Sam Rainsy: Ruling CPP already pre-determined the upcoming election results

Monday, March 03, 2008
Samner Thmei Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

“Among the more than 8 million registered voters, 65% are CPP members, this will allow the ruling party to continue to lead in the upcoming election" - Khieu Kanharith, CPP spokesman

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy declared that for the upcoming general election, the results are already known. This is so because the current ruling party has pre-determined the election results, and it said that it will obtain 80 seats. The election results will be as predicted by the ruling party if the National Election Committee (NEC) is in charge of organizing the election in the current manner. Sam Rainsy made this declaration following his meeting with the EU delegation at the SRP party headquarters in Phnom Penh, at the end of last week.

Sam Rainsy indicated that: “During the 2003 general election, the CPP announced before the election day that it will receive 73 seats. After the election, the ruling party (CPP) indeed obtained 73 seats. Now, it is predicting again that the CPP will receive 80 seats. If we allow the NEC to organize the election as it is doing currently, it will cheat the election for the CPP so that the latter obtain 80 seats as predicted.”

Sam Rainsy explained that: “The NEC was set up so the CPP win the election on 27 July 2008, by re-arranging the voters’ lists. Cambodian people who have the right to vote were removed from the voters’ lists, the NEC erased the names of actual persons, and it preserved the ghost names, and the names of foreigners who have no right to vote. The NEC is taking the contrary action so that the results of the upcoming election are biased, and so that they will not reflect the will of the people, but only reflect the CPP’s will.”

Sam Rainsy added: “During the meeting with the EU delegation, I pushed the EU to open its eyes to see the cheating actions undertaken by the CPP through the NEC. The international community, and the EU in particular, indicated that they understand this issue clearly and they will not be cheated by the CPP again like they did in 1998 and 2003 anymore. The international community told me that they will not certify the results of any election tainted by cheating, like what the NEC is currently doing.” Sam Rainsy called on the international community, and the EU in particular, to follow up on the election, and not to certify the election results if the request for free and fair election is not upheld, and if the election is organized based on the current plan.

Regarding the issue above, Khorn Kevmono, the deputy director of the NEC information department, declined to comment, but he said: “The registration of voters have already been completed. The progress of the election is much better than before because the voters can check their names very easily from now on, through the NEC website.”

Han Puthea, Nicfec director, agreed with the irregularities in the preparation of the voters’ lists, including the registration and the removal of voters’ names as well. Hang Puthea say that the CPP is still at the forefront during the July election. He said that “nevertheless, the international community, and the EU in particular, should pay attention when they provide additional aid for organizing the election, because Cambodia will always need foreign aid, both in terms of funds and materials.”

Regarding the lack of independence of the NEC, Khieu Kanharith, spokesman for the CPP, considers this as “spitting on oneself.” Khieu Kanharith explained that there is a joint participation from three parties, including the SRP, and there will be observers and experts from donor countries also.” Nevertheless, Khieu Kanharith indicated that: “Among the more than 8 million registered voters, 65% are CPP members, this will allow the ruling party to continue to lead in the upcoming election. However, the CPP already announced that even though it is leading, a joint government would be better than leading the government by itself.”