EU election obervers: "Lack of confidence in the neutrality and impartiality of the National Election Committee (NEC)"

EU EOM chief observer Martin Callanan presents the key findings and recommendations of the mission’s final report, released Tuesday. (Photo by: Vandy Rattana)

2008 election was peaceful but flawed: EU observers

Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Written by Sebastian Strangio and Vong Sokheng
The Phnom Penh Post

Click here to read the EOM report in English (PDF)
Click here to read the EOM report in Khmer (PDF)

EU election monitors highlight voter registration, neutrality and the local media environment as key concerns in their final post-election report

THE European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM) has released its final assessment of the July 27 national election, calling on the government to address a number of irregularities it claims marred an otherwise peaceful poll.

"While the campaign was generally conducted in a more peaceful and open environment compared to previous elections, the 2008 National Assembly elections fell short of a number of key international standards for democratic elections," EOM chief observer Martin Callanan said at a news conference Tuesday.

Echoing the EU's July 29 provisional assessment, the final report notes the "lack of confidence in the neutrality and impartiality of the National Election Committee (NEC)", and concludes that there were "a significant number of mistakenly disenfranchised voters" due to the deletion of names from voter lists.

It also calls attention to the overwhelming media dominance of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, which "may have undermined the ability of the Cambodian electorate ... to make an informed choice".

Among its recommendations, the report calls on the government to "take credible steps" to ensure the neutrality of the NEC at all levels and to abolish the use of Statement of Identity Form 1018, which it claims was fraudulently issued at polling stations.

Callanan also highlighted the importance of a free media environment, calling on the government to establish "an independent broadcasting regulatory authority to be responsible for the distribution of licences and frequencies to broadcast media on an open and transparent basis".

Two steps forward...

Tep Nytha, general secretary of the NEC, said he welcomed the EOM's input, but said critics should not overlook the NEC's achievements. "The July 27 election reflects another step of the development of democracy and was evaluated positively by national and international stakeholders," he said, adding that the NEC would only take time to consider recommendations that "comply with electoral law".

...and one step back

But Koul Panha, executive director of election monitor Comfrel, said the recommendations represented clear shortfalls in the election process. "The recommendations they give point to the election's problems," he said, adding that the EU involvement was in a good position to convey pressure over the conduct of the election.

"This is a very sensitive political topic," he said. "If we depend on the government's action, I don't know if anything will happen. We may need some pressure for the government to improve the electoral process."

UCAOA's Declaration

United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad
USA, Canada, EU and New Zealand
Address: Co/CACJE 3 Fountain Ave. Cranston, RI 02920, USA.
Email: cacjepress@gmail.com
===================

Press release
(For immediate release)

August 1st, 2008

DECLARATION
Of
The United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad USA, Canada, Europe and New Zealand

Click here to read the declaration in Khmer (PDF)

The United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad USA, Canada, EU and New Zealand fully supports the Sam Rainsy Party’s (SRP) and the Human Right Party’s (HRP) joint statement to reject the results of the July 27, 2008 elections.

The July 27, 2008 elections were not free and fair for the following reasons:

The Cambodian People Party (CPP), the ruling party, almost completely dominates the electronic media, particularly TV, which is by far the most important source of information for Cambodians.

CPP has controlled all the state apparatus – including the National Election Committee (NEC), the judiciary branch, the security forces, the civil service and educational institutions since 1979 -- the day Vietnam invaded Cambodia to install its puppet regime led by Hun Sen.

Through this extensive apparatus, CPP has been able to maintain firm control of the population.

The National Election Committee (NEC) removed several hundred thousand legitimate voters from electoral lists to prevent them from casting ballots for SRP and HRP parties. Not only did the NEC delete countless legitimate voters' names, the NEC also artificially increased the number of votes for the ruling party due to “illegitimate voters".

Several million illegal Vietnamese immigrants out of a total of eight million voters were authorized by the NEC to vote for the CPP in this July 27, 2008 election; whereas many Cambodians were unfairly uprooted, displaced, their land expropriated, and lost their right to vote along the way.

The United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad (UCAOA) -- USA, Canada, Europe and New Zealand, firmly believe that only the people of Cambodia have the fundamental right to freely elect their leaders according to their will.

The United Cambodian Associations and Organizations Abroad (UCAOA) solemnly support:

• The SRP and HRP joint statement of rejection of the election results of July 27, 2008, and
• The SRP’s and HRP’s request for a new election of the National Assembly that should be organized and supervised by the United Nations according to the Paris Peace Agreement of October 23, 1991, as it was done in 1993.

