Former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) official Meach Sovannara has been elected president of the New Generation Party (NGP) in its first-ever congress, which was attended by nearly 500 members on Tuesday.
Sovannara, who unveiled the party’s 10 policies, is flanked by Pat Monny and Ching Vithiariddh who were voted in as vice presidents.
After being registered as a political party by the Ministry of Interior, NGP held the congress at its headquarters in Prasat Bakong district in Siem Reap to elect its leaders, approve the party’s statute and determine its direction in the next election.
On April 12, 2024, the Ministry of Interior officially recognized NGP as a political party, with Monny as its co-founder. He submitted an application to establish NGP on September 18, 2023.
Following the dissolution of CNRP by the Supreme Court in 2017, its leaders left to form various parties, such as the Kampucheaniyum Party, Cambodia Reform Party, National Power Party and the NGP.
As the president of NGP, Sovannara is determined to be a role model for young people at work and in daily life. Formerly CNRP’s information director, he was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in 2014 on insurrection charges following the 2013 national elections, which saw Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) secure a landslide victory.
But, Sovannara, who holds dual Cambodian-American citizenship, was pardoned in 2018. He is currently an overseas mission director of a US-based non-governmental organization known as Policy Research Institute.
He described the party’s motto “solidarity, freedom, justice and peace” to mean that they are non-violent, non-obstructive, non-discriminatory and respectful of the right to freedom of expression of those with different political views.
Speaking at the congress, Sovannara said the party’s 10 policies will be disseminated to Cambodians. They are, respect for human rights, democracy, national unification, strengthening the system of social justice, opening public forums, building the rule of law without allowing the implementation of double standard laws, anti-labeling, anti-discrimination on political tendencies, and adherence to the principle of non-violence.
“Adherence to political hatred divides the nation. So, the NGP is committed to building unity, trusting each other, not destroying each other and restoring ties,” he said.
Party spokesperson Ny Sorphorn said the congress elected 53 executive committee members, 15 standing committee members, two vice presidents and one president. The event was attended by political analysts Meas Nee, who was the guest of honor, and Lao Mong Hay.
Nee said the formation of a series of political parties showed that more people were thinking about democracy in Cambodia.
However, he opined that Cambodia was practicing “fragile democracy” because politicians have interpreted the meaning of democracy differently and “even labeled each other”, resulting in hatred. Labeling people cannot be seen as a strategy in a democratic system, he stressed.
Nee believed that NGP would be able to prepare people to lead the nation after the party wins in the upcoming election. “I think this party will be competent enough to think about the points I made,” he said.
Kong Monika, secretary-general of the Khmer Will Party, said NGP’s formation showed political freedom, but he stressed that the split between democrats would not allow them to reach their goals. However, Alliance Towards The Future – a coalition made up of four opposition parties – might be open to cooperate with individuals or political parties which want Cambodia to have a true democracy.
“It’s a political right but the disintegration of the democrats will not get us where we want to be, and it’s not what the people want,” he said. “The unity of democrats is paramount.”
CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan said the setting up of a new political party is indicative of a democratic society. However, he said persuading people to vote for their party only works if it helps people at the grassroots level, such as building schools, roads and hospitals. It is not just a theory.
“If it’s only political theory, it cannot be implemented, it would not have the support of the people,” he said.
