Today is an important day in Cambodia.
It's Election Day.
Yesterday, millions of people headed back to their hometowns in preparation for today's voting. You may think that this is a normal election, but it's a little different this year. Please forgive me for my limited knowledge, but I will try my best to effectively share what I know.
So Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy and is headed by a King, Queen, Prime Minister, and parliament. *and probably some more officials, I'm just not to familiar with them* King Father recently passed away, but he was one of Cambodia's greatest, most "people-first" kings and was loved by the people here. His son has now stepped up and assumed his crown. So there is now the King, Queen Mother, and Hun Sen. *Prime Minister* Hun Sen represents the Cambodian People's Party and has been in power for like 20-something years. *I think* He is very appreciated by the older generation here due to his success in restoring Cambodia after it was nearly destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. But he's not too well-liked by the younger generation. They see only the corruption and in justice that Hun Sen has caused and want to change it. Okay so switch over to the opposing party, The National Rescue Party. Sam Raisny is a 64 year old Cambodian politician and loved by a lot of Cambodia's people. He became a member of the Funcinpec Party *another small party here* in 1992 and was elected into parliament the following year. He founded his own party *Sam Rainsy Party* in 1998 and was elected back into parliament. In 2005, he went into self-imposed exile to avoid being arrested. A vote in the National Assembly removed his parliamentary immunity and he was faced with multiple criminal defamation charges due to his accusations of corruption and fraud against the Cambodian People's Party and Funcinpec. He also accused Hun Sen of being behind a 2004 murder of a union leader. So basically, Hun Sen has all the power and ran Sam Rainsy out of the country. Many embassies became worried that that the government was just trying to silence the opposition party. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison as well as $14,000 in fines and compensation. He came back to Cambodia from 2006-2009, led a protest at the Cambodia-Vietnam border, was charged with racial incitement and destruction of property, failed to show up at court, fled the country, and has been in self-imposed exile since then. On July 12th, the King granted a royal pardon to Rainsy and allowed him to come back to Cambodia but he's not not eligible for this election. On the 19th *the day we went out to the countryside with Sharon and the girls* Rainsy returned to Cambodia. And let me tell ya. The streets were CRAZY. The people were so excited to have him back and he walked down a main street from the airport, waving and shaking everyone's hands. Because Rainsy can't run for office, he has now affiliated himself with the National Rescue Party.
So with all that being said, this election is a little different this year. There is something in the air and everyone can feel it. It's like this excited whisper.
There is this hope that things can change. The campaign parades are loud and crazy and everyone is cheering and waving and holding up numbers. Supporters of the Cambodian People's Party all hold up the number 4 *that's what number they are on the ballot* and supporters of the National Rescue Party hold up the number 7. Throughout the street you can here a cheer that is being yelled by everyone; people in the parades, shop owners that step outside to watch the processions, and even the little naked toddlers on the streets.
"Change or no change?" they yell.
Change or no change?
Does Cambodia have a brighter future?
Is there a chance that the corruption will stop?
Will there be a change?
Sarah and I will stay inside today and Cambodia will go to the polls.
Tomorrow the country will be full of black fingers *they dip them in ink to show who has voted and who hasn't yet* and we will know if there has been a change or no change. So tonight, my prayer is for this country. I pray that God's will be done. I pray that there will be peace and comfort and that Cambodia's future will be a bright one.
Love you all,
Cassie
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