July 29, 2008Source: SRPWHAT ELECTION OBSERVERS DID NOT SEE IN A RIGGED ELECTION
There are two maneuvers that international (both short-term and long-term) observers did not see that seriously affected the results of the July 27, 2008 elections and distorted the will of the Cambodian people.
These two maneuvers took place before Voting Day and outside the polling stations. Therefore, international observers who were only present in polling stations and/or shortly (less than nine months) before Voting Day, could not see anything wrong. For them, the election looked smooth from a "technical" point of view.
I- FIRST MANEUVER: DELETION OF LEGITIMATE VOTERS' NAMES
In the second half of 2007, some 15,000 CPP-affiliated village chiefs throughout the country identified non-CPP supporters in their respective villages and submitted their names for deletion from the voter list under the pretext of "cleaning up" the voter registry for their respective communes. Since 98 percent of Cambodia's 1,621 communes are controlled by the CPP, virtually all the commune councils approved the deletion lists which were submitted by the village chiefs. Citizens whose names were to be deleted should have enquired whether they were blacklisted but had very little time to prove that they were not dead, had not become mad, or had not moved from their village as claimed by their village chief (this is a reversal of the burden of the proof). This was obviously too heavy a burden for the common villagers who had little knowledge of the complicated election procedures and what's more, were very busy in their rice fields during that period. However, CPP supporters were given relevant information and facilities in time to fill the formalities to preserve their voting rights.
Added to this was an organized confusion: it was difficult/impossible for many people, specifically non-CPP supporters, to find their polling stations which had been changed at the last minute, resulting in the fact they could not cast their ballots.
This is estimated to have resulted in a possible loss of approximately one million votes for the Opposition.
II- SECOND MANEUVER: ILLEGAL DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO ILLEGITIMATE VOTERS
Illegitimate voters are under-aged people, non-registered citizens, migrant workers unable to return to vote in the commune where they were originally registered, and foreigners living in Cambodia. The CPP gave them the identity of "ghost voters" who are officially on the voter list but who do not exist. These "ghost voters" are deceased people, twice-registered voters and voters who have permanently moved away from the commune. The illegitimate voters were issued last-minute forged 1018 documents in order to be able to vote for the CPP. The 1018 form is a substitute ID document for those who don't have the standardized national ID Card. The illegitimate voters, who had been previously bribed by the CPP, were taken to specific venues, given the forged 1018 forms (with their real photo on them) and were thus able to vote.
In some cases, an illegitimate voter was given a 1018 form using the identity of a legitimate voter known as non-CPP supporter and sent to the polling station in the early hours. When the legitimate voter turned up, he/she found that someone else had cast the ballot in their place.
It is to be noted here that country-wide there is no recourse to find out how many 1018 forms have been fraudulently issued and used.
This is estimated to have resulted in a possible inflation of approximately one million votes for the CPP.
We invite observers to see evidence of the above cases. We have in our possession countless cases which show the real identity of illegitimate voters as shown in their ID cards as well as the fake identity they used as shown on the 1018 forms given to them by the CPP. Both documents show the same photo of the same person.
Please call SRP office at 092 888 001 or 092 888 002.
SRP Members of Parliament
