Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: Khatharya Umbigger electoral coffers.Allegations of vote buying and inconsistent, and largely partisan, application of electoral rules, especially regarding voter registration and identification, and overt intimidation campaigns ranging from the illegal presence of officials (or their kin) at polling stations to a grenade thrown at the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) headquarters, dogged the election process.An appeal was jointly made by the principal monitoring agencies (COMFREL, NICFEC, YCC, PEFOOJ, among others) to the National Election Commission, which has been accused of partisanship, "to take these complaints seriously, and make serious efforts to resolve in a transparent manner issues at commune polling centres where the percentage of voters was below 50 per cent". 1 Voter discrimination, confusion, intimidation, and malaise helped account for the relatively low voter turnout, which at 65.4 per cent, reflected a 30 to 40 per cent decrease from preceding elections.Not surprisingly, the CPP achieved a landslide victory, securing control over 98 per cent of the communes and party representation in all of Cambodia's communes.The SRP placed a far second, netting 25.5 per cent of the popular votes, control of 1.7 per cent of the communes, reflecting a twofold increase from the 2002 winnings, and representation in over 85 per cent of the communes.Once a serious contender, FUNCINPEC's (Front Uni National Pour Un Cambodge Indépendant, Neutre et Coopératif) performance at the polls was unimpressive, as it managed to win only two commune chief positions.For its part, the newly formed Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) succeeded in fielding over 1,000 candidates but secured only 472 council positions, and no control over any commune.2 These successes and setbacks set the stage for the 2008 national elections.3 Along with the political resurgence of the SRP, the 2007 commune elections also showed a hopeful increase in the number of female candidates, particularly fielded by CPP and FUNCINPEC.However, while in absolute terms the number of women elected to the commune council is laudable, the proportionality remains low.Representation is even more skewed at the higher level of government.Nevertheless, the increased presence of women in the political arena has helped broadened the discourse in the male dominated forum.This is critically important given that 52 per cent of the country's 13.8 million population are women, and that many of Cambodia's pressing social and economic issues have gender implications.Though labour force participation rate of Cambodian women is at 82 per cent, the highest in the region, 4 poverty, though endemic, is particularly acute among them.Other associated problems such as lack of access to education, healthcare, employment, and other fundamental aspects of human security, continue to be persisting impediments to social progress.
Source: Southeast Asian affairs
DOI: 10.1355/seaa08g
Author: Khatharya Um
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2046289541