CPP to utilise primaries
method of selecting its candidates for the country’s 1,646 communes, giving power to the leaders at the local level to decide how to pick the candidates but keeping elections as a fallback option.
“We have three processes. First, we hand power to the local level to do it themselves,” Sovann said.
“Second, if there is disagreement, we have a committee to handle that, and the committee has members from the provincial working group and executive, and the district executive and the people standing to be candidates.”
“If that second stand cannot solve it, thirdly, we will let the people at the local level vote . . . and then we will appoint those people as the candidates to compete with the other parties,” Sovann explained.
“In short, we give the power to the local level.”
Kem Ley, the political commentator who was assassinated July 10, had long criticised both the CPP and CNRP for failing to hold internal elec- tions to select their candidates, often appealing to both parties to implement what he termed “intra-party democracy”.
Sam Inn, who was a close friend of Ley and is now the spokesman for the Grassroots Democracy Party that the commentator established, said he had been informed of the CPP’s primary voting system and attributed the decision to the analyst’s advocacy.
“We have heard from our local leaders that they have this approach to allow their members to elect their candidates for the commune council elections, and that was what we had demanded from the parties,” Inn said.
“It is a good move, and we are happy to see the impact of our advocacy and our work. We have applied this in our own party; we have already organised 24 commune congresses to allow GDP members elect candidates, and we are happy to see the CPP do this, too.”
“This is what Kem Ley wanted to see,” he said. “Kem Ley and the GDP have caused some impact. It’s the right move towards a more democratic society.”
Koul Panha, director of local elections monitor Comfrel, said he was pleased the ruling party was holding such elections but appealed to its national leaders to ensure there was no funny business.
“I welcome this. It’s more democratic for the internal structures – if it is transparent,” Panha said, explaining that the CPP had held similar votes in the past but there were questions of legitimacy.
“Previously, they also asked members to select their candidates, but people complained that they did not know who was really most popular,” he said. “They just closed the [ballot] box, and opened it up at the district or provincial office, and announced the decision.”
“It was not so open,” Panha said. “The process of choosing the candidates has to be transparent.”
It’s more democratic for the internal structures – if it is transparent