In order to reach this goal to invalidate the results of July 27, 2008 elections, which in fact, were not free and fair and were manipulated and rigged by CPP, in accordance to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the SRP and the HRP “elected members” MUST NOT participate to the first session of the Fourth National Assembly that will be convened upon notice by the king in the subsequent sixty days after the election; no later than September 25, 2008.

Hence, it is imperative that SRP and HRP “elected members” MUST NOT participate in the first session of the fourth Assembly.

If the “elected members” of SRP and HRP participate in the first session of the fourth Assembly, then this is de facto official recognition by them of the results of the July 27, 2008 election.

Any participation of the “elected members” of SRP and HRP in the first session of the Fourth National Assembly is equivalent to collusion between SRP, HRP and CPP to annihilate the sacred right of Cambodian people to freely choose their leaders, and national treason against the people of Cambodia.

Sincerely,

Serey Ratha SOURN
Chief Mission of CACJE and Coordinator of UCAOA

For and in the name of:
1. Cambodian Action Committee for Justice & Equity
Email: cacje@cacje.com, Tel: 401-919-9954
2. Cambodian Association of Ottawa Valley, Canada
Chamroeun Lay, President; Email: chamroeun@cic.ca,
Tel: 613 238 8214 Ext 6222
3. Yanathom du Grand Buddha Khmer of Quebec of Canada
Mr. Horng Lam Srun, President, Email: yanathom@yanathom.org,
4. Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Mr. Somrith Som, President, Email: somrith.som@gmail.com, Tel: 267-974-0239
5. Auckland Cambodian-Chinese Kung Luck Association, Auckland, New Zealand
Mr. Meng Ly QSM, Deputy of Chairman; Email: ly_enterprises@hotmail.com,
Tel: 09 5767259 or 027 2845077
6. Former President of Association des Ingenieurs Cambodgiens du Québec, Canada
Ayravuth Tan, Chef de Projet, Email: ayravuth.tan@aero.bombadier.com,
Tel: 524-855-5001
7. Association Culturelle du Cambodge, Lyon, France
Mr. Ly Peoung, President, Email: lypoeung@voila.fr, Tel: 33-9510-73185
8. Khmer Krom Buddhist Temple of Canada
Ven. Dhammo Thac Truong, Email: venthach6@hotmail.com, Tel: 905-664-5547
9. Wat Khmer Sativararam of Canada
Ven. Kimthan Srey, Tell: 591-737-8940
10. Wat Khmer Dhammikaram of Montreal QC, Canada
Ven. Thim, Tell: 514-494-9470
11. Coalition for a Free Cambodia, Florida, USA
Dr. Nicole Ung, Manager;
12. Federation of Cambodian Student in European Community
Mr. Meng Ly Hour, Representative Email: mengly@rockmail.com
13. Cambodian Association of UK
Ms. Sokha Yim, Executive officer, Email: sy_cambodia@yahoo.com.uk

Post-election report on the media situation in Cambodia

1 August 2008
Source: CAPJ

Two weeks before the elections in Cambodia, unidentified men shot and killed journalist Khim Sambo and his son, Khat Sarin Theada. The twin murders capped the violence, harassment and perceived government manipulation surrounding the 27 July polls, leaving media observers wondering about the fate of press freedom in Cambodia.

Going by how the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) is said to have manipulated the conduct of the 27 July elections to achieve a landslide victory, the local media remain uneasy at the prospect of five more years under PM Hun Sen.

SEAPA partner Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists (CAPJ) says that even though all 11 political parties had access to the state media such as TVK and the national FM and AM radio stations, the ruling party used government resources like the bureaucracy and security forces to keep the upper hand in mass communications.

This was clearly seen on the allocation of airtime to the political parties. The National Election Committee (NEC) officially granted each party a 10-minute TV slot twice daily to present their respective programs, platforms and achievements. And yet the ruling party in fact enjoyed virtual monopoly over the state-owned media and had influence over nine private TV stations and 38 radio stations, allowing it to enjoy 95% of the total airtime.

Opposition parties were allowed to buy one to two hours of airtime each day from the private media. Even then, the opposition was at a disadvantage. Though they were able to buy airtime from private radio stations like FM 105 Mhz (the most independent radio station), FM 93.5 Mhz, FM 105.25 Mhz in Siem Reap and FM 104 Mhz, private TV stations charged exorbitant prices: CAPJ says private TV operators—who must secure a license to operate from the government—were in truth hesitant to book oppositionists for fear of government reprisal.

