VZCZCXRO1263
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHPF #0270/01 0811026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211026Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PHNOM PENH 000270 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, P, D, DRL, IO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM EAID CB
SUBJECT: PRIME TIME FOR TELEVISED CANDIDATE DEBATES IN 
CAMBODIAN NATIONAL ELECTION 
 
REF: PHNOM PENH 73 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  To support prime time TV access for some 
of NDI's planned candidate debates during the June-July 
campaign season, the Ambassador March 21 called on Minister 
of Information Khieu Kanharith.  The Ambassador emphasized 
the importance of media access for all parties in advance of 
the July 27 national election.  Earlier, the Ambassador had 
appealed to National Election Committee (NEC) Chairman Im 
Suosdey to urge that the RGC televise some of the one-hour 
debates in full and had also raised the issue with DPM and 
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng (who oversees the NEC).  Khieu 
Kanharith said he fully supported the idea of televising 
party debates run by civil society and urged the USAID 
Mission to support NDI as it applied for official approval of 
the debates with NEC.  Kanharith also agreed to the 
Ambassador's proposal that national television TVK take the 
lead and attempt to air at least 10 debates from each of the 
targeted provinces on prime time.  This will be the 
first-ever, widely televised debates, giving opposition 
parties a more equal footing in media access.  Khieu 
Kanharith parried the Ambassador's remark that the MFA had 
gone too far in a press release implying the USG had released 
our human rights report to affect the elections by noting he 
personally had not said anything like that.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Minister of Information: TV Debates a "Great Idea" 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Khieu Khanarith warmly received the Ambassador,s 
suggestion for televising debates, saying it would be good 
for Cambodia, and calling it a "great idea."  He cautioned 
however that the debates would have to follow the legal 
framework established in the NEC,s rules and could occur 
only during the election campaign period (June 25 - July 25). 
 In particular, the regulations stated that all parties - no 
matter the size - had to be included in some fashion, he 
noted.  When informed that a minimal level of participation 
was planned (at least one debate for each of the minor 
parties), he opined there would be "no problem at all" in 
televising the debates.  He recalled other debates organized 
by civil society that included only the major parties, but 
these were not aired on national TV or national radio, he 
said.  NDI expects widespread radio coverage of the 30 
planned National Assembly Candidate Debates, some being live. 
 The one-hour TV debates will be limited to five parties and 
all contesting parties will be invited at different times. 
In 2003, only a limited number of debates were run on TV. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Suggesting that the NEC and UNDP election 
assistance program could sponsor a separate televised issues 
round-table to include the smaller parties, Kanharith noted 
that it might even be possible to then restrict televised 
debates to the major parties only (CPP, FUNCINPEC, SRP and 
NRP were major participants in the commune council 
elections).  "NDI could supervise the real debates and the 
NEC and UNDP can take care of the others," he noted.  (NOTE: 
Cambodia has a long tradition of multi-party participation in 
national elections and most observers expect at least 25 of 
the 45 currently registered parties to stand in the 
elections. END NOTE.) 
 
Prime Time Slots Considered 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Khieu Kanharith readily agreed that National 
Television station TVK and the national AM and FM radio 
stations should air the taped, one-hour debates.  (Each 
debate would have five candidates in a format that allows for 
presentations as well as directed exchanges and would be 
moderated by experienced emcees, many of whom participated as 
moderators in the commune council election debates.)  In 
answer to the Ambassador's question about which time slots 
might be made available for the debates, Khieu Kanharith said 
that the best times were in the afternoon (12:30 to 2:00 
p.m.) or directly after the evening news (after 8:00 p.m.). 
He noted that he personally would take leave to be able to 
participate in the public campaigning between June 25 and 
July 25, but that NEC would have control over the time slots 
during the campaign period.  Kanharith pointed out that 
ruling party CPP is learning how to participate in democratic 
elections.  Some observers predict that, based on commune 
council debate experience last year, the CPP likely will make 
a good showing in the debates. 
 
NEC Gave Earlier, Informal Nod 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  In a February 28 meeting, NEC Chairman Im Suosdey 
 
PHNOM PENH 00000270  002 OF 002 
 
 
told the Ambassador he was fully supportive of the debate 
idea in principle.  He mentioned prior television coverage of 
debates in 2003 - a limited number were run on the less 
popular military station, TV5.  The NDI plan on media access 
for debates in 2008 is much more ambitious. NDI expects 
widespread radio coverage of the National Assembly Candidate 
Debates, some being live.  The one-hour debates will be 
limited to five parties, but all contesting parties will be 
invited at different times.  In 2003, only a limited number 
of debates were run on TV.  The NEC reaction to the final 
formal submission of a plan will be decisive.   However, Im 
Suosdey made it clear that the government at the cabinet 
level and the Ministry of Information in particular would 
have to be involved in a final decision on televising 
debates.  (NOTE:  In early March, Human Rights Party leader 
Khem Sokha floated a trial balloon about having debates among 
the parties' prime-minister designates.  This predictably 
resulted in a series of salvoes back and forth in the print 
press with Hun Sen who finally stated in highly publicized 
speeches that he didn't need to debate because not only did 
everyone know him, but he was known to deliver to the people. 
 When Hun Sen talked about education, he built new schools; 
when Hun Sen spoke about transportation, he gave the people 
new roads, he said.  When Khem Sokha persisted, Hun Sen said 
he didn't need to debate with someone who had been corrupt in 
running a human rights organization, or with someone else who 
could never manage his party nor even his family - thinly 
veiled references to Khem Sokha and Prince Ranariddh.  It was 
no surprise that NEC's Im Suosdey later confirmed to Pol/Ec 
Chief that PM-designate debates were not on.  END NOTE.) 
 
Sar Kheng Very Upbeat; USAID Taking Next Steps 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  In a March 3 meeting, DPM and Minister of Interior 
Sar Kheng told the Ambassador that he did not think the 
government would object to such debates being televised. 
This has been done before during past elections and NDI and 
IRI had even prepared public forums (issue debates) before 
the official election campaign season, he noted.   As for the 
media and the time of broadcasts, the NEC will need to raise 
those issues with the government through official channels, 
he said. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  USAID's Democracy and Governance Office has 
already relayed the news about RGC support to date and NDI is 
reportedly working on the formal submission of a plan to NEC 
for the 10 televised debates. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  Although Sar Kheng was as positive and 
supportive as he could be, he seemed cautious in the early 
March meeting.  We now have a better indication this proposed 
prime-time debate series will fly.  We assume that, as we had 
planned, Sar Kheng broached the idea of televised debates at 
the highest levels.  If all goes according to plan, this will 
be the first time that the Cambodian electorate will witness 
National Assembly candidates debating their parties' 
platforms in the most widely accessible and influential 
media.  All of the polling indicates that the vast majority 
of Cambodians now get their news from television.  These 
debates will be a small step toward more access to the 
electorate through major media often controlled by the CPP or 
run by private CPP supporters. 
MUSSOMELI