By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
The SRP on Friday appealed to the National Election Committee over commune council decisions in Prey Veng province to remove only 58 of at least 1,000 names on local voter registration lists that the SRP says are non-citizens.
Councils in six communes decided to erase 58 names from voting lists in Kompong Leav and Peam Chor districts following claims by the SRP that around 2,000 registered voters in the province are Vietnamese nationals.
Huot Phan, chairman of the Prey Veng Provincial Election Committee, said that the 58 names removed from the lists were not those of Vietnamese nationals, but belonged to voters who had moved to other provinces.
He added that commune councilors had registered voters based on acceptable legal documents, and did not discriminate based on facial features or skin color.
Pim Samnang, aide to SRP leader Sam Rainsy, said Sunday that the party is demanding the removal of at feast 1,600 more names from the province's voter 1ist.
"We are not satisfied with the decision," he said. "We should allow the Khmer to decide our country's fate, not foreigners. We are not racist but our country has laws," he added.
Chea Poch, a SRP lawmaker in Prey Veng province, said he will lead a demonstration from SRP headquarters to the NEC office in Phnom Penh if additional names are not removed from the list. He too claimed the SRP was not racist against Cambodians of non-Khmer origin.
Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said that the SRP has not shown proof to support their allegations that Vietnamese nationals have been registered to vote.
"The SRP has a right to complain, but they need to collect more evidence," he said. Playing on anti-Vietnamese sentiments was a old SRP election tactic, he added.
"The SRP always complains about the Vietnamese… Leading up to every election they have done this."
NEC Secretary-General Tep Nytha said that the NEC will accept the SRP’s appeal for a review of the voter list. "We will work in accordance with the law," he said.
(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Tomei)
Councils in six communes decided to erase 58 names from voting lists in Kompong Leav and Peam Chor districts following claims by the SRP that around 2,000 registered voters in the province are Vietnamese nationals.
Huot Phan, chairman of the Prey Veng Provincial Election Committee, said that the 58 names removed from the lists were not those of Vietnamese nationals, but belonged to voters who had moved to other provinces.
He added that commune councilors had registered voters based on acceptable legal documents, and did not discriminate based on facial features or skin color.
Pim Samnang, aide to SRP leader Sam Rainsy, said Sunday that the party is demanding the removal of at feast 1,600 more names from the province's voter 1ist.
"We are not satisfied with the decision," he said. "We should allow the Khmer to decide our country's fate, not foreigners. We are not racist but our country has laws," he added.
Chea Poch, a SRP lawmaker in Prey Veng province, said he will lead a demonstration from SRP headquarters to the NEC office in Phnom Penh if additional names are not removed from the list. He too claimed the SRP was not racist against Cambodians of non-Khmer origin.
Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said that the SRP has not shown proof to support their allegations that Vietnamese nationals have been registered to vote.
"The SRP has a right to complain, but they need to collect more evidence," he said. Playing on anti-Vietnamese sentiments was a old SRP election tactic, he added.
"The SRP always complains about the Vietnamese… Leading up to every election they have done this."
NEC Secretary-General Tep Nytha said that the NEC will accept the SRP’s appeal for a review of the voter list. "We will work in accordance with the law," he said.
(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Tomei)
3 comments:
Lok Sam Raingsy stop wasting time any more.Also this will let the press to perpetrate you as a Racist.
It is too late already,former King appointed Viet descendant as king,Hun Sen and PRK Viet puppet governement is intact and 4.5 millions of Viet make homestead in every corner of Cambodia.
Stop double talk since you and wife familes are not Khmers since you both in teen lived and grew up in France with French citizenship and passports.
Nonsense racial tone politic for now unless you won the election then fix all these messes as you please.
Look at the broad picture not nitpicky to win heart and soul of voters.Why bother with NEC,the real culprit is Nat Ass legislation to start with?
Cut the roots not branches if you wanted tree dead.
A teacher finds it hard to know whether students have questions unless they speak up or raise their arms.
if we find it extremely fucking hard to cut the roots, we'd better do whater to destroy its features and form. afterward , we might know how to get those roots of the ground. we cannot wait untill a perfect time comes!!
continuous drops of water will mishape a rock's feature!!!
Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections. "Playing on anti-Vietnamese sentiments was a old SRP election tactic, he added".
What is Ironic about Koul Panha, comments is. Foreigner of Vietnamese, Chinese origin are included in "Cambodia" election system.
While Cambodian of Khmer background have encountered many issues and impedements caused by the NEC to have their name register as a legit voter.
You cannot brand SRP as "racist" if a Vietnamese Citizen have the rights to vote in Cambodia (Not Vietnam), Yet a Khmer citizen lived in Cambodia but dont have the RIGHTS to vote. The Cambodian people should deman this incompentent Koul Panha out of the executive director role.
Post a Comment