Opposition parties also complained that the images of their spots in government-run TVK were blurred.

The government also took blatant moves to silence the opposition. The night before the polls, some 20 armed policemen raided the FM 93.5 radio station, known for its support of the opposition, and closed it down without an order from the court or the Information Ministry.

The order for the closure came out only the next day. It accused the station of defying an NEC rule to stop political broadcasts by July 26, the eve of the elections. The FM station noted, however, that the government had overlooked similar violations by government stations favorable to the administration and the CPP.

The twin killings of journalist Khim Sambo and his son are also believed to be directly related to politics. Sambo was a reporter for the "Moneakseka Khmer (Khmer Conscience)" newspaper, which is known for supporting the SRP. The police are still investigating the case.

Moneakseka Khmer's editor, Dam Sith, had been recently charged for printing allegations that Cambodia's foreign minister had ties to the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime. The charge was later dropped, but CAPJ said that the attack on Khim Sambo came soon after his editor's release.

Despite the ruling party's landslide victory, CAPJ notes that with the CPP's use of the state apparatus to control the media during the elections, the future of genuine democracy in Cambodia under Hun Sen remains challenged and in doubt.

How could the election be free when it is biased at the same time?

US praises Cambodian election as the most free

2008-08-01

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodian elections were the freest ever held in the Southeast Asian country, the United States said Friday, though it concluded media coverage of the campaign was biased toward the ruling party.

The upbeat assessment of Sunday's election in which Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party won a landslide victory comes as the opposition is refusing to recognize the results. It claims there was widespread irregularities.

«Cambodia's National Assembly election was freer than any election previously held in the country and the vast majority of Cambodia's registered voters were able to express their will in a more open atmosphere than before,» the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

Voting irregularities «were relatively low in number and they do not appear to have affected the outcome or to have distorted the will of the Cambodian people,» the statement said.

Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party won 90 seats in the 123-seat National Assembly, or lower house of parliament. The opposition Sam Rainsy Party won 26 seats, according to unofficial results.

The opposition party has rejected the results, accusing the National Election Committee of acting as a tool to help Hun Sen win.

It cited the committees alleged removal of tens of thousands of legitimate voters from electoral lists to prevent them from casting ballots for parties other than the ruling one. The election committee has dismissed the allegations.

Sunday's voting was the fourth parliamentary election since the United Nations brokered a peace deal for the country in 1991, a process meant to end decades of civil unrest that included the 1975-79 genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Some 8.1 million Cambodians were registered voters, but the electoral body has not yet declared how many of them were able to cast their ballots.

While praising the ability of Cambodians to vote, the embassy concluded the atmosphere leading up to the vote was biased toward the ruling party.

Although the opposition had better access to state-run television during the campaigning than in the past, the CPP still dominated the airwaves of private stations that traditionally support it, the embassy said.

This «reflects a virtual monopoly by the CPP on the media and imbalanced the desired level playing field for contesting the elections,» it said.

On Tuesday, Martin Callanan, the head of an EU election monitoring team, gave a similar assessment of biases for the ruling party during the campaign.

But he said alleged vote irregularities would have to be on a very large scale to invalidate the outcome since Hun Sen's party won with «a very large majority.

Cambodia’s election: Stability, sort of

The CPP buying time? (Photo: Reuters)

Jul 31st 2008 | PHNOM PENH
The Economist

After a dirty election, the prime minister tightens his grip

WHETHER Cambodia’s general election on July 27th was a success or a travesty depends on what you compare it with. A team of European Union observers said it fell well below international democratic standards. Tens of thousands of opposition supporters were excluded from the electoral register. There was widespread impersonation of voters, plus the usual vote-buying and glaring pro-government bias by broadcasters.

However, the election was also the least violent since the United Nations-sponsored one in 1993 that marked the end of decades of civil war. The victory of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and its leader, Hun Sen, means Cambodia is set for a further five years of corrupt and inept government but also, probably, of continued stability and rising prosperity.

Preliminary results suggest the CPP won around 90 seats (up from 73) in the 123-seat national assembly. The main opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, believes his party won around 27, up from 24 last time. The big losers were Cambodia’s once-powerful royalists. Divided and in disarray, the main royalist party, Funcinpec, shrank from 26 to perhaps just two seats; a splinter named after the exiled Prince Norodom Ranariddh did no better.

