My respect to members of the Cambodian People’s Party in the whole country, the Cambodian people and Buddhist monks, who are watching this live broadcast on a number of TV channels.
Victory of Commune Councils Candidates – Victory of the Party and People
Today, we are gathering here to celebrate the closing of the electoral campaign for the fourth-term commune elections on 4 June 2017. Together with our members here and millions of people in the whole country, who have stepped out to express supports for the 27,114 CPP candidates standing for elections in all 1,646 communes/Sangkat in the whole country. Why do we have to meet here? We are here to give our supports to our candidates who are members of the Cambodian People’s Party. The electoral system in Cambodia is a proportional one, which the Party gives its support to its candidates for local elections. The Party plenums held at local level have produced candidate lists. Their victory in the forthcoming elections will be one common victory for the Party and nation.
Thank for Keeping Neutrality and Peace in the Campaign
For the political platform in relation to the commune elections, our candidates at communal level circulated and interpreted for our people and our party members already. In addition to that, officials of the Cambodian People’s Party at every level also publicized them. There is no need for me to talk about that again. However, I wish to take this opportune moment to express my sincere thank and respect for members of the Cambodian People’s Party and leaders at every level for their active participations in keeping a neutral and peaceful environment in the period of election campaign, which will end after today and we will have a calm day tomorrow.
The Cambodian People’s Party of strength and dignity that has over five million members registered have implemented and observed the election laws, order and procedure, and avoided all sorts of violence that is concern of our people. Respectful virtue that members of the Cambodian People’s Party observed clearly shows its political maturity from top to bottom. We have avoided rebellious and conflict-creating actions. It is a pride of our leaders at every level, including me.
The CPP Grandchildren Will Take Over One Day
It is my first time to take appearance in the period of election campaign for the sub-national level elections. For the previous three local elections – 2002, 2007, and 2012, I did not participate in the campaign. For the general elections, which was held five times already, I also did not participate in the campaign, though I was head of the party’s elections campaign. On 21 May, some members of the party made comments in my Facebook telling they wanted to see me in the campaign, especially in its procession. Since it is my first time and maybe you can teach me how to do it […] as many of you wear short sleeve shirts, I have asked my wife and children that I should wear short sleeve (T-)shirt too …
Today, with pride, I have a few things to say to our compatriots, especially members of the Cambodian People’s Party that peace and development that happen on this pitiful land of ours have come from invaluable sacrifices of the Cambodian People’s Party. Were there any other parties that help bring peace to this divided and war-torn country? Were there any parties joining the Cambodian People’s Party to realize these achievements from scratch? I am taking this opportune moment to bring to members of the Party our pride and honor for their contributions, some have done it from their grandparents through to themselves. Just now, I passed by a grandchild of the Party. I hope, the Party grandchildren will take over their turns from us one day.
To Commemorate 40th Liberation Army Leadership
I can speak proudly that this year is the 40th anniversary of the day that I commenced my leadership of national liberation movement. In days ahead, I will celebrate an event to commemorate the historic turn of my life. I was then only 25 years old and I became commander of the armed forces of the national united front for salvation of Cambodia. We fulfilled historic mission of organizing National United Front for the Salvation of Kampuchea led by Samdech Heng Samrin as well as other leaders, under the banner of the Cambodian People’s Party, to liberate the country from the regime of Pol Pot. The current Secretary General of the United Nations, a friend of mine in the framework of the democratic society, who led a political party in Portugal, recognized my role and that of the Cambodian People’s Party in bringing down the regime of Pol Pot […]
CPP Makes Peace, Creates and Secures Jobs and Better Pay
… Today we have come out to support the 27,114 candidates of the Party seeking votes in 1,646 communes to continue the Party’s contribution in keeping our hard-won peace. We resolutely allow no one – no matter how perfidious they may be, to destroy this peace. We have seen clearly our economic progresses. We have brought poverty rate from 100% to only 13%. We have led the country from least developed nations to one in the lower middle- income countries. You may wanted to know that under the leadership of the late Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, the popular socialist period of 1969, the most prosperous after the Angkor period, our people’s per capita income was 160 USD, while in South Korea, their per capita income was only 75 USD. As of today, as one of the lower middle-income countries, Cambodia’s per capita income is over 300 USD.
[…] Some have ignored or forgotten efforts made by the Cambodian People’s Party, though in fact they survived (the genocide brought down by), studied in schools built by our party. In 1990s, we had only few factories and our workers earned only 36 USD as their salary. In the 2012 commune elections, we were able to demand a jack-up of salary to 82 USD. As of now, our workers earn a minimum salary of 153 USD, and including other benefits, they could make up 170 or 180 USD. Dear workers, the Royal Government led by the Cambodian People’s Party have made steadfast efforts to create and secure jobs for you, in addition to making peace. The opposition party did nothing but appealing to foreign countries to cease their assistances and stop investors from coming to Cambodia. They even called on markets in Europe to purchase no foods from Cambodia. Were their actions for improvement of workers’ living conditions?
