Election 2023, Another Normal Day of Khmer Peaceful Democracy

Opinion, Khmer Times, 27 July 2023 (Link)

For foreign observers, they were surprised that Cambodia’s election started so early at 7:00am. But for the locals, this is just another normal day for them. They rather prefer to go early in the morning to avoid queuing under tropical heat.

On 23 July, at a polling station in Phnom Penh Thmey High School, there was traffic jam around school entrance in between 7:00am to 8:00am as voters wanted to vote early.

Inside the school, the atmosphere was lively. People were smiling, taking photos from their mobile phones in front of the polling stations showing their inked fingers.

At around 7:00am, you can start to see that your Facebook, Instagram and Telegram, were full of notifications from friends posting or sending photos after voting. Some were with their whole families.

There was almost no long queue in front of each polling station. Some were trying to find their names in the voters’ list before entering voting station; some did not have to do that as they had checked it in advance through the mobile application of the National Election Committee (NEC).

The voters, observers and organizers were behaving in an orderly, calm and peaceful manner as if they were well accustomed to the process. By 1:00pm, the polling stations become less crowded as more than 70% of eligible voters already casted their votes before the closure at 3:00pm.

Voter turnout peaked at 84.58%, exceeding the previous four national elections since 2003.

No report of violence at all.

There were no angry, hateful and discriminative looks from the people, unlike in the 2013 and 2018 elections. Back then, during the electoral campaign, when the rally of the Cambodian People’s Party and the opposition came across each other, there was a strong sentiment of resentment and hatred from both sides.

This year, all eyes became peaceful and soft.

Workers and all Cambodians were given extra day off on Monday. So, they can go back to their hometown provinces on Saturday, vote on Sunday, and return back to their workplaces in the cities on Monday.

On Monday noon time, on National Road Number 1 that links Kandal, Prey Veng and Svay Rieng Provinces with Phnom Penh, the traffic already started to get congested.

At Neak Loeung Bridge (or Tsubasa Bridge), which is the longest bridge in Cambodia built by Japanese grant, a lot of motorbikes made their inbound travel back to the city. Some were stopping to take final photos before going back to work. Some were having a short break, eating Machu or Khmer pickled fruits. Yes, you read it right; they were taking a break on the bridge.

Police officers were busy regulating traffic on the bridge while some were taking meal from their lunch boxes.

Some motorbikes carried 3-4 people including small kids. Sometimes we can see small feet of kids sleeping in the middle of their parents. Some motorbikes of young workers carried living chickens, ducks and rice given by their farmer parents.

For all Cambodian professionals, there is a common practical joke on Facebook and social media. They often post their smiling photo with a caption, “tomorrow, I will do construction work as usual”. It does not necessary mean that all of them work in construction sector but it is a new trendy Khmer slang that says tomorrow is just another working day. A description of easy-going people.

But for the CPP’s politicians, probably they cannot afford to have business-as-usual days.

For the new generation leaders, they need to shoulder both voters’ expectations, and those of the senior leadership to carry forward the legacies of nation-building by consolidating the culture of peace, tolerant democracy based on Khmer Buddhist mentalities of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence, and promoting a more prosperous society as Cambodia aimed to become high-income economy by 2050.

Some foreign observers questioned why the CPP members were so enthusiastic about elections? Maybe it is because the leadership of CPP are perfectionist and prudent people that never take any situation lightly. They don’t underestimate rivals, and they are prudent at all times.

And they were right. Their prudence made the CPP win elections supported by high voter turnouts even if the opposition tried to find every possible means to destroy votes and destroy electoral process.

For the voters, their ballots represented their hope for an even better future. The future towards becoming a highly prosperous nation by 2050 with better quality of life and inclusive development.

For business people, they were relieved that stability remains firm in Cambodia. Instability and unpredictability are the worst enemy for business.

Following the last three elections, namely in 2013, 2018 and 2023, the development of these events can tell us that Cambodia can never get accustomed to Western democracy that is too individualist, and too selfish when the community interest carries less weight than individual interest and rights.

Cambodia has our own way of adapting Western democracy concept tailored for Cambodian society.

This is not different from the way the Khmer empire adapted Indian culture and blended it to construct unique Khmer civilization. It built a distinct civilization and all foreign observers can commonly agree that Cambodians are totally different from Indians.

And similarly, Cambodian democracy does not need to become like American, or European.

We don’t need to change our identity to please anyone.

Cambodia should continue to build democracy based on our own peaceful and tolerant ways in accordance with Khmer mentality and Buddhist teaching.

We don’t need to burn buildings, cars, and destroy public properties to be recognized as democracy. We don’t need to replicate the destruction of the Capitol, burn the whole city of Paris, bomb mosques, churches and synagogues, burn Quran, promote far right extremism, racism, anti-Asian violence, Islamophobia, etc. just to get recognized that we have great freedom of expression.

Cambodia can never understand that accusing someone as killers is acceptable under the freedom of expression. Cambodia can never understand that after mass killings of children every year in America, the rights to holding gun is still considered human rights.

These are absolutely not Khmer style and values. This is not a noble society we are trying to build.

We have our own Cambodian way, the Khmer Peaceful Democracy.