IPCDEC Newsletter - 26 March 2013

CAMBODIA (24 March 2013) – International Community Must Burn Bridges With Illegitimate Government And Help Ensure Democratic Elections 

Revelations this week from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on the state of electoral lists in Cambodia show that the country is run by an illegitimate government which has maintained power over the decades through falsified elections.

The conclusions of the enquiry driven by the US non-government organization dedicated to promoting democracy globally, indicate conclusively that recent elections in Cambodia rest on electoral lists that have been manipulated and falsified to an extent that destroys the concept of universal suffrage. The will of the people has been at best obscured and at worst denied at successive elections.

The moment has now come to acknowledge that the current government in Phnom Penh, controlled by the same party (Cambodian People’s Party) for 34 years and by the same prime minister (Hun Sen) for 28 years, has no legitimacy.

--Sam Rainsy
Cambodia’s opposition leader

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Cambodia Voter Registry Audit 2013

Presentation of the 2013 Voter Registration Audit conducted by NICFEC, CAS and NDI.

(Please see attached file)

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Concerns about Quality of Voters List and Franchise; Incorrect Deletions of Eligible Voters

Summary Statement by NICFEC, CAS and NDI

A Voter Registry Audit (VRA) of Cambodia’s 2012 voters list has shown an overall decline in the quality of the voters list since 2008 with regard to comprehensiveness, accuracy, and currency (validity).

The VRA found a decrease in the registration rate since 2008, with 82.9% of eligible citizens on the list, compared to 87.9% prior to the 2008 general election. This finding represents a discrepancy with the National Election Committee’s statistic that the number of registered voters is at 101.7% of the eligible population. Furthermore, 10.8% of eligible citizens who believe they are registered cannot be found on the list and will not be able to vote on election day. The VRA found that only 63.6% of the names on the voters list can be verified in person to currently live where they are registered, while another 17.9% of respondents exist but live most of the time in another location and a further 10.4% do not exist in person.

The Voter Registry Audit (VRA) is a systematic, scientific, and independent evaluation of the quality of the voters list and is a method used by independent organizations worldwide. The Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC), the Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS) and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) conducted an audit of the voter registry to be used in the upcoming July 28 National Assembly elections. Voter registration is a fundamental part of the elections process and the voter list determines the right to vote.

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