Watchdog groups question unusual number of 'proxy' registrations and other irregularities
By Vong Sokheng
Phnom Penh Post, Issue 16 / 22, November 2 - 15, 2007
The National Election Committee said this week it will not extend the voter registration period, although three voter watchdog groups complained about problems with deleting voters from the lists.
The groups also said there were a "surprisingly high" number of new voters, raising the possibility of multiple registrations by some voters.
The NEC reported that about 8.6 million Cambodians have registered to vote including almost 900,000 new voters.
NEC said 664,796 voter names were deleted from the lists and 682,459 eligible voters failed to register.
The three voter rights watchdog groups issued a joint statement October 26 saying they had "serious concerns" about the deletion list."
The joint statement was issued by the Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (Comfrel); the Neutral and Independent Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC); and the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI).
Voters are supposed to register in person. But the groups said that a "substantial number of voters were registered by proxy as party agents, commune officials, military police officers and Royal Cambodian Armed Forces officers took their identity documents and photographs and registered them as voters in connivance with registration officials."
It cited several locations where that happened in the provinces of Banteay Meancheay and Steung Treng.
The statement said several voter registration stations did not comply with stipulated working hours and either opened late or closed early.
They said the high number of new voters registered was "30 % more than originally estimated by NEC." They raised questions about the possibility of "multiple registration," and possible underage or non-Cambodian citizens being registered.
The Center for Social Development called for NEC to extend the registration process by at least one more month in order to accommodate other potential voters to come to register.
The changes in the list took place between September 15 and October 20 to reflect deaths, migration and other changes in advance of the national elections in July 2008.
Tep Nytha, secretary general of NEC, said the process has been done according to the law and NEC will not extend the registration and revision period.
"We were working according to the law and there was also participation from the local election NGOs and political parties," Nytha said.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy, president of the Sam Rainsy Party, in a letter to NEC on October 23, called for a new meeting to examine the deletion of voter names in 241 commune councils, about 15 percent of the communes nationwide.
"Our party representative found that some of the commune councils did not respect and implement the guidelines of the NEC and deleted the voter names without relevant documents and evidence to prove lost voting rights," Rainsy wrote in his letter to NEC.
By Vong Sokheng
Phnom Penh Post, Issue 16 / 22, November 2 - 15, 2007
The National Election Committee said this week it will not extend the voter registration period, although three voter watchdog groups complained about problems with deleting voters from the lists.
The groups also said there were a "surprisingly high" number of new voters, raising the possibility of multiple registrations by some voters.
The NEC reported that about 8.6 million Cambodians have registered to vote including almost 900,000 new voters.
NEC said 664,796 voter names were deleted from the lists and 682,459 eligible voters failed to register.
The three voter rights watchdog groups issued a joint statement October 26 saying they had "serious concerns" about the deletion list."
The joint statement was issued by the Committee for Free and Fair Election in Cambodia (Comfrel); the Neutral and Independent Committee for Free Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC); and the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI).
Voters are supposed to register in person. But the groups said that a "substantial number of voters were registered by proxy as party agents, commune officials, military police officers and Royal Cambodian Armed Forces officers took their identity documents and photographs and registered them as voters in connivance with registration officials."
It cited several locations where that happened in the provinces of Banteay Meancheay and Steung Treng.
The statement said several voter registration stations did not comply with stipulated working hours and either opened late or closed early.
They said the high number of new voters registered was "30 % more than originally estimated by NEC." They raised questions about the possibility of "multiple registration," and possible underage or non-Cambodian citizens being registered.
The Center for Social Development called for NEC to extend the registration process by at least one more month in order to accommodate other potential voters to come to register.
The changes in the list took place between September 15 and October 20 to reflect deaths, migration and other changes in advance of the national elections in July 2008.
Tep Nytha, secretary general of NEC, said the process has been done according to the law and NEC will not extend the registration and revision period.
