part of the Alliance Towards the Future coalition.

The Alliance Towards the Future comprises five political parties including Candlelight Party, Khmer Will Party, Cambodia Reform Party and Grassroot Democratic Party. It has a goal of gathering support to contest with the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) in the 2027 commune election and 2028 national elections.

Following the dissolution of the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in 2017 by the Supreme Court, a few splinter parties emerged. But without CNRP, the CPP recorded a landslide victory in the 2018 elections, and swept 120 out of 125 National Assembly seats in the 2023 elections.

Yem Ponhearith, president of Kampuchea Niyum Party, said more parties joining the alliance would unite democratic political forces for the next election.

“We have determined that we should have a strategy to organize the alliance to prepare to stand as a single force,” Ponhearith said.

His party decided to join the coalition now as the latter had been busy with the Senate election and the commune, provincial, district and capital elections.

“It’s an appropriate time for Kampuchea Niyum to join the Alliance Towards the Future to unite forces in a liberal democracy,” Ponhearith said.

He said the current political situation was “very quiet”, with no active public forums. Thus, a collective effort must be made to expand the right to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, as well as restore democracy and respect human rights.

Ponhearith, a former lawmaker and an ally of ex-CNRP president Kem Sokha, established Kampuchea Niyum in July 2021. His party failed to win any seats in the commune and national elections in 2023 after forming an alliance with Khmer National United Party.

Khmer Will Party spokesperson Kimsour Phearith said formulating a unified policy as a driving force in the near future is a positive development which the public desired, and was aimed at fostering a democracy.

“Normally, people who supported democracy, still support it, but they are also checking to see if the democrats are able to unite, know how to work together or if they are strong,” he said.

Phearith mentioned that the limitation of freedom of expression, especially in the current political context, is an issue opposition parties must tackle in order to expand democratic space and freedom. This would see development in various fields and receive support from the international community.

At the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council, UK Human Rights Ambassador Eleanor Sanders raised concerns during an interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia over the use of “judiciary” to silence political and human rights actors, as well as journalists.

“We believe that a flourishing free press and freedom of speech are essential if Cambodia is to achieve its vision,” Sanders said.

She encouraged the government to engage in inclusive dialogues with all parties, especially civil society organizations before the 2027 and 2028 elections.

Meanwhile, political analyst Meas Nee welcomed the coalition of political parties that has shown a positive sign of restoring democracy.

“We want to see the democratic process move forward so that two more political parties have equal power to compete in the election,” he said, noting that the ruling CPP is “running alone” in the political arena to defeat other minor parties.

CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan said the creation of alliance among parties is their right, which is in line with the multi-party democratic process.

“The space of freedom exists and after the formation of the party, he forms a coalition together, it is [an exercise of] their right to freedom,” he said, sharing that the CPP had also formed an alliance with 27 other parties.

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