Opposition demands re-vote in provinces

HENG CHIVOAN Sam Rainsy speaks to reporters at a press conference in Phnom Penh on Monday.

Written by Meas Sokchea
Tuesday, 26 August 2008

Courtesy of Phnom Penh Post

Opposition parties continue attack on NEC over vote tallies

HENG CHIVOAN Human Rights Party leader Kem Sokha (left) and Sam Rainsy Party’s Mu Sochua speak to reporters on Monday.

Sam Rainsy Party leader claims new proof of massive voter fraud by the NEC in three provinces and calls for a re-vote

OPPOSITION leader Sam Rainsy hurled a slew of fresh charges Monday at the Kingdom's National Election Committee, claiming that it had falsified vote tallies from polling stations in three provinces at the behest of the Cambodian People's Party and demanded a revote."Our election observers found that 11-04 forms from 119 polling stations had been changed," Sam Rainsy said at a press conference."The NEC has accused us of making these changes, but we would have no reason to do this."The 11-04 forms are used to note the total number of votes received by each party at a particular polling station. They are NEC documents and are taken by NEC officials from individual polling stations to their central headquarters. Sam Rainsy said his complaints focus on irregularities at polling stations in Svay Rieng province, but that observers found major discrepancies in Kampot and Pursat provinces as well, adding that a re-vote in these provinces should be held.
The CPP’s 90 seats do not belong to them. Some of them belong to us.
"We should have opened the ballot boxes and recounted the votes," he said, adding that he had asked for recounts on 16 boxes but was refused."I believe that if we had asked for only one box to be recounted, our request would still have been refused because even one case would show that the vote tallies had been changed."

Kem Sokha, president of Human Rights Party, which has aligned itself to the SRP in the aftermath of the polls, said it would be meaningless for both parties to join the National Assembly when it convenes in September to announce the new government. He argued that the Assembly does not represent the people or the nation, but belongs to the CPP and is a pawn of the Vietnamese government."It would not be right for us to sit in parliament," Kem Sokha said. "The CPP's 90 seats do not belong to them. Some of them belong to us."Khieu Kanharith, CPP spokesman and information minister, could not be reached for comment Monday.NEC Secretary General Tep Nytha said Monday the SRP documents were handwritten and prove nothing, while the voter tally forms submitted to the NEC show no irregularities. He added that any changes to the documents would have been done by the opposition."If [Sam Rainsy] has clear evidence of irregularities, a revote could take place," he said. "If he does not, that should be the end of the matter."