To Unite or not to Unite.

http://ki-media.blogspot.com/2010/01/kem-sokha-calls-for-unity-during-2010.html

There is no need for SRP to worry about the call for a unity from Kem Sokha and HRP’s leadership. Kem Sokha has lost his moral authority to call for a unity because he cannot even unite his own members and his own party’s leaders. The calls for a unity or “the unity” have been done by Kem Sokha before and they have been done just to put SRP and Sam Rainsy on a defensive mode.

In reality the “the unity” cannot be done with any conditions attached. Sam Rainsy has previously stated well that the [political] unity can only happen in the cloud. In addition, the is no such thing as political unity, unless all parties merge and the merger is always at the expense of the smaller party(ies) which will be absorbed by the bigger and stronger one.

Kem Sokha and HRP’s leaders know this very well that it is impossible to unite unless HRP’s leaders are willing to sacrifice their organization and their own personal and political positions.

First, there is no room in SRP that will accommodate HRP’s leaders and its future candidates who are the main financial supporters of this party. Some of them have been investing heavily in the hope that they could be listed as the first candidate in their own choice of territory. Kem Sokha himself will not be given the first position as SRP’s candidate in Kampong Cham, for example. Knowing him as he had been, I doubt Kem Sokha will sacrifice his position; hence his calls for the unity are not a genuine and this last one was just a strategy for him to be in the political spotlight. It is the “event” created to make some noises in the political arena.

Many of us, especially the overseas Cambodian political supporters, think (like I used to) that the love of Cambodia is the top priority for all politicians, but in reality, professional politicians have been using the pain and suffering of the poor Cambodian to make their living and/or to become wealthier. Many can’t find a decent job in Cambodia, hence seeking to advance in politics to earn a position can be a ticket either to jump ship or to be shipped overseas.

Secondly, any conditions set forth by HRP will be rejected by SRP, as we see how SRP’s supporters have rationally been reacting to Kem Sokha’s statements. As a larger party, SRP has the right, and it is reasonable enough, to reject any conditions from a weak and dysfunctional organization that has many shortcomings in all areas, not to mention the lack of personal, professional and political integrity of most HRP’s top leaders.

Some leaders of HRP will definitely be political liabilities to SRP. The strong connection between HRP’s leaders, like Kem Sokha and others, to CPP leaders will give voters a lot of reasons to continue having doubt that HRP is a lackey of the CPP and/or Premier Hun Sen. During the 2008 campaign, when I have spent weeks throughout the country, voters had asked continuously if Kem Sokha was given the money by Premier Hun Sen to create HRP. There was no clear answer by Kem Sokha to reject that claim; however, I had learned from a few reliable sources that it was true and that Premier Hun Sen had said it in his own party’s meeting. I had been in a denial for quite some time until I finally disassociated myself from HRP.

The other issue is the lingering corruption charges that Kem Sokha had been less than clean during his presidency of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights—the charges that can be reactivated any time by Cambodian court. Seeing how HRP operated under his management--from the inception date of HRP until I left--I had little doubt that CCHR was led in the same management style (as HRP) which had led to serious charges by members of his own party who have left to join the CPP. The charges will surely come back and hunt Kem Sokha in the 2013 election and beyond. This will negatively impact SRP in the event that SRP accepts Kem Sokha and his team to join SRP.

Thirdly (but not the last,) the political infrastructures of HRP are not credible nor genuine. Kem Sokha likes to exaggerate the numbers of HRP supporters to generate income from donors and to incite supporters that HRP is the biggest thing for Cambodia since sliced bread—the claim that can only be realized when one examine it with a microscope. Realistically speaking, the numbers of supporters and activists were nothing less than a fabricated numbers from those leaders of the so-called grassroots to all top levels. Unfortunately, many of local members and leaders were seasonal ones who had temporarily joined HRP to make a few extra dollars during a campaign season. At the end of the period, they would go back to be with whatever party that can feed them the most.

As for the top leaders of HRP, thank God that HRP didn’t win “all out” as Kem Sokha boldly and surely projected. Otherwise, Cambodia would be in serious trouble with a long chaotic period. Kem Sokha would never know what to do with the Cambodian government or how to run Cambodia. I am saying this not because I love the CPP to run Cambodia for any more moment, but from my point of view by looking at the level of experience (and education) of the top men who run HRP and its organization at that particular time. There is no reason for me to believe that HRP is now in any better shape than it was then; therefore SRP will have to seriously weigh up whether HRP is a plus or minus to SRP in a scenario of political unity between the two parties.

We like to think that it is a must for all politicians to unite against the ruling party; however, it is too good to be true if the unity does take place at all. When it does, it will only last for a couple “breathings of a cricket.”

It is unlikely that professional politicians will sacrifice their life for Cambodia; for most of them, they rather sacrifice Cambodia for their life. For this reason, I don’t think that Kem Sokha and his team will genuinely or unconditionally join SRP for the sake of Cambodia’s interest. Many will probably seek their refuge with the CPP instead. The best thing for SRP’s leaders to do is to tighten and strengthen its organization from within and for Sam Rainsy and other leaders to make fewer political mistakes. Perhaps, the best way to make fewer mistakes is to make major moves and most important decisions collectively. Those key people around Sam Rainsy should be encouraged to become part of the decision makers rather than being only the "Yes Men”.