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Cambodian's Stunted Election Campaign July 10, 1998 Cambodia's Stunted Election Campaign. It is not particularly surprising that as the July 26 election day approaches in Cambodia, the campaign is dominated by the dictator, Hun Sen. His party runs the local and national election commissions. His image and propaganda monopolize the media except for a five-minute daily ad permitted each opposition group. His supporters menace opposition activists, especially in the countryside, and are suspected of political killings. Yet the outside world is pretending that an acceptably fair election can be held in this climate of intimidation. All the participants have their own reasons for maintaining the charade. Mr. Hun Sen wants approval from the international community. After he staged a coup a year ago against his co-leader, Prince Norodom Ranariddh, the world cut off the foreign aid that forms half of Cambodia's budget. The United Nations says that Cambodia's U.N. seat still belongs to Mr. Ranariddh. Winning an election would restore these and other international benefits. The 39-party opposition has decided not to boycott the election, in part due to pressure to participate from the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other international groups. The E.U. and Japan have largely financed the registration process and campaign infrastructure. The United Nations has already sunk nearly $3 billion into Cambodia in the last few years. Many diplomats say that Mr. Hun Sen is a reality to be recognized, and one they prefer to his main adversary, the hapless and corrupt Prince Ranariddh. The Clinton Administration, which has wisely declined to give the Hun Sen Government any election money, still joins the rest of the diplomatic world in whitewashing the process. Cambodia would be best served by postponing its elections a few months, until Mr. Hun Sen can be pressured into permitting a fair campaign environment. But if the international community is determined to go ahead, it must stop apologizing for a dictator and describe conditions in Cambodia honestly. In their rush to normalize relations, diplomats are becoming the dupes of a man who has shown he is determined to retain power at all costs.
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