Cambodia: Jeffrey Gallup Cambodia’s Electoral System: A Window of Opportunity for Reform Jeffrey Gallup Foreword by Kassie Neou Foreword I am pleased to write this foreword to Jeffrey C. Gallup’s study of the Cambodian electoral system. There are many Cambodians both inside and outside the country who will endorse heartily every word he has written. Some might say he has painted a rosier picture than reality. Others may find his assessment too harsh. They would say that not enough credit has been given for progress and achievements to date and more explanation is needed about the obstacles. One such obstacle comes readily to mind – the very poor state of Cambodia’s education system and the lack of human resources. These are major handicaps to progress. What is important is not whether Mr Gallup’s words are laudatory or critical, but that they are written to help Cambodians identify and address areas for improvement in their electoral system. As the electoral system is strengthened, so will the prospects for Cambodian democracy and a peaceful and prosperous future. Mr Gallup’s report should thus be studied closely for the insights and useful suggestions for reform that it provides. I agree with him that the present provides a unique opportunity to make needed changes in the electoral system. I agree that Cambodia’s democracy is not yet firmly established, but from my unique position of being both inside and outside of Cambodia’s election and democracy-building machinery, I would wish to portray a more optimistic view. When a country has endured the scale of tragedy and resultant trauma that has befallen Cambodia in recent decades, it would be surprising if a recovery were quick or certain. Yet Cambodia has come a long way in just ten years since the Paris Peace Accords. Those Accords represented a comprehensive attempt to end prolonged conflict. But the fate of Cambodia, in terms of peace, justice and prosperity, depends on Cambodians at every level in society, from the top leadership down to the humble rice farmers. After all, this is what our nascent democracy is all about and that is our recipe for avoiding a repetition of the tragedy of the past. I do believe that we are beginning to move towards pluralism. Some progress 25