Controversial voter lists published today (1)
Today the National Election Committee (NEC) started to publish preliminary voter lists for Cambodia's 1,621 communes, totaling 8,027,706 voters for the whole country, a net increase of 228,335 eligible voters over last year (893,131 names added; 664,796 names deleted). However, the tentative lists which were posted today at all the country's commune offices, are being contested by the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). According to Sam Rainsy, who held a press conference today in Phnom Penh, the voter register has been manipulated nationwide by the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), through the NEC, so as to secure election victory for the CPP before even voting day (27 July 2008):
Retail prices have sharply increased in Cambodia over the last three months. The following are today prices for staples sold at big markets in Phnom Penh (compared to their levels in July this year):
Hun Sen's son to run for MP (2)
Hun Manet
Hun Sen's son Hun Manet is to run at the July 2008 elections for a Member of Parliament seat in Siem Reap province where the CPP now controls four seats out of six. Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh, currently a prominent MP for Siem Reap, will leave that province to become the CPP candidate for Kep municipality, which is a one-seat constituency.
Attempt to cover up corruption scandal (2)
Recently, there have been attempts to bribe former employees of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) to convince them to drop the corruption lawsuit that they have filed against former CCHR President Kem Sokha, who is now the President of the Human Rights Party (HRP). However, the 16 former employees, who have formed a Truth Committee to denounce Kem Sokha's corruption, insist that the Court proceeds with their lawsuit. Whether the Court will actually move on with the lawsuit or not, is a political decision to be made by the ruling CPP (see KI, 27 September 2007: "Hun Sen holds Kem Sokha hostage").
Latest statement (October 15) by the Truth Committee by clicking here.
Cambodian Senator writes to French Senate about Kampuchea Krom (1)
SRP Senator and former Foreign Affairs Minister Kong Korm, who is presently in France with a Cambodian parliamentary delegation at the invitation of the French Senate, wrote this week to French Senate President Christian Poncelet about Kampuchea Krom (former Khmer territories forming now the Southern part of Vietnam). Kong Korm asks the French Government to reexamine a law adopted by the French National Assembly in 1949 (Law # 49-733) granting sovereignty over Kampuchea Krom to Vietnam.
See Kong Korm's letter in French by clicking here.
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Today the National Election Committee (NEC) started to publish preliminary voter lists for Cambodia's 1,621 communes, totaling 8,027,706 voters for the whole country, a net increase of 228,335 eligible voters over last year (893,131 names added; 664,796 names deleted). However, the tentative lists which were posted today at all the country's commune offices, are being contested by the opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). According to Sam Rainsy, who held a press conference today in Phnom Penh, the voter register has been manipulated nationwide by the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), through the NEC, so as to secure election victory for the CPP before even voting day (27 July 2008):
- Tens of thousands of names have been artificially added to inflate voter lists (ghost voters whose names will be fraudulently used by the CPP on voting day, such as the 15,000 names contested by the SRP in Poipet commune alone).
- Tens of thousands of (real) citizens who wanted to register as voters, were not able to do so, especially non-CPP supporters, because of lack of information, administrative harassment and organized confusion.
- CPP-controlled commune councils have arbitrarily deleted 573,981 names (out of the 664,796 names mentioned above) without producing evidence that the concerned persons are really dead or have really and permanently moved away from their commune. A significant portion of the targeted names appear to be those of non-CPP voters, who are therefore unfairly disenfranchised.
- Whereas citizens who are disenfranchised are all Cambodian nationals, tens of thousands of foreign nationals (newly arrived immigrants with no voting right) continue to be included in the voter lists despite countless complaints lodged by the opposition.
Retail prices have sharply increased in Cambodia over the last three months. The following are today prices for staples sold at big markets in Phnom Penh (compared to their levels in July this year):
- Rice (1 kg, average quality): 1,800 Riels (versus 1,500 Riels): + 20%
- River fish (1 kg, trei ros): 17,000 Riels (versus 13,000 Riels): + 30%
- Pork (1 kg, breast): 12,000 Riels (versus 10,000 Riels): + 20%
- Pork (1 kg, pure meat): 15,000 Riels (versus 12,000 Riels): + 25%
- Beef (1kg): 17,000 Riels (versus 13,000 Riels): + 30%
- Cabbage (1 kg): 3,000 Riels (versus 2,500 Riels): + 20%.
Hun Sen's son to run for MP (2)
Hun ManetAttempt to cover up corruption scandal (2)
Recently, there have been attempts to bribe former employees of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) to convince them to drop the corruption lawsuit that they have filed against former CCHR President Kem Sokha, who is now the President of the Human Rights Party (HRP). However, the 16 former employees, who have formed a Truth Committee to denounce Kem Sokha's corruption, insist that the Court proceeds with their lawsuit. Whether the Court will actually move on with the lawsuit or not, is a political decision to be made by the ruling CPP (see KI, 27 September 2007: "Hun Sen holds Kem Sokha hostage").
Latest statement (October 15) by the Truth Committee by clicking here.
Cambodian Senator writes to French Senate about Kampuchea Krom (1)
SRP Senator and former Foreign Affairs Minister Kong Korm, who is presently in France with a Cambodian parliamentary delegation at the invitation of the French Senate, wrote this week to French Senate President Christian Poncelet about Kampuchea Krom (former Khmer territories forming now the Southern part of Vietnam). Kong Korm asks the French Government to reexamine a law adopted by the French National Assembly in 1949 (Law # 49-733) granting sovereignty over Kampuchea Krom to Vietnam.
See Kong Korm's letter in French by clicking here.
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