Though the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) wants the world to refuse to recognise the outcome, diplomats in Phnom Penh, the capital, believe the CPP has genuinely gained popularity thanks to Cambodia’s strong growth—10.3% last year, producing a boom in fancy office blocks and rural land prices. Mr Hun Sen also won some votes from his tough stance in an armed confrontation with Thailand over a patch of land near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which a UN committee recently put on its “world heritage” list. The EU’s observers said that given the scale of the ruling party’s victory electoral fiddles seemed unlikely to have altered the outcome.

Until fairly recently Mr Hun Sen’s critics had a tendency to die violent deaths. As he has felt surer of his position, politics has become more peaceful. Patronage and pilfering are rife and the justice system almost non-existent. But foreign donors fill many of the gaps—in particular, building lots of roads and other infrastructure. Roderick Brazier of the Asia Foundation, a think-tank, says the devolution of money and powers to local communes seems to be improving ordinary people’s lives, and the appearance of a few capable technocrats in central government may help more.

Tired and angry after the election, Mr Sam Rainsy remains defiant. The collapse of the royalist movement, he says, means that now, “we are the only serious alternative. It makes the political game clearer.” He argues that the SRP, hitherto an urban party, is gaining support in the countryside. But if he were to present a serious challenge, would Mr Hun Sen revert to his old brutal ways?

Polls Were Fair - EU Observers

By Andrew Nette

PHNOM PENH, Jul 30 (IPS) - An attempt by Cambodia’s four main opposition parties to reject the result of national elections, in which the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) was returned in a landslide, has met with little support from local and international organisations monitoring the poll.

In a short statement released earlier this week, the four political parties called "on the public opinion and the international community not to recognise the results of the July 27, 2008 elections which were manipulated and rigged by the ruling CPP.''

Opposition parties argue the extent of CPP’s win reflects a campaign of intimidation, vote buying and dirty tricks orchestrated by the ruling party in the lead-up to the election.

They maintain CPP’s vote was further inflated on polling day by the deletion of many legitimate names from the voting list and the issuing of fraudulent ‘1018’ forms by local authorities controlled by CPP.

These forms are official documentation that voters lacking proper identification can submit to be able to vote. It is illegal under Cambodian election law for them to be handed out on polling day.

However, opposition calls of foul play have received little support from local and international election monitors, including a 130-member European Union election observation mission, in Cambodia since mid-June.

"I would say that on the basis of the provisional results published so far, CPP very clearly has a large majority and therefore any irregularities would have to be of a very large scale to invalidate the result," Martin Callanan, chief observer for the EU mission told the media in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

"While it is fair to say we have some evidence of irregularities these are not of such significant scale," he said.

Although an official seat count has yet to be released, Cambodia’s main poll monitor, the Committee for Free and Fair Elections (COMFREL), has estimated CPP won approximately 57 percent in the weekend’s vote, giving it roughly 90 seats in the 123-member National Assembly.

This is broadly in sync with CPP’s own projections released to the media earlier this week.

In is also in line with the expectations of local and international commentators who were predicting the ruling party would win big in last Sunday’s election.

According to COMFREL, the next largest party, the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), secured 21 percent of the vote. The Norodom Ranarridh Party, Funcinpec and the Human Rights Party hovered under five percent each.

While describing the general atmosphere in the lead-up to the poll as an improvement on previous national elections, Callanan stressed it still "fell short of a number of key international standards for democratic elections.’’

Despite improvements in transparency, he said the EU mission noted a lack of confidence in the impartiality of election administration among stakeholders, and that all aspects of the election process are dominated by the ruling CPP.

Within hours of the close of polls on Sunday, opposition parties had raised what they believed where serious concerns about the validity of the process.

Approximately 200 disgruntled voters who found themselves struck off the voter list had gathered throughout the day in the compound of the SRP headquarters in Phnom Penh.

A SRP spokesperson said these irregularities including large numbers of people being deleted from the voter list and forged 1018 forms issued to pro-ruling party voters not on the voter roll, many of whom she said were "foreigners, not Cambodian nationals.’’

Speaking to IPS on election night, SRP’s leader Sam Rainsy claimed that the names of at least 200,000 eligible voters had been deleted from the rolls in Phnom Penh alone.

SRP has since handed out fliers on the streets of the capital claiming nearly a million people across the country were disenfranchised in Sunday’s vote although no hard evidence has been proffered to support this claim.

"I am aware of the comments of the opposition parties rejecting the results but I would encourage the parties to first use the complaint process established by NEC," Callanan said Tuesday.

