Sam Rainsy speaking at a gathering inside the Sam Rainsy Party Headquarters to express anger and complaints about the systematic fraud organized by NEC (Photo: SRP)Monday, 11 August 2008
Written by Meas Sokchea
The Phnom Penh Post
Opposition parties say the CPP issued thousands of fraudulent 10-18 election forms in a bid to boost its vote tally on polling day and have vowed to fight the alleged vote rigging
CAMBODIA'S opposition has accused commune officials loyal to the Cambodian People's Party of issuing 10-18 election forms allowing ineligible people to vote illegally.
The 10-18 form can be issued just before an election by commune-level authorities and is intended to allow those who have the right to vote but lack the relevant identity documents to cast their ballot on polling day.
"The CPP kept ghost voters on the lists...so they could make out 10-18 forms for people who have no right to vote such as minors and Vietnamese nationals," opposition leader Sam Rainsy said at a joint press conference with the Human Rights Party and Norodom Ranariddh Party on Friday.
"We've received hundreds of these documents...the CPP has issued hundreds of thousands of [fake] 10-18 forms which represents systematic electoral fraud across the country. this is a serious problem,"Sam Rainsy said.
Sam Rainsy said that if the courts were to prosecute the CPP-affiliated commune chiefs who issued the 10-18 forms illegally "the entire grass roots structure of the CPP would disappear as all the commune chiefs will be in prison." He added the problem was a legal case - of public officials falsifying documents - so the parties were planning to lodge complaints with the courts.
Human Rights Party spokesman Keat Sokun said that the HRP still does not recognise the results of the election, as CPP tricks such as the use of 10-18 forms, had skewed the vote count. He added the HRP would work with the other opposition parties to challenge the poll results.
Norodom Ranariddh Party spokesman Muth Chantha also affirmed his party's commitment to working together to combat "the abuse of the Cambodian people's rights."
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said by phone Sunday that the 10-18 forms were a legitimate tool used at the discretion of local authorities to ensure that people who lacked the relevant documents but were entitled to a vote could cast their ballot.
He said the forms were for everyone who lacked documents, not just CPP supporters, and said there were multiple instances of people who were known opposition supporters being given 10-18 forms.
On Friday, Sam Rainsy reiterated his claim that millions of Cambodian citizens were deliberately disenfranchised by the National Election Committee (NEC), saying the 10-18 forms had helped the CPP ensure that 1.2 million votes were "stolen."
Secretary General of the NEC, Tep Nytha said, "if the opposition parties want to file complaints it is up to them, but if they go to the court over this I don't know what law they are going to use."
CAMBODIA'S opposition has accused commune officials loyal to the Cambodian People's Party of issuing 10-18 election forms allowing ineligible people to vote illegally.
The 10-18 form can be issued just before an election by commune-level authorities and is intended to allow those who have the right to vote but lack the relevant identity documents to cast their ballot on polling day.
"The CPP kept ghost voters on the lists...so they could make out 10-18 forms for people who have no right to vote such as minors and Vietnamese nationals," opposition leader Sam Rainsy said at a joint press conference with the Human Rights Party and Norodom Ranariddh Party on Friday.
"We've received hundreds of these documents...the CPP has issued hundreds of thousands of [fake] 10-18 forms which represents systematic electoral fraud across the country. this is a serious problem,"Sam Rainsy said.
Sam Rainsy said that if the courts were to prosecute the CPP-affiliated commune chiefs who issued the 10-18 forms illegally "the entire grass roots structure of the CPP would disappear as all the commune chiefs will be in prison." He added the problem was a legal case - of public officials falsifying documents - so the parties were planning to lodge complaints with the courts.
Human Rights Party spokesman Keat Sokun said that the HRP still does not recognise the results of the election, as CPP tricks such as the use of 10-18 forms, had skewed the vote count. He added the HRP would work with the other opposition parties to challenge the poll results.
Norodom Ranariddh Party spokesman Muth Chantha also affirmed his party's commitment to working together to combat "the abuse of the Cambodian people's rights."
CPP lawmaker Cheam Yeap said by phone Sunday that the 10-18 forms were a legitimate tool used at the discretion of local authorities to ensure that people who lacked the relevant documents but were entitled to a vote could cast their ballot.
He said the forms were for everyone who lacked documents, not just CPP supporters, and said there were multiple instances of people who were known opposition supporters being given 10-18 forms.
