Ly Menghour
The Mekong Times
The National Election Committee (NEC) on Sunday completed the distribution of election materials from Phnom Penh to the nation’s 24 municipal and provincial election committees.
“The shipment includes ballot papers, voter lists, indelible ink, and pens,” NEC Secretary General Tep Nytha said last weekend, adding that the transportation was monitored by representatives of political parties, NGOs officials and reporters.
“We have also asked police officials to protect the transportation of the materials,” he added.
More than 10 million ballot papers have been printed for the nation’s 8.1 million eligible voters, with around 32,000 bottles of indelible ink supplied to 15,255 polling stations nationwide, according to NEC figures.
Speaking at a press conference Friday, an NEC official asked that election observers file complaints immediately if they uncover any irregularities during the election process.
“If any irregularity is found at a polling station during the July 27 election, the observers should make a verbal protest to a polling station chief, even if they are busy with the [election] process,” said Som Chandina.
He added that if the case is serious, observers have to submit the complaint to the Commune Election Committee (CEC) no later than July 28, at 11:30am, and asked observers to verify the number of ballot papers after voting closes at 3pm.
Tep Nytha said the counting procedure will be different from the last election in 2003.
“In the last election, ballot papers were collected and stored at CEC offices for a night before they were counted and sent to the municipal and provincial election committees,” he said. “At this election, ballot papers will be counted at each polling station after the voting is finished.”
The counting process will be observed by political party representatives and NGO officials, with the outcome first announced at each polling station before first the CEC and then municipal or provincial election committees are given the results, he said.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel), expressed concern over the new procedure, fearing the results obtained by the CEC would be different from the one at polling stations.
However, Tep Nytha said that the new procedure will make the election result more transparent than ever before. “We have invited representatives of political parties and NGOs to inspect all processes, and we will not do it secretly,” he said.
“The shipment includes ballot papers, voter lists, indelible ink, and pens,” NEC Secretary General Tep Nytha said last weekend, adding that the transportation was monitored by representatives of political parties, NGOs officials and reporters.
“We have also asked police officials to protect the transportation of the materials,” he added.
More than 10 million ballot papers have been printed for the nation’s 8.1 million eligible voters, with around 32,000 bottles of indelible ink supplied to 15,255 polling stations nationwide, according to NEC figures.
Speaking at a press conference Friday, an NEC official asked that election observers file complaints immediately if they uncover any irregularities during the election process.
“If any irregularity is found at a polling station during the July 27 election, the observers should make a verbal protest to a polling station chief, even if they are busy with the [election] process,” said Som Chandina.
He added that if the case is serious, observers have to submit the complaint to the Commune Election Committee (CEC) no later than July 28, at 11:30am, and asked observers to verify the number of ballot papers after voting closes at 3pm.
Tep Nytha said the counting procedure will be different from the last election in 2003.
“In the last election, ballot papers were collected and stored at CEC offices for a night before they were counted and sent to the municipal and provincial election committees,” he said. “At this election, ballot papers will be counted at each polling station after the voting is finished.”
The counting process will be observed by political party representatives and NGO officials, with the outcome first announced at each polling station before first the CEC and then municipal or provincial election committees are given the results, he said.
Koul Panha, director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (Comfrel), expressed concern over the new procedure, fearing the results obtained by the CEC would be different from the one at polling stations.
However, Tep Nytha said that the new procedure will make the election result more transparent than ever before. “We have invited representatives of political parties and NGOs to inspect all processes, and we will not do it secretly,” he said.
6 comments:
Prime Minister Hun Sen will use the issue of Preah Vihear for political gain so the meeting is symbolic to show that both countries are serious about national interest and national pride.
The fires of extreme nationalisms just about to burst into a regional conflagration -- which means war -- if the high-level talks failed to de-escalate the situation in the conflict zone.
God bless Cambodia and her Preah Vihear temple!
Khmer ultra-nationalist
Hun Sen use Preah Vihear to gain his points in wrong way. Doing this bring disaster to Khmer people. Ancient Khmers will not happy with this surely. They build it for peace, not for greediness of recent khmer generation.
Dear all,
Let's not fighting with each other, khmer and khmer. This is the time that we should together as one. Let's focus on helping our troop who are protecting our land at the border around the country. We should ask ourselves, are we contributing enough to our heros who stand along the border to protect our motherland from all invaders... Are we doing enough to keep those hero healthy? are we providing enough food for them? Are we providing them enough weapons and moral and psychological support to face with invader's psychological warfare? Let's be as one... One khmer, one nation and one spirit!!!!
We khmer are entrapped in political and benefit of just some khmer businessmen. We don't really need thai mountain. We can build up our economy without it. Don't blind ourselves. We and Thai are neighbour. We both can't move the country to other place. Our politician gets vote with feeling of Vihear. Butm what we get? How many khmers actually get benefit from that thai mountain? It's just feeling and face. But the war will kill our people. And what about future? Are you sure you will get better life with it? For me, I don't believe.
We khmer have big land to develop. Did we do well with it yet? Why we need to have problem with other country for just face. It's not pride. It's not pride to make our ancestor unhappy to see brothers fight each other. I dont' think we need it.
You go, mate!
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