Officials at the National Election Committee (NEC), the body responsible for overseeing the country’s elections, have said the deadline for complaints about the voter list had long passed and no action would be taken on the matter.

It is unclear what tactics the four opposition parties will now adopt to push their cause, although SRP has called a rally in Phnom Penh Wednesday to protest the result.

"The number of names removed on the weekend was no surprise to us because this is what we found in our audit," said Puthea Hang, Executive Director of Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NICFEC).

NICFEC is one of several organisations involved in a June 2008 audit of the voter list, which found approximately 590,000 names had been incorrectly removed from list or 0.7 percent of the total electoral roll.

"Every vote is important," said Tom Andrews, a senior advisor to the National Democratic Institute, which worked with NICFEC on the audit and on training observers placed in 378 of the country’s 1,245 polling stations.

"But we need to base our conclusion on the evidence we have seen in the audit and our observers did not show what has been suggested by the opposition,’’ Andrews said. "It showed that people had been taken from the list but that the number was small and there was no clear pattern."

NGOs maintain they alerted NEC months ago about these mistaken deletions but the election body refused to restore the names.

"It is regretful that NEC did not take the opportunity to reinstate those names when they had the chance," said Callanan.

While Callanan agreed the issuing of 1018 forms on polling day was "in clear contravention of the election law," EU observers had only "found a relatively small number of examples" of these being issued.

Most groups monitoring the poll agree the elections were an improvement on the last poll in 2003.

All groups welcomed the decrease in violence compared to previous polls.

There is also general agreement that the technical aspects of the country’s electoral process, including the ballot and counting, are steadily improving.

"NEC proved its ability to organise technically good elections with the planning and execution of the recruitment and training of election staff and other important electoral activities being timely and well conducted," the EU mission said in its preliminary statement released Tuesday.

These improvements aside, monitoring groups say a long list of problems stand in the way of genuinely fair elections.

Many of these have less to do with what happens on polling day or even in the official four-week campaign, than they are the result of decades of instability and the dominant role played by CPP in the country’s political life since 1979, when neighbouring Vietnamese installed them after overthrowing the Khmer Rouge.

CPP almost completely dominates the electronic media, particularly TV, by far the most important source of information for Cambodians.

The EU statement said this situation is "to the detriment of the other parties to a degree which was not consistent with international standards of free and fair access to the media," the EU statement said.

On Jul. 10, NEC issued a warning to 13 television stations for broadcasting biased coverage of the elections. Ten of these were dominated by pro-CPP coverage, according to NEC.

"Not only do people have a right to vote but they have a right to an informed choice," said Andrews. "CPP domination of the media makes this very difficult."

The 2003 campaign also saw a widespread increase in the use of state resources by CPP during the campaign period, including the use of government vehicles and campaigning by government and military staff.

Other problems included widespread vote buying and the interference of village chiefs, the overwhelming majority of which are pro-CPP, in NEC’s voter education activities.

"I say take it as a whole, before the election and after balloting," said Andrews. "I think this (election) was a step forward on the longer road to a more vibrant and healthy democracy. But there are several steps more that need to be taken."

EU monitor says Cambodian election is biased

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Last weekend's Cambodian national elections failed to meet international standards because of biases in favor of the country's ruling party, the European Union said Tuesday.

The criticism came the day after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling party claimed it had won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections. The results were expected to usher in a new term for the premier who has ruled the country for 23 years.

Martin Callanan, the head of an EU election monitoring team, said all aspects of organizing Sunday's polls were "dominated by the Cambodian People's Party," which allow "accusations of lack of impartiality to be made," he said.

Callanan said there was bias during the election campaigns, citing "a widespread use of state resources," including the use of government-registered vehicles by ruling party officials.

He also said the party dominated the media coverage "which was not consistent with international standard on free and equal access to the media."

But Callanan declined to characterize the election as unfair despite allegations of widespread vote rigging from smaller parties, including the main opposition Sam Rainsy Party. They have called on the international community to reject the results.

Tep Nitha, the election committee's secretary-general, declined to comment on the issue.

In a joint statement Monday, four small parties, including Sam Rainsy, said Hun Sen's party won through "illegal and fraudulent practices." They cited the National Election Committee's alleged removal of tens of thousands of legitimate voters from electoral lists to prevent them from casting ballots for other parties.

They also accused the electoral body of acting as "a tool for the CPP to organize a sham election and present a facade of democracy."

Khieu Kanharith, the spokesman of the ruling party, dismissed the allegations of fraud.

