NEC can only resolve minor issues ... not election rigging

NEC Rules in Favor of Two Parties

By Seng Ratana, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
06 August 2008

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The Norodom Ranariddh Party in Battambang province and Sam Rainsy Party in Kampong Thom province each won cases in a hearing by the National Election Committee Wednesday.

The NEC ruled that five people who had knocked down SRP signs in Kampong Thom will be ineligible to vote for the next five years.

The NEC ruled that portraits hung in front of an NRP headquarters were not a violation of election law.

The NEC received 44 complaints during the election campaign and 24 on Election Day.

Graffiti on SRP signs: Any tricks in the book to silence the opposition

May 8, 2008 : Sam Rainsy Party's signs were targets of graffiti in Boeung Salang commune, Toul Kok district Phnom Penh (All photos: SRP)

CCHR: Smaller parties are targets of threat and intimidation by the "800-lb-Gorilla People Party"

The authority controlled by the CPP used police officers to tear down a SRP party sign in Phnom Penh City (Photo: SRP)
(Photo: SRP)

Small Parties a Target: Group

By Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh
15 April 2008

With general elections fast approaching, smaller competing parties are likely to be targets of threat and intimidation, the Cambodian Center for Human Rights said Tuesday.

In a monthly bulletin, the rights group warns that intimidation can include murder, but may be as seemingly small as the knocking down of party signs.

Government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said the rights group was wrong in its accusations, adding that smaller parties sometimes do not respect National Election Committee regulations.

Opposition members still face intimidation from the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, opposition leader Sam Rainsy said.

Meanwhile, competing parties such as the Sam Rainsy Party, Human Rights Party and Norodom Ranariddh Party, are still not properly allowed to express themselves, said Hang Puthea, executive director of the Neutral & Impartial Committee for Free & Fair Elections in Cambodia.

Destruction of parties signs is now more frequent in Phnom Penh than the provinces, he said.

HRP Condemns Destruction of Party Signs

By Chun Sakada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
25 February 2008

The Human Rights Party assailed commune authorities nationwide Monday for allowing the destruction of party signs in the provinces.

Forty HRP signs have been destroyed across Cambodia since the founding of the party in July 2007, party officials said.

"The destruction is political discrimination against the Human Rights Party and violates the Cambodian constitution and violates the people's rights and political rights," said Keo Remy, vice president of the party.

"Those destroying the party signs are the commune councils from various parties, not only the ruling party," he said. "They are worried about the party's increasing popularity."

The destruction of signs is one form of intimidation that appears prior to most elections. A party statement requested the Ministry of Interior to take "strong action" to condemn the authorities or anyone else who destroys political signs and to end discrimination against the Human Rights Party.

"We permit the Human Rights Party to set up party signs all over the country, but the party must make a good relation and cooperation with the local authorities, for protection of each sign," Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Khieu Sopheak said.

Sometimes parties set up signs on the private land of people who don't want them, he said.

"We aren't going to allow broken party signs to become a big problem," he said.