Presidential Statement by Dr Juli Minoves, President of Liberal International
Yesterday Cambodians were pushed to participate in an electoral process that has nothing to do with democracy or with the Cambodian constitution.
Liberal International has followed with great concern at the dismantlement of any semblance of democracy in Cambodia over the last 12 months which culminated yesterday with sham elections. In these elections the opposition was banned, opposition leaders had been jailed and exiled, and the governing party ran the entire process on its own.
“Yesterday Cambodians were pushed to participate in an electoral process that has nothing to do with democracy or with the Cambodian constitution. The LI resolution adopted by our Executive Committee in Berlin in June had set the minimum requirements for the 29th July vote in Cambodia to be credible and legitimate. None of them were fulfilled. We saw increased intimidation and harassment of anyone expressing opinions different from the ones of the Cambodian regime,” said LI President Juli Minoves commenting on the elections.
For Liberal International and its member parties, these elections cannot be accepted as the expression of the will of the Cambodian people. These elections will produce a Cambodian government without credibility and legitimacy and a regime refusing to abide by national and international legal obligations. This regime will be solely responsible for any political and economic measures imposed by the community of democratic nations.
As outlined in the LI EC Resolution, LI demands a full restoration of democracy, starting with the liberation from the imprisonment of Kem Sohka and other political prisoners, full freedom to operate for the opposition CNRP party and the media, and respect of Human Rights as noted in UN reports. LI stands ready to assist the Cambodian people in their quest for restoration of democracy.
The membership of Liberal International and its Bureau stand in firm solidarity with their full LI member party Cambodia National Rescue Party, its leaders who are imprisoned in Cambodia or forced into exile across the world, its Vice President Sam Rainsy who from exile leads the Cambodia National Rescue Movement, as well as the millions of party members and supporters who believe in freedom, democracy, justice and equality before the law in Cambodia.