Callanan said his team will release its final findings on the election in October.

The CPP has claimed a landslide victory with up to 91 seats in the 123-seat National Assembly, which is the lower house of Parliament. Official results are expected in a few days.

Hun Sen has been at the center of Cambodian politics since 1985, when he became the world's youngest prime minister at age 33. He has held or shared the top job ever since, bullying and outfoxing his opponents to stay in power.

Sunday's voting was the fourth parliamentary election since the United Nations brokered a peace deal for the country in 1991, a process meant to end decades of civil unrest that included the 1975-79 genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge.

Cambodia prepares for election [amid allegations of voter intimidation]

Eleven parties are contesting the polls, but the ruling Cambodia's People's Party is expected to win [AFP]

Saturday, July 26, 2008
Al Jazeera

Allegations of voter intimidation are being made a day ahead of parliamentary elections in Cambodia.

Eleven parties are competing in Sunday's national poll, the fourth since decades of civil war ended.

Voters are expected to back the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) for another five-year term and return Hun Sen, the prime minister, who has been in power for 23 years.

Campaigning has been marred by accusations of intimidation and vote buying amid a heightened nationalist sentiment over a border dispute with Thailand.

Few believe Sam Rainsy, the former finance minister and main opposition leader, will beat Hun Sen.

Sam Rainsy Party is expected to maintain its strength in the capital, but not in rural Cambodia, where most voters live.

'CPP will win'

Talks between Thailand and Cambodia on Monday have failed to end a military stand-off over the disputed Preah Vihear temple on their border, lrecently isted by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.

Hang Puthea, head of the election monitoring group Nicfec, said campaigning had been largely overshadowed by concerns over the temple.

"People are more focused on the border issue at Preah Vihear temple than on the election," he told AFP.

Boonsrang Niumpradit, Thailand's supreme commander, the result of the talks was to allow soldiers to stay in their current positions at the temple, but avoid any confrontation.

Hun Sen has accused Thailand of ignoring international law and threatening regional peace by sending troops into the disputed zone around the temple.

Poor track record

Chea Vannath, an independent political analyst, said: "There is no doubt that CPP will win the election."

At least 8.1m people are registered to vote at 15,000 polling stations, under the supervision of more than 13,000 domestic and international observers.

Previous polls held in Cambodia, have been hit by violence. Scores of people - mainly opposition supporters and activists - were killed or beaten in the run-up to elections in 1998.

Election monitors say political violence has diminished greatly compared to past polls, however, unequal access to the media is being criticised.

The main government controls almost all of Cambodia's broadcast media, while the CPP maintains a vast network in rural Cambodia, inherited from the party's communist days.

At least 35 per cent of Cambodia's 14m people live on less than 50 US cents a day.

However, economic growth has averaged about 11 per cent over the past three years, creating a sense of optimism in a country that recently emerged from decades of civil war in 1998.

Analysts say the main question going into the polls is whether CPP will be able to increase the 71 seats it already holds in the 23-member parliament.

Rights group claims Cambodian election campaign unfair

Saturday July 26 2008

Phnom Penh (dpa) - Threats, intimidation and unequal media access had hurt the Cambodian opposition, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a press release Saturday, a day before national elections.

"The near-monopoly on broadcast media for the ruling Cambodian People's Party's (CPP), bias within the electoral apparatus, and harassment, intimidation, and coerced defections of opposition party members undermines the credibility of the elections," it said.

"Elections in Cambodia under existing conditions devalue the process," Brad Adams, HRW Asia director, said. "Election observers from genuine democracies would never accept at home the CPP's grip on the media or the fear and intimidation faced."

Despite an ongoing police investigation, it blamed the CPP for the murder of opposition journalist Khim Sambo earlier this month, saying the killing "appears to have been timed ... to have the maximum chilling effect."

It also accused the CPP of making "lucrative offers of high-paying government positions" to coerce key opposition officials to defect and threatening those who did not.

However it conceded there had been a decrease in violence compared to previous elections, claiming this was because the CPP was expected to win the elections so handsomely.

On July 17 the National Election Committee released a statement accusing 13 broadcasters of bias, including Bayon TV, owned by Prime Minister Hun Sen's daughter, and the CPP's Apsara TV, as well as pro-opposition US-funded stations Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.

The CPP is touted to take up to 80 of 123 seats nationally and thousands of international observers have arrived to monitor polls.

