Parties Prepare for Campaign Period
With the official election campaign period approaching, and elections on the near horizon, some of the nation's 11 competing parties ar
With the official campaign period approaching andelections on the near horizon, some of the nation's 11 competing parties arebeginning to organize. Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said his party will lead asweeping campaign in Phnom Penh,gathering more than 10,000 activists in a "people movement strategy" when the official campaign period begins, June 26. Norodom Ranairddh Party spokesman Muth Chantha said hisparty was not depending on a big campaign, but he was preparing to gather 3,000people for public displays of support, driving by car or marching by foot in Phnom Penh. The party will also campaign in remote areas where they haveregistered candidates, but each rural campaign will be up to individualcandidates, he said. The Society of Justice Party will have an election campaignin Battambang province, the only place where the party is registered, saidparty president Ban Sophal, who was once the former deputy governor of theprovince. Seng Sokheng, secretary-general of the Hang Dara DemocraticMovement Party, said preparations were underway, with 100 cars and 1,000motorbikes reserved to carry supporters around Phnom Penh and in main provinces likeBattambang, Prey Veng and Siem Reap, which have a high number of parliamentaryseats up for grabs. About 200,000 activists will move house to house handing outpolitical platform brochures, Seng Sokheng said. Such large numbers ofsupporters were possible because Hang Dara, president of the party, was oncethe leader of the popular pro-Sihanouk movement, and this is not the first timefor him to join an election. He also participated in 2003 and 2007. Chiem Yeap, a lawmaker for the Cambodian People's Party,said the party would keep its standard election campaign strategy, to holdpolitical rallies on the first and last days of the campaign period, which lasts until July 25. NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said each party will have 10minutes, broadcast twice a day on TVK, throughout the campaign period, toexplain political platforms.