Opposition party Candlelight has formed an alliance with minority parties Khmer Will Party, Grassroots Democratic Party and Cambodia Reform Party, three parties which failed to secure any seats, to challenge the ruling party’s dominance in the National Assembly in the upcoming elections.
At a press conference in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, the coalition called ‘Alliance Towards The Future’ was announced with the aim of uniting power via a collective democracy to fight against the CPP in the 2027 commune elections and national elections in 2028.
“We have seen that only through a coalition democratic power can we change the political norms in Cambodia,” Kong Monika, acting secretary-general of Candlelight Party, said during the event.
He remarked that democracy and human rights have regressed in Cambodia since the dissolution of the opposition CNRP by the Supreme Court in 2017.
“Everyone is happy with our coalition because it is a step towards national unity,” said Pol Ham, president of Cambodia Reform Party.
A working group will be set up to coordinate the process for Alliance Towards the Future but all four parties would retain their respective parties. They will also assign constituencies for candidates from each party to stand during the election, said Yeng Virak, president of Grassroots Democratic Party.
“We have a commitment to fulfill our duty as alliance members to carry out the mission effectively in order to uphold the objective of respecting human rights and promoting multiparty democracy,” Virak said.
Following the disqualification of Candlelight from contesting in the 2023 national election, CPP swept 120 of 125 National Assembly seats, while Funcinpec secured five seats.
The ruling CPP obtained 6,398,311 votes, around 78% out of 8,214,430 votes cast whereas royalist Funcinpec gained 716,490 votes or 9%, with Khmer National United Party recording 134,285 votes, below 2% of the total, according to NEC.
The chances of Candlelight Party contesting the Senate elections in February next year remains a challenge though as the Interior Ministry has refused to recognise the party due to the absence of the original registration document from 1998.
However, acting president of Candlelight Sok Hach said the party has prepared itself to contest in the Senate election.
“In case, the Candlelight party is still not able to take part in the Senate election, we can find a partner in our alliance to work together,” he said, adding that the legal team will discuss the framework with members of the alliance.
“We join political parties to take over power [through elections] in order to change the [political] position,” Hach said.
A senior investigator at rights group Adhoc, Soeng Senkarun who attended the event, welcomed the alliance, although he expressed concern that it could be impacted the same way as the dissolution of CNRP in 2017.
“The creation of the alliance is a start to building trust in people, but we have to monitor whether this alliance is strong enough to improve the political situation,” he said.
“We are also worried that when unity becomes a big power like the former CNRP, it could face challenges [of dissolution],” Senkaruna said.
CPP spokesperson Sok Eysan could not be reached for comment while Bun Honn, secretary of state of the Interior Ministry, declined to comment.
Meanwhile, at least 13 minor political parties have put in requests to become part of an alliance with CPP to maintain peace and development.
Mam Sonando, president of the Beehive Social Democratic Party, told CamboJA that his party has requested to become an ally with the CPP after carefully examining the development of the political situation.
“I am forming an alliance with the Cambodian People’s Party, but I am not joining a political career [defection] as it is my idea. I am sharing my opinion about joining the patriots. It is fine if they [CPP] do not accept. I will not hold up banners, argue or demonstrate.”
He said there is a lot of development under the leadership of former Prime Minister Hun Sen and his successor Hun Manet. “I want to participate and maintain the achievements of the ruling party,” he said.
Hun Sen, who is CPP president, has welcomed any political party which wants to “form an alliance” with his party.
“On behalf of CPP, I warmly welcome ideas and good intentions of political parties which have requested [to form alliance],” he said via his Telegram channel, which was also posted on Freshnews online media.
He said the CPP would not try to control other political parties and is keen to work with other parties and respects their independence, and would treat them as equal partners of CPP.
“We really need to unite the political parties in Cambodia to achieve the goal of maintaining peace and ensuring development in the long-term,” Hun Sen said.
However, he issued a warning “to eradicate extremist politics” from Cambodia in order to ensure national unity and peace.
(Additional reporting by Phon Sottthyroth)