Cambodia: Threats, Intimidation Mar Campaign

26 Jul 2008
Source: Human Rights Watch

(New York, July 26, 2008) - As Cambodians head to the polls on July 27, 2008, conditions are not in place for free and fair elections, Human Rights Watch said today. The near-monopoly on broadcast media for the ruling Cambodian People's Party's (CPP), bias within the electoral apparatus, and harassment, intimidation, and coerced defections of opposition party members undermines the credibility of the national elections. "Elections in Cambodia under existing conditions devalue the process and put a free and fair vote further out of reach of the Cambodian people," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Election observers from genuine democracies would never accept at home the CPP's grip on the media or the fear and intimidation faced by voters and opposition parties."

In violation of Cambodia's election campaign rules, the 11 political parties competing in the election for the national parliament have not had equal access to radio and television, by far the most important source of information for most Cambodians. Information broadcast on television and radio is almost exclusively favorable publicity for the incumbent CPP. Positive coverage of Prime Minister Hun Sen and other party leaders dominates. When the stations cover the opposition, much of the coverage is negative. On July 10, the National Election Commission (NEC) issued a warning to 13 television and radio stations for broadcasting biased coverage of the elections. Ten of those stations are dominated by pro-CPP coverage, according to the NEC.

"The lack of fair access to the broadcast media alone is enough to delegitimize the election," said Adams. "If voters can't get accurate information and their choices are determined by fear, an election loses much of its meaning."

The July 11 murder of opposition journalist Khim Sambo inserted violence into the campaign. Sambo had been a reporter for more than 10 years for Moneaksekar Khmer (Khmer Conscience), a newspaper affiliated with the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP) and one of the few newspapers in Cambodia that is not dominated by the government or the CPP. He was known for his hard-hitting articles about government corruption, political affairs, and land grabbing. No one has been arrested for the killing.

"Sambo's killing appears to have been timed just before the election to have the maximum chilling effect on journalists, opposition party supporters, and human rights monitors," said Adams.

In June, military police arrested Moneaksekar Khmer editor Dam Sith, who is also running as a SRP candidate in the election, after the paper reported allegations about Foreign Minister Hor Namhong's role during the Khmer Rouge regime. Sith was released after several days in detention, but criminal charges related to the article are still pending.

The buildup to the July elections has also been marked by calculated efforts by the CPP to pressure opposition party members, particularly the SRP, to defect to the CPP. Lucrative offers of high-paying government positions and threats of reprisals, including arrest or violence against those who refuse, have led hundreds of opposition party members to join the CPP.

"There's been a welcome decrease in violence compared to past elections," said Adams. "Cambodian politicians and party activists know the CPP will use violence if necessary - which means the ruling party doesn't need to do so."

Human Rights Watch said the Cambodian election is taking place against a backdrop of massive violence in previous elections, with no one ever held to account for political killings. In the 1993 UN-administered election, more than 100 opposition party members were killed in a campaign orchestrated by the CPP. In the 1998 election, pre-election violence again dominated, amid well-publicized pictures of brutal murders of opposition activists. This followed Hun Sen's July 1997 coup, in which more than 100 opposition party members, particularly members of the royalist FUNCINPEC party, were systematically murdered.

The lead-up to the most recent National Assembly election in 2003 began on a grim note with the murders in February 2003 of Om Radsady, senior advisor to Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and Buddhist monk Sam Bun Thoeun, an opponent of the ban on monks voting imposed by the CPP. A judge and a court clerk were killed and another judge was attacked and beaten. During the campaign, overt political violence was often supplanted by more sophisticated forms of intimidation and coerced party membership. Village and commune chiefs, most members of the CPP, threatened opposition party supporters with violence, expulsion from their villages, and denial of access to community resources such as village rice distributions. Thirteen political party activists were killed between the February 2002 commune council elections and the national poll in July 2003.

In the five years since, the government has arrested many opposition party members, journalists, and human rights defenders. Three trade union leaders and an opposition journalist have been murdered. Basic freedoms of assembly and expression have been particularly hard hit, with public demonstrations severely restricted by the government, and opposition-affiliated media intimidated by legal threats and criminal charges.

Politically motivated criminal charges have also long been used as a tactic by the CPP against its political foes. This includes the imprisonment of SRP parliamentarian Cheam Channy, convicted in a show trial in 2005 on baseless charges of creating a rebel army, the arrest of human rights activist Kem Sokha, and the conviction of party leader Sam Rainsy the same year for allegedly defaming government leaders. Royalist party leader Norodom Ranariddh currently faces arrest and 18 months of imprisonment on politically motivated fraud charges if he returns to Cambodia.

