Sam Rainsy rejects the voting list27 October 2007
By Ouk Sav Borey
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy declared that he rejects the preliminary 2007 results of the voting list verification, as well as the voting registration. Sam Rainsy called on the National Election Committee (NEC) to preserve the names listed on Form 1025 and not to erase them from the voting list.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said at a press conference held on 27 October that the NEC erases the names of people who should not be erased, and it preserves the names of those who should be erased instead, and this action is not acceptable to the SRP.
Sam Rainsy added that the number of newly registered voters in 2007 has unbelievably increased, and the SRP cannot accept the results announced by the NEC.
Sam Rainsy said: “What that SRP demands from the NEC is for them not to remove names from the voting list if there is no proof to that effect, and we know that hundreds of thousands of people have their names removed (from the voting list) without proof, we demand the inclusion of these people’s names in the voting list, this is the first issue. The second issue: we demand that the NEC removes the names of foreigners (from the voting list), more specifically, the names of Vietnamese (nationals). We condemn the NEC because the NEC removes names that should not be removed, and those are Khmer names, but for the names that should be removed, the NEC preserves it, these are Vietnamese names.”
Regarding the issues raised by the SRP, Tep Nytha, NEC secretary-general, said that the increase in the number of voters was because: “The population reaching the age of 18 on the election day, and the number of the people moving into a new communes can also register, in spite of the fact that they are still registered at their old place already, however, the law in Cambodia does not allow the transfer of the names of these people who moved to their new communes.”
Tep Nytha added that regarding the request to preserve the names shown on Form 1025, the NEC will re-examine again: “We will review the documents used by the commune councils to make the decision (to erase someone’s name from the voting list) after we received sufficient documents from the communes. We will review them and make a decision on these cases. Furthermore, any decision is based on actual proofs from the local levels.”
Regarding the preliminary results of the voting list verifications and the vote registrations, Hang Puthea, Nicfec organization director, aid that civil society observed that the results announced by the NEC regarding those who registered to vote saw an increase from 100% to 130.87%, this number is unclear, therefore the outcome of the election will also be unclear.
Hang Puthea said: “Normally, when something starts with an unclear situation, the outcome will also be unclear as well.”
Tep Nytha indicated that the preliminary voting lists will be posted almost all over the country for 5-day, starting from 27 October.
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy said at a press conference held on 27 October that the NEC erases the names of people who should not be erased, and it preserves the names of those who should be erased instead, and this action is not acceptable to the SRP.
Sam Rainsy added that the number of newly registered voters in 2007 has unbelievably increased, and the SRP cannot accept the results announced by the NEC.
Sam Rainsy said: “What that SRP demands from the NEC is for them not to remove names from the voting list if there is no proof to that effect, and we know that hundreds of thousands of people have their names removed (from the voting list) without proof, we demand the inclusion of these people’s names in the voting list, this is the first issue. The second issue: we demand that the NEC removes the names of foreigners (from the voting list), more specifically, the names of Vietnamese (nationals). We condemn the NEC because the NEC removes names that should not be removed, and those are Khmer names, but for the names that should be removed, the NEC preserves it, these are Vietnamese names.”
Regarding the issues raised by the SRP, Tep Nytha, NEC secretary-general, said that the increase in the number of voters was because: “The population reaching the age of 18 on the election day, and the number of the people moving into a new communes can also register, in spite of the fact that they are still registered at their old place already, however, the law in Cambodia does not allow the transfer of the names of these people who moved to their new communes.”
Tep Nytha added that regarding the request to preserve the names shown on Form 1025, the NEC will re-examine again: “We will review the documents used by the commune councils to make the decision (to erase someone’s name from the voting list) after we received sufficient documents from the communes. We will review them and make a decision on these cases. Furthermore, any decision is based on actual proofs from the local levels.”
Regarding the preliminary results of the voting list verifications and the vote registrations, Hang Puthea, Nicfec organization director, aid that civil society observed that the results announced by the NEC regarding those who registered to vote saw an increase from 100% to 130.87%, this number is unclear, therefore the outcome of the election will also be unclear.
Hang Puthea said: “Normally, when something starts with an unclear situation, the outcome will also be unclear as well.”
Tep Nytha indicated that the preliminary voting lists will be posted almost all over the country for 5-day, starting from 27 October.
