Appeal to Members and Supporters of The Sam Rainsy Party to Help Contribute to The Organization of The Party Fifth Congress in Phnom Penh on 11 September 2011

Appeal to Members and Supporters of The Sam Rainsy Party to Help Contribute to The Organization of The Party Fifth Congress in Phnom Penh on 11 September 2011

25 August 2011

APPEAL TO MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE SAM RAINSY PARTY TO HELP CONTRIBUTE TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THE PARTY FIFTH CONGRESS IN PHNOM PENH ON 11 SEPTEMBER 2011

The SRP bylaws call for the holding of an ordinary Congress every three years. The last - and fourth - ordinary Congress having been held in 2008, our Party Permanent Committee has recently decided to hold the fifth ordinary Congress on Sunday, 11 September 2011.

As usual, our next Congress will take place in Phnom Penh, at the same place as before, meaning at House # 71, Sothearos Boulevard, with the permission of the premises’ owner, Vice-President Kong Korm.

As usual, in compliance with the SRP bylaws, I will preside over the Congress and will lead the debate in my capacity as Party President. But given the present circumstances, I will do it through video conference and other modern communication tools.

Some 3,000 delegates will participate in the Congress. Each delegate, who is himself/herself a locally elected official, will represent possibly hundreds ordinary citizens from the grassroots level (from his/her village or commune).

The Congress will allow our Party to:

• Show its growing strength based on its unwavering patriotic, democratic and moral principles and commitments.
• Replace or give another term to leaders whose current term comes to an end: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Auditor, Chair of Disciplinary Council.
• Present a critical report of its activities and achievements during the past term.
• Elaborate on its political strategy in view of the forthcoming senatorial, local and national elections in 2012 and 2013.
• Encourage, through this national event represented by the Congress, all citizens, especially the young, to register on the voter list and to take part in the next elections.

The organization of such a Congress represents a heavy financial burden for our Party. We will have to cover expenses related to transportation and food for a large number of delegates coming from all the Kingdom’s provinces. We also plan to distribute rewards to young participants who have been most active and effective in the young voter registration campaign, so as to encourage and to accelerate the ongoing campaign.

I appeal to the generosity of SRP members and supporters in all countries and ask them to help us meet expenses related to the organization of our next Congress.

Please send your contribution through the SRP branch geographically nearest to you, or directly to our Phnom Penh Headquarters by bank transfer (see references below).

Thank you for your solidarity and generosity towards our dedicated activists in Cambodia.