"We were working according to the law and there was also participation from the local election NGOs and political parties," Nytha said.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy, president of the Sam Rainsy Party, in a letter to NEC on October 23, called for a new meeting to examine the deletion of voter names in 241 commune councils, about 15 percent of the communes nationwide.
"Our party representative found that some of the commune councils did not respect and implement the guidelines of the NEC and deleted the voter names without relevant documents and evidence to prove lost voting rights," Rainsy wrote in his letter to NEC.
12 comments:
What is a bunch of morons? 8.6 millions is not high. I independently projected 8-10 millions in one of the article below, and 8.6 is nearly dead center. And of course we know about margin of error. Furthermore, there will only be about 6-7 millions to actually vote, alright?
If the cpp are good enough at math, they can estimate he number of voters:
-There were less then 5 millions khmers before the genocide.
- 3 millions of deth under the dictature of Pol Pot.
- 1 millions khmers immigrants in overseas.
- The coup d'état of Hun Sen in 1997 ( How many death ?)
- How many babies were born afer 1979 ?
- How many people died after 1979?
Why are you asking question specifically to 1979 and 1997, what about the rest of the time (up to date 2007)?
Anyway, what is your finding?
TO 5:18 PM
I don't have a figure for you but i can give a conclusion:
- it is impossible to have 14 millions of khmers people : it must contains more than 5 millions vietcongs .
- It is impossible to reach the number of 8 millions voters: it must be between 2-4 millions.
- In 10 years, Cambodia will become a vietcong land if we don't do something.
Maybe we wiil have to face the khmers extinction .
Do you know who is in charge of Cambodia National Election?
The guy is a Vietnamese agent named Ong Teur (Tri Minh}. He is in charge of the election. He might change his name to Cambodia name, but Hanoi are behind in every level of Cambodia government. Don't think you're in peace with Hun Sen in power. He do everything to wipe out and complete the goal of Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh idology is to take Lao and Cambodia as their colony. Hanoi presses very hard nowaday to succeed that. This Ong Teur agent is born and raised in Cambodia and secretly worked for Hanoi. He is lieutenant in Hanoi army and work in Cambodia since Sihanouk time. At Lon Nol era this Youn roams around Cambodia unnotice to help Viet Cong get supply to fight American and Khmer. So Hanoi is in our blood for very long time that we don't notice. We khmer are stupid that we don't protect our land and people.
National Voters Registration Act now! We need this law enacted! Looks like the CPP are up to no good; and NEC is a piece of ...
6:54, I was talking about Khmer citizens of all ethnics background who will vote in the coming election.
Now if you want to separate khmer from non-khmer ethnic from the population of 14 millions, I say 10 millions are Khmer for 5 generations or more, and 4 millions are Khmer for less than 5 generations.
As for the people who will actually vote out of 7 millions, you are about right. 4 millions will be Khmers of 5 generations or more, and 3 millions will be Khmer for less than 5 generation, and that is because real Khmers are not into politic, but everyone is a ligitimate Khmer citizen and they are entitle to vote.
To 1:30 AM
I don't believe of what you say.
As a scientific ,you have to show me , from 1970 to now, that A+B = C.
Well, what don't you believe?
Hey 5:09, here's what CIA factbook said about Population and Ethnic group. Let me quote below:
"Population:
13,995,904
Ethnic groups:
"Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4% -- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html
Is that scientific enough for ya?
To 6:40 AM
The only thing i believe is the Lavoisier's theory.
You have to study the evolution of khmer population from 1973 TO now.
From 1979 to now , millions of youns entered into Cambodia.
Who is Hok Lundy?
Can he vote?
3:18, I think we're bickering over nonsense. Your definition of Khmer is difference international definition. I don't blame you because I too have different definition, that is Khmer live in the brain, not in the blood, skin, or DNA. Accordingly, all our cities have been occupied by foreigners. And soon we'll have to get their troublemaking asses outta there.
And You're right about millions of Yuons (but mostly Ah Khmer-Yuons) entering Cambodia during the liberation, but they have been neutralized.
Hok Lundy is a head cop, and of course, he can vote.
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