In response to the CNRP's slogan "Replace commune chief working for political party by commune chief working for the people", on Wednesday, 13 commune chiefs from the Cambodian People Party (CPP) issued 13 different motions with almost the same contents to condemn the CNRP for accusing them of working only for the sake of their political party.
According to the motions, the CNRP's political message [slogan] was an intention to destroy the heroism [hardship] of all commune chiefs who were working to serve the people. It was also an act of looking down on the will of the people who had voted to choose them as commune chief.
"In addition, the slogan is intending to destroy the Cambodian commune proportional representation system," read the motions.
The motions also said that the Law on the Election of the Commune requires candidates from different political party to propose their development programme. As a result, all commune chiefs, who had been elected, were directly working to serve people living in their commune by implementing their development programme to build roads, wells, ponds, irrigation system, school, hospital etc.
"The election campaign is aimed at providing any political party [...] to disseminate to the electorate its policy and political program as regards to the development of the commune/sangkat," read Article 77 of the Law on the Election of the Commune.
Regarding this issue, Mr. Yim Sovann, spokesman for the CNRP, told reporters that the slogan did not aim at any particular political party, it was for all political parties. And such slogan was not something new, it has existed since 2012. The slogan had a positive impact on all commune chiefs by encouraging them to work for the people.
However, on March 6, the CPP issued a declaration demanding the CNRP to change its slogan. The CPP said that the slogan reflected the nature of incitement and an act of looking down on commune chiefs nationwide. And if the CNRP failed to do so, the CPP would file a complaint to the court.
An anonymous political analyst said that usually, such issue was not a big deal, but as the commune election was coming closer, this issue has become a part of the election campaign starting already from now on.
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