Advocacy in Cambodia: Increasing Democratic ... - Pact Cambodia

The CCEL campaign was the
first opportunity for NGOs
to work on a long-term issue
that was not likely to reap
immediate results. When
asked how they kept their
spirits up, EMOs indicated
that while it was sometimes
difficult to keep themselves
motivated, the prospect of
real change and the
knowledge that they were
abiding by the people’s will
buoyed them.
organizations were subject to. This was not
adequately done in the CCEL campaign and
as a result, when the advocacy strategy
moved from influence to confrontation,
some organizations withdrew, causing loss
of momentum within the movement. While
it is not possible for organizations to always
be in agreement, it is possible to identify
points at which views are likely to diverge
in order to avoid loss of stakeholders at
inopportune moments.
Similarly, it was important for CCEL
advocates to identify activities that needed
to be done together and those that could be
done apart. In an effort to ensure
consensus, especially regarding press
releases, some processes in this advocacy
campaign were probably too slow. Given the
need to be able to disseminate information
quickly, guidelines need to be established
so that time is not wasted building
consensus when the situation does not
require it, or when immediate action is
needed.
candidates.
The average representation of women in
public institutions was only 7%. The real issue was
to get women placed high enough on candidate
lists so that they stood a fair chance to get on
councils. In the end, 16.2% of all party commune
council candidates were women, but they were
placed low on candidate lists and therefore
unlikely to get seats. One exception to this was the
SRP, where 21.1% of candidates were women and
these were well placed on the lists. FUNCIPEC had
14% women candidates, who were not quite as well
placed as the SRP female candidates. The CPP had
13.27% women candidates, who were generally
placed lower on the lists.
Lessons Learned
The CCEL campaign was the first
opportunity for NGOs to work on a long-term
issue that was not likely to reap immediate results.
When asked how they kept their spirits up, EMOs
indicated that while it was sometimes difficult to
keep themselves motivated, the prospect of real
change and the knowledge that they were abiding
by the people’s will buoyed them.
One important lesson learned was the need
to understand the pressures and fears that various
Future Considerations
One of the challenges facing EMOs is
the cyclical nature of their activities. In preelection
and election periods, they receive
considerable attention and funding and they
implement many activities. In the interval
between elections however, funding diminishes
significantly. In the future, it would behoove EMOs
to learn how to function like real coalitions,
drawing on the resources of their members (staff,
computers, cars, etc.) during peak periods, and
then releasing resources back to their
organizations during slow periods.
EMOs view the campaign to advocate for
changes in the CCEL as having just begun. They
learned important lessons in their first advocacy
attempt and will continue to accumulate
experience with every subsequent election. EMOs
possess the staying power needed to achieve
success in the long run. But while they consolidate
their efforts, they must keep in mind that the
political context in Cambodia will continue to
change – particularly with the formation of 1,621
communes. Their advocacy strategies will have to
adjust to the changing landscape.
References
Cooperation Committee for Cambodia, 2001. NGO Statement to the
2001 Consultative Group Meeting On Cambodia. NGO Forum on
Cambodia, MEDICAM, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Election Monitoring Organization annual reports.
Case Studies
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