On Friday, Sam Rainsy reiterated his claim that millions of Cambodian citizens were deliberately disenfranchised by the National Election Committee (NEC), saying the 10-18 forms had helped the CPP ensure that 1.2 million votes were "stolen."
Secretary General of the NEC, Tep Nytha said, "if the opposition parties want to file complaints it is up to them, but if they go to the court over this I don't know what law they are going to use."
19 comments:
What we must do is to fire all NEC workers. NEC-workers are for the Cambodian Nation, justice, not taking side, but they all did very bad works. All NEC-Workers must be fired. Congress must review all the NEC-Policies. Because alot policies were set up by Vietnamese. Hire new NEC workers, train them as soon as possibe for Next Election, otherwise, this issue is remain the same.
Is it fair?
From Academically and Democraitically thinkers.
By boycotting a swearing ceremony or the 1st session of the parliament would not change the course of any issue[s] concerned at the moment or potential future "Post Election Drama" which was seen and haunted its citizen for the last few elections or any future election[s] in years to come.
This [boycotting] is similar to the case of a boxer who deadly wants to have a recognition match but is unwillingly to get inside the ring.
Parliament is the actual legal and lawful ring where all law makers shall have their match and bout - pushing/proposing for any amendment of bill[s] and law[s] in particular the "Election Law", put each other under microscope - checks and balances and to pressure the ruling party/government to perform better.
30% in margin [election result] is really a big gap between the "Winner and Runner-up" and according to Mr. Martin Callanan - "This would not have greatly affected the election since early results show a large majority for the CPP".
SRP, HRP, and NRP,
For the sake of Cambodia, please move on..........
Let's push and make the victory in 2013.
I am totally disagreed with 3:27am. I read every pieces of news from cambodia news media from every party, cpp, srp, hrp and nrp. Here is my conclusion, currently the nek anounced cpp won 4.2 million votes srp won 1.3 million votes and the rest went to other three parties. There are more than one million voters names were deleted and unable to vote on july 27th 2008 and those were the names of the voters previously voted for SRP. These deleted voter were given to gosht and illegal foreigners to vote for cpp. In reality cpp won only 3 million votes and SRP won about 2.5 million votes. I am very sure that is exactly what happened.
If the SRP, HRP AND NRP don't fight for justice for khmer people now? wait until when?
Dear 4:20 AM;
I am not arguing with your point of view - those deleted names were the names of voters previously voted for SRP. However, my point is people do change and there is no dispute about that. SRP could not be so sure that people are and will always be there for the party at all.
The fall-out relationship between the SRP and Unions is one factor that failed in this election as well [Unions did not publicly said to their members and endorsed the party].
SRP shall take a step back, look back at individual consituency what went wrong during the election campaign, election itself and this might be a good turning point for the party in future election [current - members with financial able "So called Volunteer Contribution" would run for the hot spot[s] while many lack finance have to go where somewhere else which may not be a strategic approach after all] . I am 100% sure there are rooms for improvement.
If SRP make a legal argument about the legitimacy of form 1018 then he is right but if he argues that all deleted names are in fact names of epeople voted for him in this election then he has no concrete evidences or logical explanation to justify.
They shall protest the result but boycotting is not the best resolution to future Post Election Drama. National Assembly is where politicians from all sides shall have their match and bout and it is the right time now to propose amendment to the Election Law.
While I am somewhat agreeing with 4:20 AM, we all still have the right to tell this so-called mediawatch-utopia CPP's conformist to come up with better reasons than those cited above. Anything less is just underestimation of the will of the Cambodian people.
The changing from one nickname to another here on KI-Media doesn't fool anybody!!!
5:01 AM
If you really think that I am a CPP's conformist then you are wrong my friend. I am not and will not be a follower of any political party and has never been any member of any political party either.
I did not change my nick-name but at all time when making a common you will see mediawatch-newstopia.
What you did not see is how politicians love the psot election drama, particular the Opposition party. There were 2 post election dramas so far, and within that 10 years time frame, did SRP has ever propose any amendment to the election law or the body who ran and manage NEC?
The answer is No, and what's happening now? The same old story.
I beleive it is time that politicians from all sides shall have "Political Will" to resolve this issue and move on.
While you mentioned about the will of people, let me bring to your attention that at least 4 million people voted for CPP. They are indeed not an ignorant to know and see that theirs will have been kidnapped and hold ranson by this boycotting.