Human Rights Watch said that opposition parties, particularly the SRP, have operated in an almost continuous environment of threats, harassment, and intimidation. This has severely impaired the ability of opposition parties to organize, recruit party members and candidates, and reach voters.

Throughout, Hun Sen has made it clear that he would not leave office even if defeated. Though he and his party lost the 1993 election, Hun Sen and the CPP refused to give up power and forced themselves into a power-sharing coalition on equal terms. This has led to widespread cynicism about the value of elections, with many Cambodian concluding that the risks of participating in the political process outweigh the possible benefits.

"When making their judgments about this election, observers must take into account the entire context of the elections," said Adams. "They must not fall into the trap of using lower standards for Cambodia. Sadly, Cambodia is still not a democracy, or even on the path to democracy."

Media Remained Unfair in Campaign: Monitor

By Seng Ratana, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
21 July 2008

The vast majority of Cambodian media remained biased through the election campaign period, a committee of neutral observers said Monday.

In a report released Friday, the Asian Network for Free Elections said the broadcast and print media provided unbalanced stories in favor of the ruling Cambodian People's Party.

"Most [media outlets] have not been fair in broadcasting or writing news of political parties equally," the group said.

Candidates of the CPP have more possibilities for coverage in media, including images, photographs, activities and political message to voters, Somsri Hananuntasuk, executive director of Anfrel, said.

This year marked the first mission of Anfrel in observing Cambodian elections. In a three-week mission, they brought in observers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Nepal and India.

The observers traveled to eight provinces, including Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham, Kampot, Battambang, Banthey Meanchey, Siem Reap, Kandal and Takeo provinces.

In Cambodia, there are 24 radio and seven TK stations. Print media includes more than 300 outlets. Anfrel noted that besides, UNDP, NDI and NEC programming, non-ruling parties did not receive any coverage by these outlets, Anfrel said.

CPP lawmaker Chiem Yeap said CPP had a possibility of media coverage because it is the ruling party, and CPP rents time on both radio and television.

"CPP booked the time a year ago for broadcast during the election campaign," he said.

NEC Secretary-General Tep Nitha said he recognized the Anfrel observations, and he said the NEC has instructed the media many times to maintain professional and election standards.

However, NEC has no role to control the media, he said.

SRP lawmaker Son Chhay said the gap between ruling party and opposition party coverage were as far apart as "land and sky."

The Sam Rainsy Party has one hour per day aired on two radio stations, but the CPP uses nearly all the stations all the time, he said.

The unfair use of media is a major concern for non-governmental agencies, Hang Puthea, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, said.

Voters were not getting information from all parties joining the election, he said.

The NEC has allowed more than 24,000 local and 400 international observers from 12 countries.

Report Highlights Fear Among Media

Click here to read Licadho's PDF report in English

By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
26 June 2008

Click here to listen to Khmer audio program

The rights group Licadho has issued an 80-page report, "How Politics, Money and Fear Control Cambodia's Media," which details government restriction on media from the French colonial period to present.

Licadho president Kek Galabru said the report was compiled after interviews with 150 journalists and reporters. She also said there is a strong restriction on media in Cambodia, especially on TV and radio, minor restrictions on newspapers and magazines, and few on the Internet because only small amount of people can access the Web.

"Not many Cambodian people can access to the Internet," she said. "But people can access TV and radio more, so we can see the government always restricts freedom of expression through these two media instruments. But newspapers and magazines have some more freedom to publish." Kek Galabru said.

The report found that 91 out of 150 journalist said they work with fear, while 31 others said they were not afraid and 19 others dare not to speak out.

"A lot of reporters reported that they work with fear," Kek Galabru said. "If they work with fear, we can't say there is a freedom of media and expression."

Regarding the opinion about the restriction on media in Cambodia, a director of the rights group Adhoc, Thun Saray, said the media system in Cambodia has some positive and negative points.

"The positive point is that they allow some political parties to open their election campaign through radio channels," he said. "Before, we didn't see such thing, but now we see some space for that."

Recently, however, opposition editor Dam Sith was arrested and Angkor Ratha radio in Kratie was closed, while the legal system does not respect the media law, he said.

"We have already erased and pulled out the defamation law, which could be used to detain people, but now they use the disinformation law to restrict the media," he said. "The definitions between the two laws are totally different. The disinformation [article] can be used on a person who tries to make the situation and security in the country chaotic, but the charge of disinformation that involves with an individual is called defamation."