Tuesday, 22 May 2012
By Meas Sokchea
Phnom Penh Post
Only four days into the commune election campaigning period and complaints of campaign interference are already flowing, NEC legal department director Keo Phalla said yesterday.
Keo
Phalla said that as of Sunday, the commune elections commission had
received seven complaints, with two of those in Banteay Meanchey and one
each in Kratie, Pursat, Svay Rieng, Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Speu.
Opposition
Sam Rainsy Party officials in Kampong Thom yesterday said they were
also filing a complaint in Prasat Balang district’s Doung commune today.
Sun
Chanthy, Kampong Thom SRP secretary, said the party was filing a
complaint against the Commune Election Committee president Pa Bunthorng,
who they allege has been gate-crashing their campaign meetings and
challenging members to fistfights.
“The Sam Rainsy Party was
planning their propaganda and message of its commune election campaign
in its office, then Pa Bunthorn, president of the Doung Commune Election
Commission, came in to provoke us, saying he wants to fight Sam Rainsy
Party members and would them pay 1 million riel for each fight,” Sun
Chanthy said.
He added that he believed the SRP was being persecuted by the CEC president because of the party’s popularity in that commune.
“This
is political intimidation. We have filed a complaint to PEC asking to
convict him according to the election law,” Sun Chanthy said.
Pa Bunthorng dismissed the allegations and denied that he was a member of any political party or had any political agenda.
Instead, he said his drop-in on the campaign meeting was a practical joke with his childhood friend, SRP member Horn Hort.
“This
is an individual issue; it is not related to any political issues,” Pan
Bunthorng said. “Now, we have already compromised by saying an apology
to each other and shaking hands.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Meas Sokchea at sokchea.meas@phnompenhpost.com
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