Opposition Leader Sam Rainsy during his recent visit in the US (Photo: SRP USA)By Elizabeth Tomei
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The National Election Committee's changes to the voter registration process are deciding the outcomes of the 2007 commune and 2008 national elections before they have had a chance to take place, Sam Rainsy, leader of the party that bears his name, has claimed in a letter highly critical of the government's election agency.
"Many international observers do not realize that the results of the 2007 and 2008 elections are largely being decided now through the registration process," the opposition leader wrote in a letter received over the weekend.
Sam Rainsy's letter follows an Aug 22 letter written by NEC Secretary-General Tep Nytha, which defended the voter registration process following criticism that the new requirements to register make the voting process more difficult for supporters of minority parties.
Sam Rainsy stated that the changes will also make registration difficult or impossible for the rural poor and those lacking proper forms of identification.
"The current voter registration period from August to October coincides with the busiest period of the year for farmers tending their rice fields," Sam Rainsy wrote. "In the current rainy season, roads are often impracticable and there are floods in many areas," he wrote.
Sam Rainsy identified two main areas of concern in the registration process.
First, voter cards issued in previous elections will no longer be valid, meaning voters will need to present another form of identification to re-register. "This raises the issue of the delay in delivering a national ID card to all citizens before the forthcoming elections in 2007 and 2008 as promised by the government," Sam Rainsy wrote.
Second, "voter information notices" have been issued to verify the personal information of registered voters. Sam Rainsy claimed that the notices add a bureaucratic hurdle to the registration process and were likely to create confusion, and that failure to correct voter list information errors within the Oct 1 to Oct 20 registration period may mean voters are turned away at the polls.
Tep Nytha reiterated his position Tuesday that the process of voter registration has not changed, and that distribution of notices is intended as a service to registered voters.
He admitted, however, that there have been problems distributing the notices, as they have been passed out at meetings without all villagers present. He said that as of Aug 28, 53 percent of voters had received their notices. The one month distribution of notices ends this week.
Responsibility for distribution of the notices was given to commune councils, who delegated the job to village chiefs.
An NEC advertisement printed in most newspapers around the country gives different directions regarding the notice for registered and unregistered voters.
"If you are not a registered voter, do not look for your Notice! There is no Notice for you. You should simply go to register as voter with the Clerk at the office of Commune/Sangkat when the time comes, between October first and October 20th. This is essential if you want to vote at the next elections," the advertisement says.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia, said claims have been made by villagers in at least 10 provinces that village chiefs, who overwhelmingly belong to Prime Minister Hun Sen's CPP, have only distributed notices to members of their own party.
He said that Nicfec plans to send motorcycles fitted with loudspeakers to the 10 provinces by the end of the week to alert villagers to information they may not have received.
Hang Puthea also expressed concern that many villagers who do not have valid identification will not be able to pay the fees for new or updated identification.
Of the delay in the national ID cards, Sam Rainsy added: "The delay is reportedly due to administrative harassment for non-CPP members and corruption for the general population."
(Additional reporting by Kimsan Chantara)
"Many international observers do not realize that the results of the 2007 and 2008 elections are largely being decided now through the registration process," the opposition leader wrote in a letter received over the weekend.
Sam Rainsy's letter follows an Aug 22 letter written by NEC Secretary-General Tep Nytha, which defended the voter registration process following criticism that the new requirements to register make the voting process more difficult for supporters of minority parties.
Sam Rainsy stated that the changes will also make registration difficult or impossible for the rural poor and those lacking proper forms of identification.
"The current voter registration period from August to October coincides with the busiest period of the year for farmers tending their rice fields," Sam Rainsy wrote. "In the current rainy season, roads are often impracticable and there are floods in many areas," he wrote.
Sam Rainsy identified two main areas of concern in the registration process.
First, voter cards issued in previous elections will no longer be valid, meaning voters will need to present another form of identification to re-register. "This raises the issue of the delay in delivering a national ID card to all citizens before the forthcoming elections in 2007 and 2008 as promised by the government," Sam Rainsy wrote.
Second, "voter information notices" have been issued to verify the personal information of registered voters. Sam Rainsy claimed that the notices add a bureaucratic hurdle to the registration process and were likely to create confusion, and that failure to correct voter list information errors within the Oct 1 to Oct 20 registration period may mean voters are turned away at the polls.
Tep Nytha reiterated his position Tuesday that the process of voter registration has not changed, and that distribution of notices is intended as a service to registered voters.
He admitted, however, that there have been problems distributing the notices, as they have been passed out at meetings without all villagers present. He said that as of Aug 28, 53 percent of voters had received their notices. The one month distribution of notices ends this week.
Responsibility for distribution of the notices was given to commune councils, who delegated the job to village chiefs.
An NEC advertisement printed in most newspapers around the country gives different directions regarding the notice for registered and unregistered voters.
"If you are not a registered voter, do not look for your Notice! There is no Notice for you. You should simply go to register as voter with the Clerk at the office of Commune/Sangkat when the time comes, between October first and October 20th. This is essential if you want to vote at the next elections," the advertisement says.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia, said claims have been made by villagers in at least 10 provinces that village chiefs, who overwhelmingly belong to Prime Minister Hun Sen's CPP, have only distributed notices to members of their own party.
He said that Nicfec plans to send motorcycles fitted with loudspeakers to the 10 provinces by the end of the week to alert villagers to information they may not have received.
Hang Puthea also expressed concern that many villagers who do not have valid identification will not be able to pay the fees for new or updated identification.
Of the delay in the national ID cards, Sam Rainsy added: "The delay is reportedly due to administrative harassment for non-CPP members and corruption for the general population."
(Additional reporting by Kimsan Chantara)
3 comments:
Come on Raingsy says it loudly,Hun Sen government 2007 and 2008 election will be a la Sihanouk carte in 1955 for SRN, n'est-ce pas?
How long will the donor nations tolerate those charades? Up to now they did because there was no alternative in leadership in sight. Sam Rainsy must realize that he is seen as a vascillating politician himself, though he espouses the right ideals. The Cambodian people are a pliable mass tired of war and killings, otherwise there would already have been a revolution. Only a strong powerbase in the population will bring about change. It must be done the American way - from the grass roots, e. g. SRP must win over the village chiefs first, but most of their functionaries like the good life in the capital and in Siem Repa too much.
Jay
Florida, USA
even if 95 percent of the population in cambodia votes for Sam Rainsy, he will never win, unless the our current prime minister dies. Hun Sen will do everything in power to stay in office. ID cards will not come as a good cause, it would ony terrify the cambodian people more. To have their identity made public will only jeopardize themselves.
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