Some complained about migration for jobs to a foreign country. You may notice that migration for jobs – legal and illegal is not happening only in the case of Cambodia. Thailand, where our migrant workers went to, has millions of their workers in South Korea, Taiwan, and the Middle East. Over 12 million Philippines workers went out for jobs in foreign countries, in Cambodia included. The Royal Government is working hard though to get our workers from nil to 40,000 to work in South Korea. We are now expanding our job markets to include also the Middle East where workers could earn higher income. We also help legalize our migrant workers to Thailand […]
Six Things to Do
Let me take this opportune moment to express my sincere thanks for members of the Cambodian People’s Party as well as the people in the whole country for voting to support the Cambodian People’s Party every time. No victory scored without participation and support […] we have planned to have some 150,000 participants in the event today. However, it seems that the number has reached over 200,000 thousands now. In previous instances, some politicians always flattered their numbers of participants to millions. Judging by the size (of probably 200,000) now, what those politicians said in the past about their gathering was a lie … before our show starts, let me remind you all – those of us here, our members in the whole country, and people who support the Cambodian People’s Party – of the six things to do:
Firstly, continue to adhere strictly to elections laws, order, and procedures through to the when elections is over. This is what we need to do in days ahead. We must keep our dignity high. I am calling our people to strictly follow them and avoid immoral or violent actions.
Secondly, stay away from and trade no alcohol tomorrow and the day after tomorrow – on the June 3 and 4, as instructed in the circulation of the Royal Government of Cambodia. I am calling on everyone to use no alcohol in times of elections. Our traders must also not sell alcohol. You will resume your business of selling it on Monday […]
Thirdly, everyone, every member in the family and voters in the whole country must get their legal papers (that certify their identities) ready for the elections day on June 4. I will also do that. I will check it and will bring along with me.
Fourthly, please recognize and remember the Party sign and know the ordering number of the party in each commune/Sangkat. The best thing to do is to remember looking for deity spreading flowers sign of the Cambodian People’s Party. They must also tick it in the right place.
Fifthly, members of the party must be faithful and disciplinary and make sure each of their votes is for the Party. Our party won every election so far is because every member and their family member votes for the party … as member of the Party, our obligation is to defend the party and you would do so by voting for the Party. As for people in general, it is a different matter. Our party has over 5 million registered voters, and with their family members, the number could grow … we must make sure that each member of the Party is one vote for the Party too.
Sixthly, please do not hit the cart if you are angry at oxen. The Party humbly recognizes that it has shortcomings to fix up. We are in our efforts to fix them and to improve. We still have some officials who do not have appropriate behaviors. I wish that we could distinguish between the good of the party on one side versus the bad on the other. We still have to respond to our members’ wish […]
The Opposition Reverses Its Stand on Defense
… Some have in the last days of campaign talked about the need to arm our forces with modern weapons while every time the Royal Government brought the budget law for discussion in the National Assembly, they always lectured the Royal Government on expense in the field of defense and security. You may check again the discussion in the National Assembly. For us, so far, the most we spent in the field of defense and security is on salary and improvement of the forces living standard, and not on weapons. Why these days the opposition calls for arming the army with modern weapons? Are they seeking the army’s support? I am sure, the army, the police, and the military police who are in defense of the country and used to be their object of insult understand their tricks to gain votes […]
All Political Parties to Recognize the Elections Results
… I apologize for bringing up many same issues. This morning I met with Samdech Krola Haom Sar Kheng who is to close the elections campaign in Svay Rieng. Some said that if they were to win the elections, they would keep Samdech Krola Haom as Deputy Prime Minister. It is so amusing … They may take it all, if they win. I am calling on all political parties to recognize the outcome of the elections. They should not resort to unrecognizing them for number of registered voters, indelible election ink, etc. We now have a law that allows the dissolving of political party. If our party is to have done something wrong, with ample proofs, we also accept the court order to dissolve the party. I hope that every political party will recognize the elections results. We have no way of knowing yet who wins and who loses. However, we hope that we will win because we have achievements of keeping peace and continued development […]
Voting CPP is Voting for Oneself, Peace and Progress
… I think it is about time for us to start our show. Please vote for the Cambodian People’s Party to continue peace and progress. Voting for the Cambodian People’s Party is indeed voting for one own self. Make a wrong decision in one day would bring bad luck for one whole life. We already experienced that. Under Lon Nol’s coup on March 18, 1970, we became victims. We must keep what we have in our hands … That we have so many artists, actors, TVs, here today, was it not because of the Cambodian People’s Party. That we have sports making progresses and we are heading to hosting the SEA Game 2023, is it not the because of the efforts of the Cambodian People’s Party? The Cambodian People’s Party will continue to take care of our people, and you will support the Party. We need each other.
Today, I will take this moment to wish our Christians Amen, the Allah wish for the Muslims who are here present with us. On June 15, I will also join the Ramadan Iftar dinner thrown by the Royal Government. To end it with, I wish our Buddhist followers the four Buddhist blessings. I am now declaring commencement of the CPP procession to end the election campaign for the commune elections./.
