Hun Sen Mute After Initial Election Remarks
Over the past three weeks, a standoff between the long-ruling CPP and newly strengthened opposition CNRP has made for an increasingly tense political environment. But almost entirely missing from the equation has been Prime Minister Hun Sen, whose last public appearance was 18 days ago when he addressed villagers in Kandal province and warned the opposition that a failure to take their seats in Parliament would result in them being given to the CPP. As opposed to his usual schedule of delivering nationally televised speeches almost every day—weighing in on everything from pressing political issues to personal trivialities—the prime minister has remained completely out of the public eye since August 2. The prime minister’s silence comes amid a steady security buildup in Phnom Penh after the CNRP promised mass demonstrations if the CPP did not cede power and commit to conducting an independent enquiry of alleged election irregularities. … Cheam Yeap, a senior CPP lawmaker and de facto spokesman for the party, said that Mr. Hun Sen has remained largely silent since the July 28 national election because he has been busy preparing for his next five years managing the country as prime minister. “He is busy organizing the implementation of the party’s political platform to ensure that it meets the expectations set out in our platform during the election campaign,” Mr. Yeap said, adding that the party is also trying to figure out why its popularity has fallen sharply. “We are busy evaluating why we lost support,” he said. Political analysts said Tuesday that dealing with internal problems within a party that has seen a steep drop in its popularity, along with practicing caution in how the party deals with a significantly strengthened opposition, likely explain the prime minister’s silence. “The prime minister always lets others talk and express all the issues and then he analyzes that information and finds a strategy to fight back,” said independent political analyst Kem Ley, adding that there were two directions Mr. Hun Sen could take in his response to the CNRP’s calls for reform. …
Colin Meyn and Phorn Bopha
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/elections/hun-sen-mute-after-initial%E2%80%88election-remarks-40372/
