The U.S State Department continues to insist Cambodia resolves election irregularities ក្រសួងការបរទេសសហរដ្ឋអាមេរិកបន្តសុំឱ្យប្រទេសកម្ពុជាដោះស្រាយភាពមិនប្រក្រតីដែលកើតមានក្នុងពេលបោះឆ្នោត

Marie Harf
Deputy Spokesperson
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
September 9, 2013

CAMBODIA: U.S. Reaction to Election

QUESTION: Close by. Cambodia. They certified the election results. You had wanted a full and independent, transparent investigation of the irregularities, which seems not to have happened, but they certified them anyway. So I’m just wondering if you have any comment on that.

MS. HARF: I do. We, obviously, have commended the Cambodian people for expressing their views in a nonviolent manner. We do still believe that a transparent review of irregularities in the July elections would help efforts to assess and address flaws in the electoral process and give the Cambodian people greater confidence in their electoral system. And we are continuing to urge all parties, as we have, to seize this

opportunity to improve their democratic processes going forward.

QUESTION: So you’re not concerned at all that they went ahead and certified the results without doing the investigation?

MS. HARF: We still believe that a transparent review of these irregularities would help these efforts. We still believe that should happen.

QUESTION: Would help what efforts?

MS. HARF: The efforts to assess and address flaws in their electoral process. We’ve talked about that a little bit here.

QUESTION: Okay. So you still have concerns about it?

MS. HARF: You can use --

QUESTION: Your concerns weren’t addressed. I mean, I’m just trying to figure out --

MS. HARF: Well, independent monitors who observed the election cited serious irregularities --

QUESTION: Right.

MS. HARF: -- in the processes. We’ve talked about that in here a little bit.

QUESTION: Right.

MS. HARF: We still have those concerns and hope that there’s a process to address them.

QUESTION: Right. But again, I’m trying to draw you out on whether you think it is a good thing or a bad thing --

MS. HARF: I know what you’re trying to do.

QUESTION: -- that the results were certified without – is that in there someplace?

MS. HARF: I’m not going --

QUESTION: You have no position?

MS. HARF: I’m not going to say it’s a good or a bad thing. We still have concerns about some of the irregularities.

QUESTION: All right, okay. But you’re not going to say that’s a good or bad thing, so that can – does that mean --

MS. HARF: I am not going --

QUESTION: -- you have no position?

MS. HARF: I am not going to say it’s a good or a bad thing, Matt.

QUESTION: Doesn’t that mean you have no position?

MS. HARF: It means I’m just not going to use your words.

QUESTION: All right, okay, fine. And do you --

MS. HARF: Oh, sorry.

QUESTION: I just had one last one. It’s totally different, so go ahead, Jo.

QUESTION: Can I stay in Asia and go to North Korea?

QUESTION: Can we stay on Cambodia?

MS. HARF: We can stay on Cambodia.

QUESTION: Do you have a statement on the resignation of the international prosecutor in the Khmer Rouge trials?

MS. HARF: I do not. I will endeavor to get you one.

QUESTION: Could you take it?

MS. HARF: I’ll take that question, yes.

End


Courtesy U.S. Department of State