EU election observer (Photo: AN, Cambodge Soir Hebdo)Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Eath Daravuth
The Mekong Times
Nearly 90,000 observers and political party agents will be present for the July 27 general election, Tep Nytha, secretary general of the National Election Committee (NEC), said yesterday.
Of these, 24,422 are national observers from 67 organizations, Tep Nytha said, and 433 are international observers from 21 organizations. Most observers – 62,831 – are affiliated to one of Cambodia’s political parties.
Four of the 11 political parties contending the election – the Khmer Democratic Party, Khmer Anti-poverty Party, Social Justice Party and Khmer Republican Party – are sending no observers, Tep Nytha said.
The Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) has around 35,000 observers, said NRP spokesman Muth Chantha. Even with these observers, he was still concerned over possible election irregularities.
“We cannot catch those who try to forge [votes]. We set up one preventive strategy, they find another fraud. Those international observers are not deployed in all [polling] stations and [they] don’t understand NEC procedures, don’t know the geography and don’t know the tricks involved in ballot fraud.”
Muth Chantha admitted he had a higher opinion of national observers, including many from electoral watchdogs.
The Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) appealed to expatriate Cambodians July 16 for help with food feeding his 30,000 strong army of observers on election day. The SRP observers will be stationed at 15,225 polling stations.
“The strategy that the SRP is using to prepare the election campaign stems from the participation of citizens and nationalists,” said SRP President Sam Rainsy.
Eng Chhay Eang, SRP secretary general, said party observers will be rewarded should they uncover any ballot fraud.
Ou Chanroth, secretary general of the Human Rights Party (HRP), claimed there will be over 20,000 HRP observers, though some areas, such as Preah Vihear province, will not be scrutinized. “This failure doesn’t mean that there are no HRP supporters because the time was too short to prepare,” he said.
Ok Socheat, a Funcinpec party advisor, said Funcinpec will send two observers to each ballot station. But he was unsure that all the Funcinpec observers would be up to scratch. “[S]ome offices are far away from observers, who can be afraid, threatened or lazy,” he said. “Party observers are very important. If observers are not excellent, one month’s campaign efforts will be futile.”
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has observers in all polling stations, said Nguon Nhel, a member of the CPP Central Committee’s Standing Committee. Among the CPP observers are some highly trained in NEC procedures.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, is to send 7,880 Cambodian observers and 85 foreign observers.
Of these, 24,422 are national observers from 67 organizations, Tep Nytha said, and 433 are international observers from 21 organizations. Most observers – 62,831 – are affiliated to one of Cambodia’s political parties.
Four of the 11 political parties contending the election – the Khmer Democratic Party, Khmer Anti-poverty Party, Social Justice Party and Khmer Republican Party – are sending no observers, Tep Nytha said.
The Norodom Ranariddh Party (NRP) has around 35,000 observers, said NRP spokesman Muth Chantha. Even with these observers, he was still concerned over possible election irregularities.
“We cannot catch those who try to forge [votes]. We set up one preventive strategy, they find another fraud. Those international observers are not deployed in all [polling] stations and [they] don’t understand NEC procedures, don’t know the geography and don’t know the tricks involved in ballot fraud.”
Muth Chantha admitted he had a higher opinion of national observers, including many from electoral watchdogs.
The Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) appealed to expatriate Cambodians July 16 for help with food feeding his 30,000 strong army of observers on election day. The SRP observers will be stationed at 15,225 polling stations.
“The strategy that the SRP is using to prepare the election campaign stems from the participation of citizens and nationalists,” said SRP President Sam Rainsy.
Eng Chhay Eang, SRP secretary general, said party observers will be rewarded should they uncover any ballot fraud.
Ou Chanroth, secretary general of the Human Rights Party (HRP), claimed there will be over 20,000 HRP observers, though some areas, such as Preah Vihear province, will not be scrutinized. “This failure doesn’t mean that there are no HRP supporters because the time was too short to prepare,” he said.
Ok Socheat, a Funcinpec party advisor, said Funcinpec will send two observers to each ballot station. But he was unsure that all the Funcinpec observers would be up to scratch. “[S]ome offices are far away from observers, who can be afraid, threatened or lazy,” he said. “Party observers are very important. If observers are not excellent, one month’s campaign efforts will be futile.”
The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has observers in all polling stations, said Nguon Nhel, a member of the CPP Central Committee’s Standing Committee. Among the CPP observers are some highly trained in NEC procedures.
Hang Puthea, director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, is to send 7,880 Cambodian observers and 85 foreign observers.
4 comments:
Hope Rainsy will win, then we Khmers won't have to worry Thais invade our land or Youn will just walk freely into Cambodia again.
Nope, if Ah Scam Rainxy ever win, Cambodia is finished.
New leader like President Rainsy mean new hope for Cambodia's future.
It can't get worst than Hun Sen former KR and Viet servant.
Sam Rainsy will bring the end of the Communist Cambodia People Party. That serve the Viet not Khmer people and have sold off LAND to Thai and Viet for the last 30 years...
The size of the country is getting SMALLER AND SMALLER under CPP/Hun Sen.
There more and more Khmer people homeless under is boosted personal wealth "economic growth".
Long Live Hun Sen!
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