Parties Wrap Up Election Campaigns
Last-minute campaigning roared through the capital on Friday, as competing parties took one last try to lure voters. (25 July 2008)
Parties competing in Sunday's election took advantage of thefinal day of the campaign season Friday, with marches, parades and motorcades inthe capital and the provinces. Thousands of supporters rallied around their parties, wavingflags, sporting shirts and caps and taking one last shot at drawingvoters to the polls. The Cambodian People's Party is widely expected to dominatethe election Sunday, but other parties continued to campaign Friday, battlingfor their share of the 123 National Assembly seats up for grabs. In Phnom Penh,supporters of the CPP, Sam Rainsy, Human Rights, Funcinpec and NorodomRanariddh parties moved around town in trucks and on foot, banging drums,shouting slogans and blaring loud theme music. CPP officials said they gathered nearly 30,000 supporters,led by Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema, who called out to supporters: "Avote for CPP is a vote for development and poverty reduction" and"Vote for the CPP for a prosperous future for children and youth." His calls were met with cries from the crowd: "Longlive the CPP for the country of Cambodia!" The Sam Rainsy Party meanwhile gathered nearly 10,000supporters in a march through the city. The opposition leader, who was campaigning in Kampong ChamFriday, recorded remarks to be broadcast to supporters through loudspeakers. "Hun Sen now does not resolve the high price of goods,"Sam Rainsy said. "If Hun Sen continues to lead Cambodia, goods will increase inprice." Activists shouted, "Vote for the Sam Rainsy Party todecrease the high price of goods, to have a proper job, and [medical] treatmentwithout charge." The Human Rights Party estimated 8,000 supporters joined inmarches around the capital. Before marching, the top leaders of the party,including its president, Kem Sokha, addressed a crowd of supporters. "Vote for the Human Rights Party to change the currentleadership," Kem Sokha said. "Vote to change the leader oftoad-stepping policies and the leader of corruption." Supporters shouted back, "Vote for the Human RightsParty for change, change, change." "You change?" supporters called to each other."We change, we change," came the response. The self-named party of exiled Prince Norodom Ranariddh wasable to gather 4,000 supporters in PhnomPenh, officials estimated. "Party No. 1 helps the nation," called MuthChantha, a Phnom Penhcandidate for the party, referring to his NRP's position on Sunday's ticket. "The absence of Prince Norodom Ranariddh has not madeus defeated before the betrayers," Muth Chantha said. "On 27 July wewill vote for Prince Norodom Ranariddh." Funcinpec, meanwhile, estimated 3,000 supporters in thecapital. Secretary-General Nhiek Bunchhay, who is a candidate forBattambang province, said in a recorded message a "vote for Funcinpec is avote for development and for the king and for security for human rights and therule of law."