Former union leader Chea Mony has aligned himself with Nation Power Party (NPP), which is a new political party recently established by a former leader of the opposition Candlelight party.
“The leaders of [the alliance] have not [shown] any achievements, which can be believed by the citizens. I am not convinced about forming an alliance, so I have decided to join the NPP,” said Chea Mony.
He added, “I noticed that the Candlelight party, which I used to support, has formed an alliance which I think does not make any impact. I [also] see that the alliance [leaders] do not trust each other.”
Mony stepped down as president for the Free Trade Union of Worker of the Kingdom of Cambodia in 2016, having taken over that post following his predecessor and older brother Chea Vichea’s death in January 2004. Vichea was assassinated in broad daylight while reading a newspaper at a roadside newsstand in Phnom Penh.
The Nation Power Party was established by Sun Chanthy, former Kampong Thom provincial Candlelight Party chief, who has already registered it with the Interior Ministry on October 2.
Three commune chiefs belonging to Candlelight Party were elected during the 2022 commune council election when Chanthy was Kampong Thom provincial leader for the party then.
“I have observed that forming alliances have failed many times because there is only one party with [many] different ideas,” Mony said, adding that alliances are likely to break up. “I believe that when I join the political party, workers and former union members will support him [Sun Chanthy].”
Following the 2023 national election, two new parties – NPP and Dermbey Kampuchea Party – were formed to contest in the 2027-2028 elections.
In 2019, the Interior Ministry registered over 40 political parties after the 2018 elections, according to the Information Ministry.
Chhim Kan, general director of the Department of Association and Political Party Affairs, could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, NPP co-founder Sun Chanthy said he resigned from the Candlelight party after seeing that it was not able to participate in further elections.
“I left Candlelight because I was not satisfied with the leadership and that it couldn’t continue on its path to restore democracy through elections in future,” he shared.
“As we have known, Candlelight was disqualified for failing to produce the original party registration document.
“I decided to leave and form a political party [to ensure] that there is collective democratic power [for people] who aim to restore democracy,” he said.
Candlelight was disqualified for not having the original copy of a 1998 government document recognizing the party. But this document was allegedly confiscated in 2017 by the authorities during a raid on the headquarters of the court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP). The CNRP was alleged to have plotted to overthrow the government.
Main opposition party Candlelight has requested the Interior Ministry many times to provide it with a copy of the party’s 1998 registration documents, but their requests have allegedly been ignored or denied by the ministry.
Chanthy, who joined politics in 2000 with Sam Rainsy Party, welcomed union leader Mony, who had fought for the rights of garment workers for many years.
“I believe Mony’s presence along with other democrats would raise public support,” Chanthy said
The NPP will hold its first congress at its headquarters in Kampong Thom this Sunday.
Several other provincial official level leaders, who resigned from Candlelight such as Sok Kimseng (ex-Siem Reap chief), Yim Khun Khoeun (ex-Prey Veng deputy chief), Mao Phally (ex-Kampong Chhnang chief), Chin Bunnaroth (ex-Kampot deputy chief) and San Siek Kin (ex-Banteay Meanchey chief), have also joined the NPP.
In the meantime, vice president of Candlelight Rong Chhun commented that the resignation of provincial level leaders has divided the Candlelight party.
“The Candlelight leaders do not want to see [leaders leaving] but we hope we will meet again in future,” he said, adding that democrats can join other parties for the sake of national interest.
However, he said the creation of the new political party, especially by its former leaders, would not have much impact on Candlelight because the latter has not joined any national election due to its disqualified status.
“Now, the Candlelight party will stand like a shadow or [become] a museum [remain a symbolism] to store the property of commune councilors, who were elected in the 2022 election,” Chhun said.
According to him, the Candlelight permanent committee has recently decided to select Khmer Will Party, one of the four parties in the Alliance Towards the Future, to contest the Senate election in February next year.
“We will inform councilors from Candlelight to vote for the Khmer Will Party,” Chhun said.
The NEC results showed that the CPP swept 1,648 positions out of 1,652 commune chief positions nationwide, with the Candlelight Party winning four – three in Kampong Thom and one in Kampong Cham.
Ou Chanrath, vice president of Cambodia Reform Party, a member of Alliance Towards the Future, was not concerned about the NPP as it was new and there were not many “elites” joining them.
“As we [already] know, if we remain separate, we are incapable of competing in the election and would not effectively serve the people,” he said. If a party wins minor seats at the National Assembly, it would not have any influence or power to make decisions.
“It is the right of the people to create a political party but it will split the voice or public support,” Chanrath said.
Former CNRP youth leader in Svay Rieng province Em Soksovann, who started the Dermbey Kampuchea Party, said he did so in order to serve the interest of the people and the nation.
“I am trusted by people who love democracy and the nation. So, they will support me in winning a few seats at the National Assembly,” Soksovann said.
He joined the CNRP in 2013 and later the Cambodian Youth Party in 2021, before leaving after failing to win a seat in the National Assembly election in July this year.
Political analyst Em Sovannara viewed that the split in opposition parties has caused a “lack of internal democracy”, which has made them lose faith.
“I can say that the new establishment of political parties have no potential to compete with the ruling CPP because they are not united now. The politicians don’t have a common democratic spirit, resulting in a lack of internal democracy,” Sovannara said. “They should not walk away [from the other] … they need to join the alliance.”
He also observed that the new group of politicians do not have strong achievements to attract people, thus it would be difficult to gain public support.
Ath Thorn, president of Cambodian Labour Confederation, said unionist Chea Mony’s entry in the NPP would not impact the independence of union work. “It is his choice to select a party that he thinks will improve his political career,” he said, explaining that a leader who leaves the union to join politics would not have much influence on other unions pursuant to their departure.