Stealing is a Crime !
In any Western country if the group is called : " NEC " existed,the whole group would be fired & jailed .
But In Cambodia this group of NEC is applauded & rewarded for their crimes.
Jeyo,Kampuchea Robors Hun Sen !
Do we have to move on & accept this fraud Election ?
Do agree with Mediawatch-Newstopia.
Those who express Opinions out of angers should calm down and rethink
I have no problem with Khmer voting whose party they want. But removing voter's name from the list, that's problem. Khmer people has come a long way so we must keep moving forward.
That's why the 1M voters whose names are missing should have the chance to vote. If Hun Sen does not recognize this, then he don't really give a damn about Khmer rights.
Hi all
I watched the news this morning. NRP accepted the election result.
Dear all,
Let me share my opinion with you. I don't agree with MediaWatch-Newstopia to encourage the SRP to join the National Assembly. Please remember that if the SRP join the first meeting then everything is legitimized and later the CPP can do anything they like. They have quorum, 7/10 needed and 2/3 majority. The experience is that the SRP already proposed a change in NEC but cannot because SRP is only minority. there is no fair ring for the minority, it's only always fair for the majority, trust me my friend.
Dear SRP,
You will not absolutely win the election even there are election 100 times if you don't have TV and Radio across the country.
To all Cambodians,
It's a waste of time and money to vote. How about let Ah Khvack rules the country forever.
Gentleman
It sounds like Mr Tep Nytha OWNS national election.
If the complaint is appropriate, edequte evidences to prove that NEC misled cambodians, why not getting doubted areas re-elected.
wrong doing can't last for ever. Thaksin, the famous Thai's priminister is now having faced trial. One day this will happen in cambodia. Please be fair and faithfull to cambodians.
Neang SA
Hi All friends,
The only one thing that we can do are to gather in one group and support the opposition party to have more power. These the best solution for them to push the new government to thing about our cambodian. and issue the law of corruption and Take out all vietnamess immigration from our country.
From Khmer Love Khmer.
i am a foreigner. I went to your country and i voted for Hun Sen because they tell me if i don't vote this year they will kick me out! I have no paperwork but it was easy for me.
One foreigner told another foreigner who came to visit Cambodia, thinking they were of the same foreign background. Turn out the other foreigner only spoke her language but was a Khmer.
That is the honest truth, so how many more that we didn't know about?
When will this country learn to adopt fairness and law as judgement tools but not beautiful words or bullshits barking just confuse peopel so that those barking people can legitimate their actions????
You are smart and believe me folks those bad people can bark and produce millions of bullshits and nonsense to hide the facts behind, and the only way to beat them is to convey the real news and real happening to all low-educated cambodians. We here can understand the cunning methods of the so-called intellectuals, but not people at the countryside and people living in hand-to-mouth situation.
Cut and paste the real news, the real happening and forward to the khmers everywhere and do not forget to compromise level of complexity; this way all the so-called talking bullshit intellectuals cannot forge the news anymore!!!!!!
Do not let them confuse and distract people from the real happening!!
Dear Cambodian Compatriots at all levels,
In terms of moving to the positive ways for Cambodia and for 2013-Election, here are what we must do:
1/. Review all regulation of election Laws. Or All election laws must be set up by only Cambodian nations, not like currently are being set up by Vietnam. Otherwise, again and again all Khmers are just working to compliance Vietnam's policies (Work Krom Nep Youn, regardless all of any party.
2/. Fire, jail, or punish whoever deleted voters on July 27, 2008. Why? because if Cambodian Suprime court does not take action, then Cambodia is Lawless country. Then it exactly means that The Name is Cambodia, but the Body is Vietnameses. If Cambodian suprime Court let these criminals free, then NO MORE FUTURE OF CAMBODIA. Cambodia has alots of trashes to be cleaned by all these criminals. Why keep criminals works for the spirit of Cambodia and let good Khmer students work and clean trashes. Just think 1 minute about this issue, Thanks!.
3/. Proof all of these over 2 Million voters-record, and claim to United Nation and ASIAN to assist again.
4/. Hire New NEC workers, train them at the broads to prepare for next election, 2013.
There are many-many Cambodian New Generations are looking for jobs. Why Cambodian Suprime Court let these criminals work for the country. This is if we are seriously thinking, and working forward to positve ways.
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