Samdech Hun Sen Will Remain Prime Minister until He Is 90 if People Still Support Him
“Phnom Penh: Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, the head of the Royal Government of Cambodia, reacted strongly on Tuesday morning responding to the appeal for him not to stand as prime ministerial candidate. He said that as long as the citizens still vote for him to rule the country until he is 90, he must serve the people with no fear of being tired. He said so on the morning of 9 January 2007 during an inauguration ceremony at the Cambodian Agricultural Research & Development Institute.
“He said that elections are the most democratic way, but someone wants him to stop standing as prime ministerial candidate. To be elected does not depend on the request of an individual standing, but whether or not the citizens still vote for him to continue ruling the country. So the person for whom they vote must serve the citizens. He stated that there were was an attempt to kill him with four B-40 rockets, but he did not die because the rockets missed him. Now it is time for elections, he thought that there should not be any concern; if the citizens do not vote for him, he must withdraw himself. He stated clearly, ‘I have not decided to stop,’ because the people still need him to help promote agriculture.
“Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen recalled many things he has done, and the most important is that he brought peace to the citizens. However, poverty alleviation is not yet successful, so he must do this work by serving the citizens when they still vote for him to be prime minister. He said, ‘Someone wants me to withdraw myself. I wonder how they could say so while they present themselves as the real democrats. For me, everything depends on the grandfathers and grandmothers [the respected elder generation], if they vote for me, I will continue. I don’t understand why the donors provide aid to you [criticizing Hun Sen].’ He stressed that he is the country’s leader for peace, but some people lead their countries into war and not to development.
“Everything he raised is probably to respond to Mr. Koul Panha, the executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections who is quoted in The Cambodia Daily on Tuesday morning to have suggested that Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen should stop standing as candidate for the position of prime minister, for the reason that Samdech Hun Sen has led the Royal Government already for many years.
“Samdech Hun Sen said that such words seem to come from stupid people whom he used to call, ‘stupid scholars’ which refers to learned people who do not check the laws properly. He said that it is not democratic to prevent someone from standing as a candidate for elections. However, if anybody is frightened [of standing as a candidate], they should just say that they are frightened, if they are hungry for power, they should say that they are hungry for power. He said, ‘The most democratic way in the world is to have elections.’
“He told those scholars that if they are very stupid, they should go to do farming or to the country from which they came, they should not come to live in Cambodia, for they just cause difficulties for others. He said ‘They offer to serve the people, and the citizens ask to serve them, but these critics oppose. Such kind of people – I would call them idiots.’ He stated clearly that as long as the citizens need him, he will still work to help them. Whenever the citizens still vote for the Cambodian People’s Party, the Cambodian People’s Party provides the role of leading the Royal Government to Samdech Hun Sen to manage the work. Thus, everything depends on the people.” Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1239, 10.1.2007
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Wednesday, 10 January 2007
Deum Ampil, Vol.2, #4, 10-16.1.2007
- Mr. Kem Sokha [president of Cambodian Center for Human Rights] Will Hold Congress to Inaugurate Party in June 2007
- Ruling Party Rejects Criticism [article doesn’t say by whom] Which Says Khmer Rouge Trial Court Is Deadlocked
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.6, #1239, 10.1.2007
- * Samdech Hun Sen Will Remain Prime Minister until He Is 90 if People Still Support Him
- Malaysia Provides 4,200 Tonnes of Iron [to Cambodia] for Railway Construction
- Samdech Hun Sen’s Gift of 20 Tonnes of Rice Distributed to People in Ten Villages in Kompong Khleang [Soutr Nikom, Siem Reap]
- Mahathir bin Mohamad, [former Malaysian Prime Minister]: Thai Muslim Rebels Should Stop Their Demand for an Independent Autonomous State
Koh Santepheap, Vol.40, #5936, 10.1.2007
- Samdech Hun Sen: Democracy in the World Is Just about Elections [responding to president of Committee for Free and Fair Elections who spoke about term limit resignation]
- Malaysian Investors Want to Invest in Tourism [in Cambodia]
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.14, #3058, 10.1.2007
- Mr. Sam Rainsy Says Someone, Who Wants to Be a Leader for Life, Is Looking Down on 14 Million Cambodian Citizens; Hun Sen Announces that He Will Stay in Power until He Is 90
- Malaysian Lawyers Demands Those Who Exiled Heng Pov [former Phnom Penh Police Commissioner who is accused of crimes] to Cambodia Be Responsible Before the Law
Reach Seima, Vol.2, #127, 10.1.2007
- [Datuk Zaid Ibrahim] President of ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Caucus Asks [Cambodian] Prime Minister to Raise Burmese Issue to Solve It in ASEAN Summit
- Kem Sokha [president of Cambodian Center for Human Rights] Spends US Aid Money to Gain Popularity and Create a Party
- Prime Minister Says Income from Rice Selling Is $92 Million per Year
- Mr. Keo Remy [SRP parliamentarian, Phnom Penh] Will Submit Proposed Law to Protect Former Heads of Royal Government to National Assembly Soon
Sralanh Khmer, Vol.3, #301, 10.1.2007
- Sam Rainsy: [Chief Monk] Tep Vong Is CPP’s Religious Spokesperson [ironic]
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