SRP Rejects the registration in Poipet [-CPP commune chief allowed the illegal registration to take place]

20 October 2007
By Lim Pisith Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

The SRP, the largest opposition party in Cambodia, rejected and refused to recognize the results of the new vote registration in Poipet commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province, and it asked for a new registration, in particular in areas in the commune next to the Thai border.

Eng Chhay Eang, the SRP secretary-general, indicated the reason why his party rejected the results of the vote registration: “Because the registration in Poipet commune was done illegally and against the rule set up by the NEC. This means that, in the past, there were 19,000 registered voters, but those who (physically) came to register are about 4,000 only, the other 15,000 did not go to register to vote by themselves, (party officials) brought in their documents to register their name (without the actual voters’ presence), this is against the law.”

Eng Chhay Eang said that this action could affect the regularity of the upcoming 27 July 2008 general election.

Sean San Ho, the Poipet commune chief and also the CPP party president, recognized that the registration was indeed performed without the presence of the voters because these people were busy with their work. However, he claimed that this number is small and nothing close to the number raised by the SRP.

CPP’s Sean San Ho said: “There were some indeed, but the number is very small where people brought in (the documents to register for others) whom they claim are 2-3 of their relatives. We don’t know what to say, so we just let it go, but the number is not large as claimed.”

Ly Huong, an observer from the Comfrel organization in Banteay Meanchey province, confirmed that there were indeed registration of voter names without the voters presence in Poipet commune.

She indicated that Confrel considers such action as a violation of the election law, and the authority in charge of the election should resolve this issue.

Mrs. Ly Huong said: “Comfrel is following up on this issue about the legality of the action, and we are waiting to see what course of action the NEC will take to decide this case…”

Even though with the recent information revelations (about the irregularity in the registration), Hy Rong, a NEC executive director, decided to extent the registration process by 4 days in Poipet and Ampil Prem Doeum communes – the two communes with the most complicated problems – and the registration will continue between 21-24 October 2007. However, Hy Rong said that there will not be any new registration.

According to the number provided by the Poipet commune council, as of 19 October, 21,000 people, who have moved or who are newly eligible voters, were registered, whereas, it was planned that 20,087 newly eligible voters would be registering to vote in this commune.

Kampot: The CPP office and the commune office are next to each other

15 October 2007
By Mom Sophon
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Opposition party officials have accused the CPP of using its party influence to interfere in the commune administration and in the election.

The opposition SRP party will file a complaint with the Ministry of Interior on Monday to ask that the commune office be moved to a new location, because the current commune office is located next to the CPP office.

Mrs. Mu Sochua, first SRP deputy Secretary-general and workgroup chairperson of the SRP party in Kampot province, indicated that if there is no moving of the commune office, the situation would appear to look like the commune officials are in fact working at the CPP office instead.

Mu Sochua said: “The SRP informed the Ministry of Interior once in 2002, asking that the commune office not be established under the CPP banner, this office is not just next (to the CPP office), it is underneath the CPP banner. This is too much!”

Mu Sochua said that, in the past, the SRP also complained about this issue, however, there is no resolution yet. Furthermore, this action seems to show that there is no transparency and independence for the commune officials. In fact, the Kampong Bay commune office, located on Kampong Bay district, is located next to the CPP office, and the CPP sign looks like it is covering on top of the commune office. This is also true for the commune offices in Kampong Kandal and a number of other commune offices in Kampot province.

Ty Rithy, the Kampong Kandal commune chief said that all commune officials want to move this office, but they don’t have the ability to do so.

Ty Rithy said: “This happened since the very beginning, it’s not just now. Recently, we try to separate them (commune and CPP offices) apart, but we have this situation since before, we cannot separate them unless we have the ability. Right now, Japan provides commune offices in each province, they will provide a commune office, but we cannot find land in town, lands are very tight squeezed, when we have land, we will exchange for it, we cannot remain cramped. Here we use row houses as an administrative office, it’s difficult, but we endure it, what can we do? We don’t have anything and we are poor, so we endure it.”

Election observer officials for the province of Kampot said that this issue can cause confusion by making people think that the campaign and the political programs organized by the CPP are done by the commune instead, and people would be confused that the commune office is campaigning for the CPP.

Mrs. Try Chhun, Comfrel director of Kampot province, said: “I believe that the action taken by the commune office to set up a sign next to the (CPP) party sign, cause confusion among people, and it make them think that the campaigning etc… done by the (CPP) party is in fact done by the commune instead. Therefore, this is not right not just only for the upcoming election, but it will cause confusion at all future elections as well, people will be confused and they will not be happy that the party sign and the commune sign are next to each other like this.”

Kul Panha, executive director of Comfrel, said that, even though there is no law to prevent the establishment and the setup of party sign next to the commune office, but based on political party rules, these political party offices should not be set up near the commune office. He also noted that this action is taken almost everywhere in Cambodia, and the CPP is using its influence on works performed by commune officials.