Saturday, March 31, 2007

Campaigning over, voting day to come for Cambodian 2nd local election

March 31, 2007

Cambodian political parties call an end on Friday for their 15-day campaign from March 16 to March 30 for the commune councils election.

During this period of time, the four main political parties, namely the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), Funcinpec Party, Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP), used hundreds of cars for election campaign.

They spoke with loudspeakers on the cars about policies of their parties and what they will do if they win this election, while some party members distributed leaflets about their parties.

Altogether 7,799,371 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots on April 1 and official announcement of the results will be made on April 24.

"The commune councils election campaign of Cambodia in this second term has lasted smoothly and had a good process in common according to our arrangement," Secretary General of the NEC Tep Nytha said at a press conference.

Tep Nytha said that they had 50 complaints from political parties, including six cases for threat, 16 cases for disturbing, 14 cases for cursing and using bad words, four cases for conducting election campaign in wrong time, three cases for giving gifts and seven cases for tearing down the leaflets in campaign.

"In the 2002 commune councils election, we had 144 complaints from political parties. So this time (the number) reduced," he said.

Meanwhile, Kol Panha, head of election observation organization, Comfrel, told Xinhua that in fact, there were some irregularities during the election campaign but they were not serious ones.
This week, Cambodian King Sihamoni said in his rare statement that he appealed to all people to vote without fear, threat and pressure from any political parties.

In addition, Honorary President of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) Heng Samrin said this week that his party will win 90 percent in this election because Cambodian people knew the CPP and knew clearly about the party's principles.

A supporter of the CPP, Nean Cheang from Chak Tuk Mok commune in Phnom Penh city, told Xinhua on Friday that he will vote for the CPP because the CPP helped poor people."I have supported the CPP for more than 20 years," he said.

Sam Rainsy, president of the SRP, said that if his commune council members win this election, they will not take money from issuing death certificates, birth certificates and wedding certificates and that if they corrupt, they will be fired.

"We will deal with the illegal land grabbing by top people," he said, adding that they will get justice for the poor and increase salary of laborers.

Muth Chantha, spokesman of the NRP, said that even their president Ranariddh did not stay with them because he was sentenced in absentia to 18 months in jail for "injustice," but members of the party have worked hard and tare all solidaric.

Ranariddh could speak during the election campaign through tapes and messages, Muth Chantha said, adding that the NRP will fight with the corruption in present commune councils and that it is a royalist party.

Nov Sowathearo, spokesman of the Funcinpec party, said that his party is a co-ruling party in the government, adding that the Funcinpec party contributed to the present achievements of Cambodia in cooperation with the CPP.

According to official statistics, 102,266 candidates from 12 political parties will compete for 11,353 seats in 1,621 communes nationwide, during Cambodia's second ever commune councils election.

Source: Xinhua

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