COMFREL : Summary Finding on 2012 Commune Council Election in Cambodia

Dear All,

COMFREL would like to release its summary finding on 2012 commune council election. Please see the attached for details.

After 2012 commune/sangkat council election in Cambodia, COMFREL compiled a finding report of the electoral process:

• Security issue
• Neutrality and Transparency in the use of state resources
• Voter registration/Voter lists/Voter information cards/Special voter identification document
• Political Party registration and its result
• Mass Media
• Election Campaign and Campaign finance of political parties
• Polling and Counting Days
• Election Complaint
• Verification of election result
• Citizens’ participation
• Women in election
• Youth in Election

For more information related to COMFREL, please visit our official website : www.comfrel.org

Best regards,

COMFREL

https://www.box.com/s/944e600c80b09f5c2aa1

On the CPP's 2012 Commune election cheating: Sam Rainsy

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (Photo: The Phnom Penh Post)

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Sam Rainsy Warns of Delegitimized Elections

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy (Photo: ABC Radio Australia)

Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington, DC Wednesday, 22 December 2010

“If they prevent me…from running in the elections, then the election will be a sham.”

Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy now says a political solution must be found for his return ahead of 2012 elections if the polls are to be internationally recognized as free and fair.

Sam Rainsy is facing 12 years in prison sentences on charges stemming from the destruction of markers on the Vietnamese border last year and the publishing of a map alleging Vietnamese encroachment.

Cambodia is preparing for local commune elections in 2012 and national parliamentary elections in 2013. But Prime Minister Hun Sen has so far ruled out any political solution to Sam Rainsy’s charges.

Sam Rainsy, whose eponymous party holds 26 of 123 parliamentary seats, has maintained that the charges against him are political in nature and that his trials were conducted by a court that is widely considered politically biased and corrupt.

“If they prevent me…from running in the elections, then the election will be a sham,” Sam Rainsy told VOA Khmer from France. “A government that comes from such a result…will not be recognized by anyone and will cause Cambodia to face severe crises in the future.”

Cheam Yiep, a parliamentarian for the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, said Cambodia would conduct its elections separately from Sam Rainsy’s legal situation.

“I’m not frightened of whether the international community recognizes [the election] or not,” he said.

As for Sam Rainsy, he said, “the court will make the decision.”

Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections, said an opposition was necessary to compete in healthy elections.

“In this issue, there needs to be a political resolution to allow [Sam Rainsy] to come and compete, in order for observers to know that the democratic and pluralistic process is moving on the right track,” he said. “This is very important.”

NEC prepares for next round of election rigging?

NEC Begins Voter Update for Next Election

By Kong Sothanarith, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
08 October 2008

The National Election Committee made a public call on Wednesday for Cambodian voters to register and update their information with commune leaders.

Those eligible to vote have until Oct. 20 to update their local voter lists in order to participate in future elections.

The next nationwide election will be held in 2012, when voters elect commune council members. The NEC updates voter registration lists every year.

"It is very important that people participate in the election," said Tep Nitha, secretary-general of the NEC. "They must go check their names on voting lists to avoid the problem of a lost name in the coming election. And the young generation who will be 18-years-old by the end of 2008 must go ask to be registered on the voter list of the commune."

The NEC took two months following July's election to update its lists, and Tep Nitha said Wednesday between 250,000 to 350,000 youths will be of voting age this year.

Opposition leaders and election monitors said following July's election the voter registries were inaccurate, making it difficult for some to vote and displaying some names twice.

Problems with registration have caused apathy in some of the voting public, said Hang Puthea, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia.

"We see the announcement of the NEC in commune headquarters," he said, "but it seems that people are less interested after the general election and people are not well informed."