By Dr. James Klein

James Klein is The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Thailand.

Even before the cabinet of Samak Sundaravej was endorsed on February 6, 2008, many analysts questioned how long his People Power Party (PPP) coalition government would last. After all, Samak was the one who described his own cabinet as “a bit ugly.”  Best estimates at the time were that his government would last until October or December.  In view of a litany of problems including his failure to amend the 2007 Constitution, criticism of the handling of Cambodia’s listing of Preah Vihear as a World Heritage site, and recent court decisions – not to mention others to be issued during the coming months – many believe he will not be able to last beyond September, if he makes it through August.

The central questions now are:  will Samak be impeached, will he be indicted for corruption, will he dissolve the house and call snap elections, will he resign and allow another PPP or coalition party member to form a new cabinet, will he allow the opposition Democrat Party to coax away his coalition members to form a new government, or will there be another coup? 
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By Veronique Salze-Lozac’h

Veronique Salze-Lozach is the Regional Director for Economic Programs at The Asia Foundation’s office in Phnom Penh.

A few weeks ago, trucks carrying loudspeakers and loads of cheerful party supporters sporting colorful t-shirts invaded the normally peaceful streets of Phnom Penh.  Small white posters displaying the images of party leaders started to cover walls throughout the capital city.  There is no doubt about it; the election season has started.

In a country still on the learning curve of democracy, this event is indeed significant.

Music in the streets, often played as early as 5 a.m., and shouted slogans mixed with the discordant sounds of loud speakers should not conceal the reality of a “relatively” quiet campaign season.  Up until now, the 4th mandate for National Assembly elections in Cambodia has been less violent than the previous one: while the 2003 elections were overshadowed by intimidation and violence, the 2008 campaign season has been generally qualified by observers, politicians, and the Cambodian National Election Committee as, for the most part, peaceful.  Whether this relative tranquility is a sign of democratic maturity or of a lack of enthusiasm for an election that many believe is a foregone conclusion has yet to be determined.
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Neil McCulloch, Director of Economic Programs for The Asia Foundation in Jakarta, is quoted in Tuesday’s Christian Science Monitor article, “Indonesia’s Answer to Rising Food Prices,” in which he discusses Indonesia’s approach to self-sufficiency in rice.

Doug Bereuter, President of The Asia Foundation, is traveling to Korea to meet with the new president of the Korea Overseas International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) — the grant and technical assistance arm of Korea’s foreign assistance program – and speak to business leaders on Challenges in US-Asian Relations Awaiting a New American President. He will also meet with Prime Minister Han Sung-soo, U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, Mr. Nam Yong, CEO of LG Electronics, and the Dean of Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management.

The summary of The Asia Foundation’s observation results relating to the recent Mongolian voting process, and to voter perceptions of the June 29th elections, was recently released. The Asia Foundation deployed 17 two-person teams to observe the parliamentary election.

Over 1,500,000 citizens were registered to vote nationwide, and voter turnout is estimated at 70%. A total of 356 candidates from 12 political parties, one coalition, and 45 independent candidates competed in 26 multi-member constituencies as prescribed by the 2005 Election Law. The number of candidates in a constituency varied from 20-30, and the number of seats in each constituency varied from two to four, depending upon the population.
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