JAPANESE ELECTION OBSERVERS DID NOT DO THEIR HOMEWORK

There was a group of Japanese observers to monitor the July 27, 2008 national election in Cambodia. They spent a few days in our country, visited a number of polling stations, issued a statement congratulating the National Election Committee, and happily flew back to Japan. They saw nothing wrong with last month's election.

Having not done their homework before coming to Cambodia, they did not see the two main election flaws: countless illegitimate voters using ghost voters' names to inflate votes for the CPP, and countless legitimate non-CPP voters unable to cast their ballot because they were disenfranchised.

These two irregularities, which had a serious impact on the election outcomes, are the result of maneuvers that took place long before Voting Day and outside the polling stations (see our July 29, 2008 statement titled "What election observers did not see in a rigged election" at http://tinyurl.com/6gw3rz).

The Japanese observers were very disciplined: they had submitted to the CPP-controlled authorities the list of the polling stations they planned to visit. But they forgot to do their homework, starting with reading materials that could have given them some clues about the possible or probable election irregularities.

SRP Cabinet

The Cambodia Daily, November 21, 2006: "Unexpected Voter Statistics Raise Concern"

A total of 1,214, 250 new voters registered in October [2006] for the commune election in April [2007] – a number more than double the NEC's initial prediction (…). "Ghost voter" refers to names on voting lists of people who may not exist, have already died or do not live where they claim to live. Election monitors are concerned that individuals may use ghost names to vote, potentially swinging the outcome of the election."

The Cambodia Daily, November 10, 2006: "Ghost Voters Pose Elusive Problem in Elections"

Election monitors voiced concern this week that there may be hundreds of thousands of ghost voters registered to participate in April [2007]'s commune elections (…). A ghost voter rate of 10 percent is far higher than the standard margin of error. This has prompted concerns that the voting list may have been tampered with on a large scale.

Phnom Penh Post, September 8-20, 2006: "Rainsy predicts disenfranchisement of non-CPP voters"

"The National Election Committee (NEC) has initiated changes in the voter registration process (…) that could have far-reaching consequences (…). The NEC is creating unnecessary and untimely work and procedures for people, most of whom are unable to do it (…). The NEC's initiative could practically end up depriving millions of citizens of their voting rights. The victims will be mainly non-CPP members because all CPP members are identified as such by their village chiefs and will receive in time (…) related information, assistance and facilities to do the work imposed by the NEC. Most of those who do not support the ruling CPP will be left in the dark (…). Many international observers do not realize that the results of the 2007 and 2007 elections are largely being decided now through a biased registration process."

The Cambodia Daily, August 30, 2006: "Rainsy: Process Changes Predetermine Elections"

"The National Election Committee's changes to the voter registration process are deciding the outcomes of the 2007 commune and 2008 national elections before they have had a chance to take place (…). Many international observers do not realize that the results of the 2007 and 2008 elections are largely being decided now through the registration process."

Phnom Penh Post, August 11-24, 2006: "Rainsy blasts voter registration"

"Sam Rainsy (…) is blasting (the NEC's) month-long campaign to compile voter lists as a 'vicious scheme.' It's a big plot being implemented in order to deprive up to two million potential voters of their rights (…). The NEC is independent on paper, but in fact they are doing what the CPP asks them to do."

Full articles and other warning reports at http://tinyurl.com/yfx6j7