A Free and Fair Election

This year is an election year in Cambodia. The vote is scheduled for July 28 and with the big day looming closer and closer, things are getting interesting. Each day we hear news of various parties gaining or losing percentages in the polls, sometimes with opposing reports coming out on the same day. Infrastructure projects such as road paving which seemed to have been put on the back burner are suddenly moving forward full steam ahead as the various parties try to win the favor of their constituents. I recently joked to one of my coworkers that maybe every year should be an election year if this was the kind of progress we could expect.

Each day we hear news of various parties gaining or losing percentages in the polls, sometimes with opposing reports coming out on the same day. Infrastructure projects such as road paving which seemed to have been put on the back burner are suddenly moving forward full steam ahead as the various parties try to win the favor of their constituents. I recently joked to one of my coworkers that maybe every year should be an election year if this was the kind of progress we could expect.

However, the election has a serious effect on our work as well. We have already been warned that we should not plan any community meetings for most of June or July because the local authorities that we normally try our best to cooperate with will be busy donning their political hats and any activity we hold could be construed as for or against a particular party. The leadership of Cambodia, like that of any country, has a huge effect on how its citizens are treated and how its resources are used. We hope and pray that the election will be free and fair and that no matter who is elected, they will take their duty as the voice of the Cambodian people seriously and will advocate for their best interests.

Thinking about the upcoming national election reminds me of another election that I participated in this past November. It was a time for the people to vote for those who would be best equipped to lead them toward a brighter future. No, this election wasn’t for the President of the United States (although I participated in that one too), it was for the Community Based Organization (CBO) in Veal Tbal village. World Renew’s partner OREDA has been working in Veal Tbal since 2008. The last CBO election was 3 years ago and the leaders elected at that time did a good job of serving their community in organizing development activities. However, the best sign of good community leadership is when leaders don’t cling to control, but are willing to let others take their turn serving. That is why 17 people were willing to put their names on the ballot in Veal Tbal. Oy Sopha, one of the older men in the village, said “I hope a new generation will join the CBO to bring something new to the village. The former CBO members are getting older and they should transfer their knowledge to the next generation.”

One of the candidates, Oun Sok, spoke about her reasons for running. She said, “The former CBO leaders have inspired me with their work and I want to get involved. They have helped a lot of families in the village and have motivated people to build latrines, use water filters and form a cow bank and a savings group. I want to learn more about development and share my learning with others in my village.” Another candidate, Hoy Lida, said that she also wanted to learn more about development and mobilizing resources to meet community needs. She said, “Savings groups are the key to bringing about community change”. Although both Oun Sok and Hoy Lida were willing to serve their village as CBO members, both women also said they would not be sad if they were not elected because it was up to the villagers to elect those they thought would do the best job.

OREDA went to great lengths to ensure that the election was conducted in a transparent manner. The village was informed in advance and those who wanted to put their names on the ballot were able to do so. Then, on election day, the villagers came and registered family by family. Each family got one vote so large families would not be able to dominate. The family representatives gave their thumb print to prove that they were there. Then the names were called out and ballots were distributed one by one. Each family came forward and voted for 7 people. If they were not able to read, there was someone there to help them with the ballot. Each of the candidates wore their number and their name so people could be sure who they were voting for. When they were finished, the put their ballots in a box which was being watched by the whole village. After all of the ballots were in, the votes were tallied in front of everyone to ensure transparency.

When all the votes had been counted, the new CBO members were asked to come forward and say a few words. Two of the seven had been members of the previous CBO, so while there will be change in Veal Tbal, there will also be some continuity. The community seemed satisfied with the results and glad to have participated. Oy Sopha summed it up well when he said, “I think it is important that people participate in the CBO election process. It is important that they are able to elect those they can rely on”

Please Pray…

For the leadership of Cambodia and for the election process to be free and fair.
For the leadership of World Renew in Cambodia as we prepare as we prepare for a change of staff as the DeGraafs and I leave and a new Country Consultant joins us in the coming months.
For a safe and restful visit with my friends and family in the US from late June to early July.
For our team as we continue to make plans for the next phase of our work with some of our partners.