Mony and Heng Reaksmey
VOA Khmer
Washington
05/03/2007
The opposition parties of Sam Rainsy and Prince Norodom Ranariddh called on the European Union Monday to guarantee fair commune elections next month.
The EU is donor for the elections, scheduled for April 1, and should ensure they will be independent and neutral, party officials said in meetings Monday with Seamus Gillespie, an EU representative in Cambodia.
"I ask the international community that assists both in the budget and expertise in the election to ensure there will be neither cheating nor discrimination in setting voters' right," Sam Rainsy said.
The government's National Election Committee has been criticized of being biased toward Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party, the Cambodian People's Party, but the committee says it operates fairly.
"We appeal for the EU to put pressure, so Prince Ranariddh can safely come back to Cambodia and so that his party can campaign everywhere, like other parties," Ok Socheat, the prince's advisor said Monday. Ranariddh is reportedly in France, following charges in Cambodia that he sold the headquarters of his old party, Funcinpec.
The April elections will determine leaders in all of Cambodia's more than 1,600 communes, but elections in the country are typically marred by violence. The opposition says the elections are tipped in the favor of the CPP, despite efforts to make the campaigning fair.
SRP officials alleged over the weekend that CPP candidates were already campaigning in Pursat province, ahead of the mandated March 16 start date.
Huon Chanthuon, an SRP commune council chief in the province, said CPP officials gathered villagers from Thmey Khum Talo Srok Bakan for a meeting where everyone received 2,000 riel for showing up. CPP officials rejected the charges, saying they only paid for noodles for the villages. NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said this was not a major problem.
The EU is donor for the elections, scheduled for April 1, and should ensure they will be independent and neutral, party officials said in meetings Monday with Seamus Gillespie, an EU representative in Cambodia.
"I ask the international community that assists both in the budget and expertise in the election to ensure there will be neither cheating nor discrimination in setting voters' right," Sam Rainsy said.
The government's National Election Committee has been criticized of being biased toward Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party, the Cambodian People's Party, but the committee says it operates fairly.
"We appeal for the EU to put pressure, so Prince Ranariddh can safely come back to Cambodia and so that his party can campaign everywhere, like other parties," Ok Socheat, the prince's advisor said Monday. Ranariddh is reportedly in France, following charges in Cambodia that he sold the headquarters of his old party, Funcinpec.
The April elections will determine leaders in all of Cambodia's more than 1,600 communes, but elections in the country are typically marred by violence. The opposition says the elections are tipped in the favor of the CPP, despite efforts to make the campaigning fair.
SRP officials alleged over the weekend that CPP candidates were already campaigning in Pursat province, ahead of the mandated March 16 start date.
Huon Chanthuon, an SRP commune council chief in the province, said CPP officials gathered villagers from Thmey Khum Talo Srok Bakan for a meeting where everyone received 2,000 riel for showing up. CPP officials rejected the charges, saying they only paid for noodles for the villages. NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said this was not a major problem.
9 comments:
Seem like CPP understand people
better than the opposition. In Christian bible said; When I was hungry you fed me. When I was cold you comfort me. But don't deliver
empty promiss. They might not smart
but they're not that stuppid.
Bati
What's the difference, stupid ??? CPP is not buying the vote from the people, but it paid for the noodle who will vote for them. After they win the election or become an elected official they will start abusing power to get their money back. And it is not the price of a package of noodle, but the price of 1000 packages of noodles. Every citizen needs to be aware of their tactics. This is how corrupted government work.
bati, it is people like you and your fucking dumb father teahing you the twrong things that see cambodia continue in suffering.
can't tell difference between vote buying, intimidation and open democracy
CPP distributes noodles, SRP medicines, etc... What is the difference?
Maybe just the size of the vote buying. Some can afford more than the others.
OOOO
CPP lead by Hun Sen = CRIMINAL AGAINST HUMANITY
visit:
http://www.cambodiapolitic.org
http://hengpoev.alkablog.com
OOOO, ONG BUONG AN. YOU ARE SUCH A LOOSER GETTING ALONG WITH NO ONE ALL YOUR LIFE. NOW RETIRING TO CRABHOLE WITH HERMIT RUOM RITT ON MT DANDENONG.
If you are go fishing, you have bates.
Bati
Some commentators here at KI Media
consider themselve very high educated person. But if you read their comments, the language they used are street language.
bati
bati
as well it is risky when someone try to turn highly educate intellectual upstart overnight and begin cooking upside down. people with stet language is not bad because you know their mind but people with noble language you don't know wat they think. they can get worse than stret langauages. people like this when they burst out it clear their chest, not like shithanouk when angry ran to yuon and pol pot to get million die. go and rethink.
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