By Elizabeth Tomei and Pin Sisovann
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Political observers said Tuesday that three days into the registration process for the 2007 commune elections, they fear many people across the country will be unable to establish their eligibility to vote before the Oct 20 deadline.
Commune officials are turning up late to work to register voters, the observers said, and rural Cambodians are having great difficulty obtaining the official documentation that they need.
Koul Panha, executive director for the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said commune officials involved in registration are turning up to work an hour late and leaving early in at least nine provinces. These include Kompong Cham, Kompong Chhnang, Koh Kong and Ratanakkiri, he said.
"Commune officials are not respecting procedure," he said.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia, said registration has been a problem for many villagers who do not have photographs of themselves.
If villagers don't have proof of identity, such as a national identity card, passport or family book with their photo, they need to fill in a form provided by the National Election Committee that requires them to provide two photos of themselves.
"In the countryside it’s difficult to have two photos," Hang Puthea said.
National Election Committee Secretary-General Tep Nitha said all commune offices have been opening at 8 am or 9 am at the latest for voters to register.
Commune councilors and clerks "cannot do any work other than helping voters over the 20 days," he said.
Former minister of women's affairs and current SRP member Mu Sochua has been monitoring 18 communes in two Kompong Cham province districts, Batheay and Kroch Chhmar, since Sunday.
She said commune chiefs in about half of the 12 communes in Batheay were absent for nearly the entire first day of registration.
Instead of showing up, the commune chiefs attended a CPP meeting at district offices, she claimed. Mu Sochua alleged that the chiefs took the official stamp required to authorize registration documents with them to their meeting.
Commune clerks could not register voters in their absence, she said
"This is when [election] observers should start [monitoring]," she said.
Tep Nitha responded stating that Mu Sochua's claims "did not sound reliable."
He added that commune chiefs have no right to take official property, such as stamps, with them from the commune offices to political party meetings.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said commune clerks have been instructed to remain at their offices for the duration of the registration process.
Khieu Sopheak added that political parties who anticipate losing the elections are pre-emptively preparing a defense for themselves by complaining of a lack of fairness in the registration process.
"Some parties just want to collect arguments in order to complain after the election," he said.
At Meanchey district's Boeng Tumpon commune in Phnom Penh, Suon Vorn, a monitor with Funcinpec, said at least 200 first-time voters are turning up to register successfully each day.
But a much lower figure of around 130 already registered voters are coming to check their information each day, he said.
Commune officials are turning up late to work to register voters, the observers said, and rural Cambodians are having great difficulty obtaining the official documentation that they need.
Koul Panha, executive director for the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said commune officials involved in registration are turning up to work an hour late and leaving early in at least nine provinces. These include Kompong Cham, Kompong Chhnang, Koh Kong and Ratanakkiri, he said.
"Commune officials are not respecting procedure," he said.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia, said registration has been a problem for many villagers who do not have photographs of themselves.
If villagers don't have proof of identity, such as a national identity card, passport or family book with their photo, they need to fill in a form provided by the National Election Committee that requires them to provide two photos of themselves.
"In the countryside it’s difficult to have two photos," Hang Puthea said.
National Election Committee Secretary-General Tep Nitha said all commune offices have been opening at 8 am or 9 am at the latest for voters to register.
Commune councilors and clerks "cannot do any work other than helping voters over the 20 days," he said.
Former minister of women's affairs and current SRP member Mu Sochua has been monitoring 18 communes in two Kompong Cham province districts, Batheay and Kroch Chhmar, since Sunday.
She said commune chiefs in about half of the 12 communes in Batheay were absent for nearly the entire first day of registration.
Instead of showing up, the commune chiefs attended a CPP meeting at district offices, she claimed. Mu Sochua alleged that the chiefs took the official stamp required to authorize registration documents with them to their meeting.
Commune clerks could not register voters in their absence, she said
"This is when [election] observers should start [monitoring]," she said.
Tep Nitha responded stating that Mu Sochua's claims "did not sound reliable."
He added that commune chiefs have no right to take official property, such as stamps, with them from the commune offices to political party meetings.
Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak said commune clerks have been instructed to remain at their offices for the duration of the registration process.
Khieu Sopheak added that political parties who anticipate losing the elections are pre-emptively preparing a defense for themselves by complaining of a lack of fairness in the registration process.
"Some parties just want to collect arguments in order to complain after the election," he said.
At Meanchey district's Boeng Tumpon commune in Phnom Penh, Suon Vorn, a monitor with Funcinpec, said at least 200 first-time voters are turning up to register successfully each day.
But a much lower figure of around 130 already registered voters are coming to check their information each day, he said.
1 comment:
I think President Bush would be a great leader for Cambodia. He would fit in so well. The regime of Cambodia and Mr. Bush's personality are not all that different. They're very inarticulate when it comes to responding to critics, they're always flip their positions, and they both uses methods of torture, lies, deceptions, and intimidation to silence their enemies.
Vote Bush 2008 for Cambodia. He will bring just as great corruption to Cambodia as Hunsen, so we're not losing any prestige here in Cambodia's democracy people. Vote Bush!!!
Bush and Hunsen should have tea party together and consider taking turn running each other's country. Becoming best of pals.
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