By Mean Veasna, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
27 February 2008
The voter registration list for July's national elections has been finalized, with more than 8 million people expected to vote and hundreds of thousands of names dropped or added, officials said Wednesday.
About 587,000 names were cleaned from the registration lists in all 24 municipalities and provinces, and around 911,000 names were added, NEC President Im Suosdey said Wednesday.
"So the voter list for the next election 2008 is now up to 8.12 million," he said, adding that voters will be able to cast ballots at 15,254 stations nationwide.
The NEC made its final decision Tuesday and would move forward with the list, officials said at a press conference.
Opposition lawmaker Kuoy Bunroeun said during the press conference there was still a worry that legitimate voters have been cleaned from the NEC list.
"They will lose their right to vote and chose their representative," he said.
Im Suosdey said the NEC cleared even less names than have been estimated as "ghost names."
Muth Chantha, spokesman for the Norodom Ranariddh Party, expressed concern that ballots would be positioned in homes of villagers, leading to a loss of privacy, but NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said the boxes were to be set up this election in schools and pagodas.
Comfrel legal officer Kaing Sovanren recommended the NEC facilitate observers and take into consideration the neutrality of government officials, as well as considering complaints and the transmission of election information.
Im Suosdey said schedules were now being established for the recruitment of an election officer that would help concerned voters find their names on the registration list.
The period for political party registration will be from April 28 through May 12, he said.
The NEC is now looking for more than $6 million to help fund the election, which will cost an estimated $17 million.
The Cambodian government is paying at least $10 million.
Voter turnout for last year's commune elections was only about 70 percent of 7.9 million registered voters, and election monitors and other officials hope the national elections will see a better turnout--closer to the 89 percent who cast ballots in 2002.
About 587,000 names were cleaned from the registration lists in all 24 municipalities and provinces, and around 911,000 names were added, NEC President Im Suosdey said Wednesday.
"So the voter list for the next election 2008 is now up to 8.12 million," he said, adding that voters will be able to cast ballots at 15,254 stations nationwide.
The NEC made its final decision Tuesday and would move forward with the list, officials said at a press conference.
Opposition lawmaker Kuoy Bunroeun said during the press conference there was still a worry that legitimate voters have been cleaned from the NEC list.
"They will lose their right to vote and chose their representative," he said.
Im Suosdey said the NEC cleared even less names than have been estimated as "ghost names."
Muth Chantha, spokesman for the Norodom Ranariddh Party, expressed concern that ballots would be positioned in homes of villagers, leading to a loss of privacy, but NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said the boxes were to be set up this election in schools and pagodas.
Comfrel legal officer Kaing Sovanren recommended the NEC facilitate observers and take into consideration the neutrality of government officials, as well as considering complaints and the transmission of election information.
Im Suosdey said schedules were now being established for the recruitment of an election officer that would help concerned voters find their names on the registration list.
The period for political party registration will be from April 28 through May 12, he said.
The NEC is now looking for more than $6 million to help fund the election, which will cost an estimated $17 million.
The Cambodian government is paying at least $10 million.
Voter turnout for last year's commune elections was only about 70 percent of 7.9 million registered voters, and election monitors and other officials hope the national elections will see a better turnout--closer to the 89 percent who cast ballots in 2002.
13 comments:
don't forget to vote for your favorite candidates, both in USA and in cambodia, yall!!
USA? Sorry buddy, Cambodia does not get involved with foreigner's internal affair.
wow is it really true? over 66 percent of Cambodia's population are over the age of 18? That is a lot of legible voters.
Voter turnout for last year's commune elections was only about 70 percent of 7.9 million registered voters, and election monitors and other officials hope the national elections will see a better turnout--closer to the 89 percent who cast ballots in 2002.
Only 70% of the 7.9 millions [approximately 5.53 million votes] eligible and registered voters turned out for last year Commune election? That was very low turned out indeed.
Wish this election will see the record turned out [comparing to the 2003 NA election].
Dear 8:08 AM Anonymous
don't forget to vote for your favorite candidates, both in USA and in cambodia, yall!!
Cambodia might monitor the USA November 2008 election but will not vote for your President there. Obama won 11 consecutive times over Clinton and he has had his eyes on John McCain, hopefully John McCain can clear his name re affairs some 5 years ago during the campaign; and facing the final crunch with Obama.
Muth Chantha, spokesman for the Norodom Ranariddh Party, expressed concern that ballots would be positioned in homes of villagers, leading to a loss of privacy
2003 election, the polling stations in Siem Reap province located either in schools or pagoda, all representatives form each individual party were there to witness the opening of ballot papers, the setting up of ballot boxes, the voting procedures, the closing of ballot boxes, the counting of ballots Etc..
Mr. Muth Chantha might have to worry about the party representatives who will be at the polling stations to observe the election because representatives [the then under the leadership of Norodom Ranariddh and FUNCIPEC] represented in 2003 election do not have the ability to monitor anything at all leave alone asking any question.
Please do your party a favor by sending bright and clever representatives that can understand the situation to avoid any complain at the end of the race when NEC already declare a winner.
About 587,000 names were cleaned from the registration lists in all 24 municipalities and provinces, and around 911,000 names were added, NEC President Im Suosdey said Wednesday.
Wow, that is 324,000 new voters.
No need to vote guys as NEC will grab the ballots for Hun Sen.
Victory reception will be held three days prior to the election day! No need to vote! If you vote, just draw another box and vote for ar krem or arh koy!
To 10:26
If people don't turn up for vote on the election day, it is automatically that the current government will becoming a legal caretaker government until a new government is elected.
Bullshit, if no one vote it means they don't want any change. Thus, the incumbent ruler will still be the incumbent ruler.
Can someone please tell me what the population of Cambodia is? How many are under the voting age? [ unable to vote] And how many dont have ID cards or are unregestered? Cause I know a few of these
As in previous elections :
- right to vote only for CPP members and friends
- no ID card nor timely information for opposition friends
- vote buying
- gift for swearing to vote for CPP,
- etc, ..., etc,
in short, all the classical vietnamese communist technics.
4:43PM what wrong with you head we talk abot millions of head and what you know id a drop of shit in the ocean!
everyone in politics should study cambodia geography and national statistics. must know everything to know about cambodia in order to be an effective representative of cambodia. no excuses!
there are many resources to go to for this. in the US, australia, or any other western world, go to any major library to find books on cambodia and read and learn and study it, both history and current statistics and data,etc... plus, look on the internet under current, up-dated information to know what the current population, land size, sea territory, how many provinces, etc..., on cambodia. i, myself, i do read up a lot on cambodia, and i do a lot of self-taught about cambodia. i think anybody with perserverance and enthusiasm, interest and self-motivation can do this as well. please be knowledgeable about cambodia. also, study the guinesse book of record, the almanac, etc. , which carry current information on cambodia and the world. if still in doubt, ask your librarian for help. thanks
Okay, but don't forget to validate those books against reality. Many times, the writer stressed out and started to pull junk out of his dream.
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